Add Intention to Your Prayer Through Music

Another sense that can help us enter a state of flow is the sense of music. In the Bible, it is told that the prophets would reach an experiential state of prophecy, specifically through music: "And Elisha said... 'But now bring me a musician.' And when the musician played, the hand of Hashem came upon him" (2 Kings 3:14-15). Music is also an essential part of the Temple service, where the Levites would accompany the sacrificial offerings with melodies that stirred the heart. The Talmud tells us that King David had a harp hanging above his bed, and the wind that blew on it at dawn would wake him from his sleep. On a simple level, this was his wake-up time, but on a deeper level, it was a spiritual awakening, as the sounds from the harp woke up his soul.

Music (singing without words) has the power to evoke strong emotions. Sad or happy, lively or minor music affects us. Almost every social event is accompanied by background music to create the right atmosphere, and even film directors, who focus mainly on the visual aspect, dedicate much energy to the music for their films, understanding that it's a crucial component in creating a complete experience.

Music is an essential element in the 'service of the heart - this is prayer.' As said in the Sefer Chassidim: "Seek after melodies, and when you pray, speak them in the melodies that are sweet and pleasant to you. In that melody say your prayer, and pray with intent, and your heart will follow the words from your mouth..." Some of the sages of Israel tried to avoid foreign tunes, but many incorporate melodies from other cultures, infusing them with a dimension of holiness, in the process of "elevating the divine sparks."

An example is the special melody of R' Isaac Eisik of Kaliv, who once heard an emotional tune sung by a Hungarian shepherd in the forest: "Forest, forest, how great you are! Rose, rose, how distant you are! If the forest were small, the rose would be near. If they removed me from the forest, we would be together." He adopted the melody and added a verse: "Exile, exile, how great you are! Shekhinah, Shekhinah, how distant you are! If the exile were small, the Shekhinah would be near. If they removed me from the exile, we would be together." Melodies also create an atmosphere of connection between people and singing together unites hearts. Sabbath songs during the meal create a special atmosphere that adds significant and elevated holiness that opens the hearts.

How do we use melodies in the service of prayer? One way is to listen to suitable music that elevates us to a higher state of consciousness before praying, or to sing a melody or song that has a positive effect on us. Focusing on the music allows us to concentrate on something external, preventing internal distractions. It is important to emphasize that this is about music where we fully concentrate on the tune, without engaging in other activities simultaneously. The melody will help us reach a higher state of consciousness only if we surrender to it, and it is therefore highly recommended to repeat it over and over. Yedidya Meir once shared that he visited the Karlin Hasidic court during the Joy of the Drawing of Water festival. The joy was immense, but the band played each melody repeatedly, sometimes for half an hour straight. Yedidya asked one of the dancers why they didn't change the tune, and the Hasid answered: "We don't change the tune until the tune changes us..."

Even if at times the mind wanders, there is nothing wrong with that, as we are trying to direct the heart, and sometimes it takes time until the right string is precisely tuned.