I recall hearing that a certain tzadik - I think it was the Maharal - was revealed to him the tunes from the Beis Hamikdash and we now use these tunes for Rosh Hashanah such as the tune for Yisgadal. I'm looking for a source for this. I recall it was something like a request to help Jews at the time cope with the black death. Like a gift from heaven.
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yutorah.org/togo/5769/roshhashana/articles/… This link may provide an answer– Daniel RossSep 6, 2020 at 3:29
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Also I would like to add that it could be the Maharil not the Maharal.– Daniel RossSep 6, 2020 at 3:34
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The founder of Kaliver Hasidic dynasty is said to have heard a village boy singing a certain tune which he recognized as originating in the temple period and purchased it from him. He later set his song szol a kokos mar to that tune. In is common in certain locales for individuals to borrow that tune for sections of the high holiday prayers, e.g. the beginning of the amidah repetition– Dr. ShmuelSep 6, 2020 at 6:55
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1See here - judaism.stackexchange.com/a/10018/22152– DovSep 6, 2020 at 22:18
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1Also see here - chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/4063426/jewish/…– DovSep 6, 2020 at 22:20
1 Answer
Perhaps you are referring to what is written in the introduction to the Sefer פאת השולחן written by Rabbi Yisroel of Shklov. There he reports a story that when his rebbe the Gaon of Vilna completed his commentary on Shir Hashirim he was joyous about the fact that he merited to know all of the wisdom of the Torah and of the world including math, science and the wisdom of music. He reports that in the wisdom of music is hidden the secrets of the songs of the levites. This story was said over by the Gaons son Yehuda Leib Vilner (maharil). Bellow is the quote:
וצוה לסגור חדרו, והחלונות סוגרו ביום והדליקו נרות הרבה, וכאשר סיים פירושו נשא עיניו למרום בדבקות עצומה בברכה והודאה לשמו הגדול ית"ש, שזיכהו להשגת אור כל התורה, בפנימיותה וחוצותיה. כה אמר: כל החכמות נצרכים לתורתנו הק' וכלולים בה, וידעם כולם לתכליתם, והזכירם – חכמת האלגעברע ומשולשים והנדסה וחכמת מוסיקא ושיבחה הרבה, הוא הי' אומר אז כי רוב טעמי תורה וסודות שירי הלוים וסודות תיקוני הזהר א"א לידע בלעדה ועל ידה יכולים כ"א למות בכלות נפשם מנעימותי' ויכולים להחיות מתים בסודותי' הגנוזים בתורה,