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I have noticed that at pretty much every Chabad shul I have ever attended, the same tunes were always used for certain parts of davening on Shabbos. For example, they all use the same tune for ha-aderet v'ha-emunah during psukei d'zimra as well as for the line in the kedusha for musaf that begins hu Elokeinu, hu avinu. They also all use the same tune for ata bechartanu during yamim tovim. Every Chabad shul also seems to sing al tira... at the end of davening, although I have noticed variations in the tune used.

Here are the tunes
- Hu Elokeinu
- Ata Bechartanu

Is there a reason why almost every Chabad shul seems to use these tunes for these parts of davening? What is the origin of the tunes? Were they favorite niggunim of one of the rebbes? How long have Chabad shuls used these uniform tunes?

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  • Fwiw my local Chabad synagogue uses at least two different tunes for Haederes V'hameuna. It may the exception, though, for all I know. +1, anyway.
    – msh210 ♦
    Aug 14, 2013 at 16:46
  • @msh210 That's interesting. I wonder if either of them is the one I'm thinking of. I'm pretty sure I've heard it in at least 5 or 6 different places.
    – Daniel
    Aug 14, 2013 at 16:52
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    There are three "official" Chabad niggunim for HoAderes VeHaemuna". One of them, however, doesn't generally "work well", so there are only two active niggunim.
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 14, 2013 at 17:00
  • Also, many Chabad rabbis pray in different Chabad houses and transfer melodies
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 14, 2013 at 17:11
  • I go to a Chabad shul out of convenience, and they typically use the same tunes. Sometimes they'll spice it up though.
    – rosenjcb
    Aug 14, 2013 at 18:14

2 Answers 2

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Hu Elokeinu and Ato Vechartonu were introduced by the Rebbe and was always song in the Rebbe's presence. Hoaderes Vehoemuna -French National Anthem- was also introduced by the Rebbe but the other tune (the one that many Shuls use by Hakofos on Simchas Torah) was more common even during the Rebbe's presence.

Keily Attah (end of Hallel) was composed by the Alter Rebbe (first Chabad Rebbe).

Birkas Kohanim was composed by the Miteler Rebbe (second Chabad Rebbe)'s choir.

There are also Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur songs that they will sing in all Chabad Shuls like Hayom Teamtzeinu (which the Rebbe introduced as his father's Simchas Torah Niggun), Ovinu Malkeinu (composed by the Alter Rebbe), Mar'ei Kohen (Avodah YK) is not a "Rebbe song" but it was the song/tune used in the Rebbe's presence, Napolean March (sung at the very end of YK) was introduced by the Alter Rebbe. What it boilsdown to is either a Niggun introduced/composed by a Rebbe or was always the exclusive tune used the Rebbe's presence.

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  • It ignores songs like Lecha Dodi which aren't sung in 770 but are sungs in Chabad houses.
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 19, 2013 at 18:50
  • 1) I guess you haven't been in 770 in a while because they have been singing Lecha Dodi from way back from around the late 5740's. 2) There is no universal Chabad tune for Lecha Dodi, I haven't seen/heard two Chabad Shuls that use the same set tune every single week.
    – Meir Zirkind
    Aug 19, 2013 at 19:49
  • chabad shuls or chabad houses?
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 19, 2013 at 20:03
  • You wrote "it ignores songs like LD which aren't sung in 770", yet they do sing LD in 770!
    – Meir Zirkind
    Aug 19, 2013 at 23:06
  • different tunes
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 19, 2013 at 23:07
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Generally, Chabad houses try to balance two different systems:

  1. On one hand, you want people to be able to sing along. So they try to sing "famous" melodies, such as "Bei Ana Rachitz", "Lecha Dodi" or "Lechu Neranena".
  2. Chabad houses try to follow 770's system (that's where most Shluchim spend time before/during Shlichus). They tend to sing official niggunim for certain parts of Davening. So that's the source of "ha-aderet v'ha-emunah", "hu Elokeinu, hu avinu", "Ata Vechartanu" etc.

Some tunes come from camps/schools, such as "Al Tirah"/"Ach Tzadikim".

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  • What makes a nigun official? Being sung at 770? And where do the niggunim come from?
    – Daniel
    Aug 14, 2013 at 17:22
  • store.kehotonline.com/… , songs sung in in front of the Rebbe or made by older chassidim
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 14, 2013 at 17:31
  • I doubt that many of these modern tunes were sung in earlier times. Chabad is a brand so it has to keep to it.
    – user2800
    Aug 14, 2013 at 20:10
  • Some of the official tunes were written by the Rebbes for example the tune that most chabad houses sing to "Hu Elokeinu" was written by the current rebbe zya
    – Yitzchak
    Aug 18, 2013 at 2:41
  • @Yitzchak Hu Elokeinu was written by R' Isroel Halprin, the Chazzan in Lubavitch. It was popularized by the Rebbe. But yes, it is a "Rebbe's niggun"
    – ertert3terte
    Aug 18, 2013 at 4:02

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