Jewish liturgical music


If you have stumbled on this page at random, and you find these sound files and instructions useful, please consider making a donation to Temple Beth Shalom of Cambridge, otherwise known as the Tremont Street Shul. You are free to pass these files along to others as long as I am credited. Please do not sell these files electronically or in hard-copy format.

Thanks

Thanks to those who taught me this stuff, either consciously or unconsciously so. In particular, for the davenning melodies below: Reb Moshe Holcer z"l, Mark Whittum, Will Friedman, Avi Weiss, David Sandberg, Erica Schultz, Paul Weiss, and others...

Listening to the files / Disclaimer

These sound files are encoded as 128-kbps MP3 files. Play them with your favourite MP3 player (the Windows and Mac defaults should do just fine).

I made these sound files big (anywhere from 200kB to 1.5MB) to preserve the horrid sound of my voice in high fidelity. Be aware when downloading. I suggest you download these files once and save them to your hard drive for future use. Right-clicking on the link will usually let you save the file directly to your hard drive without listening to it first.

I can't guarantee that what you hear below is correct. You're listening to my take on things and there are bound to be mistakes. Also, this is how things are done at "the upstairs minyan" at the Tremont Street Shul and it may not be the same at your particular synagogue. Consult an experienced chazzan or ba'al-tefilla if you're in doubt. Also, I'm not a professionally trained singer -- so be forewarned...

'Putting away the Torah' 

I recorded these files and wrote these instructions in response to several people at the Tremont Street Shul who expressed a desire to learn to lead the part of Shacharit that comes after the Haftarah reading is over.

The steps are:
  1. Chant the blessings after the Haftarah (ending with mekadesh ha-Shabbat) -- but you've already done that.

  2. Yekum purkan -- these two paragraphs are recited silently. You start them for the congregation with the first few words, Yekum purkan min shemaya. MP3

  3. Mi-she-beirach -- some people chant the entire Mi-she-beirach for the congregation, while others just start from the phrase Ve-kol mi she-oskim be-tsarkei tsibbur be-emunah near the end. I have recorded the whole thing, which I like to do. Note that in the second phrase, some people leave out the word u-nesheihem ("and their wives") for reasons you can figure out. The congregation may join in with you at the words ve-yishlach beracha ve-hatzlacha. MP3

  4. Birkat ha-chodesh -- also known as benching Rosh Chodesh. This is done on the Shabbat preceding a Rosh Chodesh. You need to know which day or days of the week Rosh Chodesh will fall on, and the name of the month. Allow the congregation to read the first paragraph (Yehi ratzon mi-l'fanecha) and then repeat it. Afterward, you announce the month.

    The sound file below uses the June 8th 2002 benching Rosh Chodesh for Tammuz on the upcoming Monday and Tuesday -- yom sheini ve-yom shlishi. Substitute the month and days as necessary, of course! You will also need someone to hold the Torah scroll for you during part of it. MP3

    While chanting the last paragraph, be sure to allow the congregation to reply amen to the words le-chayim u-le-shalom, then to le-sasson u-le-simcha, then to li-yeshua u-le-nechema. I usually switch into a pseudo-major key (listen to the recording) to "prompt" the congregation. MP3
  5. Prayer for the country and prayer for the State of Israel -- at the upstairs minyan, we read the Prayer for the country in English at this point, while holding the Torah scrolls. Hopefully we'll have a good, new text soon! The prayer for the State of Israel differs between the Birnbaum and Artscroll siddurs towards the end. We read it (not chanted) aloud. MP3 to come.

  6. Av ha-rachamim -- this paragraph is omitted on many occasions. You will generally not chant it on a day when you have just benched Rosh Chodesh, or during Nisan, or a bunch of other times. This is chanted mostly silently but I like to do the last couple of verses aloud with a modified Shacharit nusach. Then continue with the first verse or so of Ashrei aloud. MP3

  7. Ashrei -- recited silently until the last two lines, Tehilat Adonai ye-daber pi. MP3

  8. Ye-hallelu / Mizmor le-David -- the traditional responsive reading with the traditional melody. Don't forget to pace yourself during the hakafah as you read this -- otherwise you'll re-arrive at the bimah too early or too late. The congregation sings along with the verses that have the melody of Havu l'Adonai b'nei eilim. Make sure you don't lose your place in the siddur, it's easy to do! MP3

  9. Eits chaim hi -- there are two melodies for this, the "Hatikvah" melody (MP3) and the "non-Hatikvah" melody (MP3). 

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