Behind the 11 Nissan Niggunim

By COLlive reporter

Chassidim have long had the minhag to say the Rebbe’s kapitel daily. This strengthens our connection with the Rebbe and awakens the special zechusim of being a Chosid.

The Alter Rebbe taught that Negina (song) is the kulmus hanefesh (the pen of the soul) and is central to the Avoda of Chassidim. Whether it expresses gaaguim (yearning) or dveikus (connection), a niggun captures the feeling directly from one’s nefesh and transcends the spoken word.

Our generation – Dor Hashvii has merited the special phenomenon of using negina to express our deep and infinite love for the Rebbe, and we were zoche to see the Rebbe’s reciprocation of that love. Every year on Yud Alef Nissan, the new niggun, composed with the words of the Rebbe’s new kapitel took a central place in the celebration of the Rebbe’s birthday.

Lubavitcher Chassidim and Chabad followers around the world will begin to say the Rebbe’s new Kapital, 116, this week in connection with the Rebbe’s 115th birthday on Yud Alef Nissan.

A new Nigun with pesukim from the kapitel has been composed by R’ Sholom Bruchstat, and one can already hear it being sung at the Rebbe’s ohel, in 770, at farbrengens, as well as at weddings and other joyous occasions around the world. We are proud to present the official recording of the niggun, sung by Moshe Sasonkin, with music and recording by acclaimed musician Yossi and Berry Cohen.

The following Pesukim are used in the new song:

כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא:
(תהלים קטז, יג)

נְדָרַי לַה׳ אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגְדָה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ:
(תהלים קטז, יד)

לְךָ אֶזְבַּח זֶבַח תּוֹדָה וּבְשֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא:
(תהלים קטז, יז)

נְדָרַי לַה׳ אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגְדָה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ:
(תהלים קטז, יח)

בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית ה׳ בְּתוֹכֵכִי יְרוּשָׁלִָים הַלְלוּיָהּ:
(תהלים קטז, יט)

In connection with the new Niggun, we are pleased to present a brief overview of the history of how these special niggunim were started by the Rebbe provided by A Chassidisher Derher magazine.

Gifts of Song

The roots of the idea to compose a niggun for the Rebbe’s birthday sprouted in 5722, when Reb Yitzchok Dubov of Manchester, England flew to New York for the Rebbe’s 60th birthday. Much to everyone’s surprise, for the first time ever, the Rebbe held a farbrengen on Yud Alef Nissan.

After the Rebbe’s farbrengen, Chassidim continued to farbreng and it was during that farbrengen that Reb Yitzchok, an exceptional Baal Menagen who had sung on several occasions before the Rebbe, introduced a niggun he had composed on the words “Yomim Al Yemei Melech Tosif” from the Rebbe’s new kapitel. It was a slow niggun and was sung on several occasions but did not really continue much after that.

On several occasions throughout the years the Rebbe would request that a niggun with pesukim corresponding to the Rebbe’s or Frierdiker Rebbe’s kapitel be sung.

One such occasion was at the farbrengen of Parshas Matos 5714 when the Rebbe requested the niggun “Vechol Karnei Reshoim” be sung since one of the pesukim is from the Frierdiker Rebbe’s kapitel of that year.

In the year 5724, the Rebbe asked on several occasions for the niggun “Ach Lelokim” (whose words are from kapitel 62, that year’s kapitel) to be sung. Similarly, in 5725 the Rebbe would make a special point of singing “Tzomo Lecha” from kapitel 63.

Beginning in 5730 the idea of Chassidim composing a niggun on their own, became commonplace. On the occasion of Yud Alef Nissan, a new niggun was created by taking several pesukim from the new kapitel and fitting it to an existing tune. This continued for the following twelve years.

In honor of Yud Alef Nissan 5742, the Rebbe’s 80th birthday, Reb Feitel Levin composed a new tune with the words “Harninu Leilokim”. This niggun was accepted and from that point forward, the idea of a niggun in honor of Yud Alef Nissan took on a whole new life. Starting from that year, every year, several Balei Menagnim would compose niggunim and the one that would be accepted by Chassidim became the niggun of the year.

Often, and particularly in the later years of the Rebbe’s nesius, Chassidim would sing the various compositions when the Rebbe would enter and leave Tefillos, and the Rebbe would usually show encouragement.

As an example, in 5745 Reb Sholom Horowitz, a melamed in Oholei Torah, matched the words “Yeilchu Meichayil to a niggun of the Chassidim of the Tzemach Tzedek. He would stand together with his class as the Rebbe would leave the Shul after Tefillos and merited encouragement from the Rebbe several times.

Once a niggun was chosen and sung in the Rebbe’s presence, it was then sung at almost every Farbrengen throughout the year (usually after the first sicha). One could feel, that the unique tone of each Yud Alef Nissan was reflected in that year’s niggun.

Click here to read more about the Niggunim throughout the years by the Rebbe.

Let us daven that we be zoche to sing this year’s Yud Alef Nissan niggun together with the Rebbe with the coming of Moshiach now!