Nigun K'Ayal Ta'arog (Admur HaZaken)

The nigun K'ayal Ta'arog was heard by the Chossid Reb Shmuel Gronem Esterman from an elderly man who was in the group of musicians by The Alter Rebbe. The Alter Rebbe would sing this nigun frequently, with great dveikus.

That elderly man was blind in his youth, and his father brought him to The Alter Rebbe to heal him. The Alter Rebbe opened the Zohar and commanded the child to read from it. At first, the child saw only blurry letters, and then The Alter Rebbe rebuked him: "Read aloud!" and his eyes were opened, and he began to read like any person. His father left his child in Liozna with The Alter Rebbe, and since the child had talent in singing and music, he was added to The Alter Rebbe's group of musicians.

Words of the Nigun and Their Meaning

The nigun is composed of verses that appear in two different pesukim that, on a superficial level, have no connection between them:

"K'ayal ta'arog al afikei mayim; V'hayu l'totafot bein einecha" — Tehillim 42:2, Devarim 6:8

The Chossid Reb Shmuel Gronem Esterman explained the inner meaning of the nigun:

K'ayal ta'arog - this is the concept of ratzo, the soul's attraction to Elokus.

V'hayu l'totafot - this is the concept of shov, drawing down Elokus below through the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvos.

This nigun is Nigun #2 in Sefer HaNigunim.

External Links

• Nigun K'ayal Ta'arog ofThe Alter Rebbe - on the website Heichal Negina