Chabadpedia

Niggun Arba Bavos: Difference between revisions

← Older edit
VisualWikitext
M.robin (talk | contribs)
2,108 edits
No edit summary
m Raphaelwilmowsky moved page The Niggun Arba Bavos to Niggun Arba Bavos
 
(2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
'''Arba Bavos''' (originally in Yiddish: '''Der Nigun fun Fir Fallen'''. Also called '''Nigun Admur Hazaken''' and sometimes '''Niguno Shel HaRav''') is the most important and profound nigun among Chabad Chassidus niggunim. The nigun was composed by the Alter Rebbe while he was with his teacher, the Maggid of Mezritch, and after his appointment as Rebbe, he improved it.
'''Arba Bavos''' (Yiddish: '''דער ניגון פון פיר פאַלען''', ''Der Niggun fun Fir Faln'', "The Niggun of the Four Chambers"; also called '''the Niggun of the Alter Rebbe''' or '''the Niggun of the Rav''') is considered the most important and profound [[niggun]] (Chassidic melody) in the entire repertoire of [[Chabad]] Chassidus. It was composed by the [[Alter Rebbe]] — Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, founder of Chabad — while he was still studying at the side of his master, the [[Maggid of Mezeritch]], and was later refined by him after he assumed the leadership of the movement.


The nigun has four "houses" called bavos, corresponding to the four spiritual worlds: Atzilus, Briah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah. All the movements of the nigun are directed toward spiritual matters, and therefore Chabad chassidim are careful to sing it with great precision and only during special occasions and times of joy.
The niggun is built in four sections, each called a ''bava'' (chamber). The four ''bavos'' correspond to the four spiritual [[worlds (Chassidus)|worlds]] described in Kabbalistic and Chassidic thought: [[Atzilus]], [[Beriah]], [[Yetzirah]], and [[Asiyah]]. Because every movement of the niggun is calibrated to precise spiritual meanings, Chabad Chassidim are careful to sing it with great exactitude, and only on special occasions and times of joy.<ref name="igros-zmanim">[[Igros Kodesh of the Frierdiker Rebbe]], vol. 3, p. 382, letter from [[Sivan]] 5695 (1935).</ref>


This nigun is the first nigun in Sefer HaNiggunim (the Book of Niggunim).
Arba Bavos is the first niggun in the [[Sefer HaNiggunim]], the authoritative anthology of Chabad melodies.


== Meaning of the Nigun ==
==The Meaning of the Niggun==
The nigun is structured in an order of ascent from below to above. Similar to the prayer that begins with Baruch She'amar, continues with Pesukei D'Zimra, Birchos Krias Shema, Krias Shema, and concludes with Shemoneh Esrei. Each section of the nigun performs a specific action, in an internal way or in a surrounding way. In this nigun, the Alter Rebbe concentrated his approach in Chassidus and the path of avodah of a Chabad chassid. Each of the four sections of the nigun corresponds to several concepts:


* A spiritual world
The niggun is structured as an ascent from below to above, mirroring the arc of the morning prayer service, which opens with [[Baruch She'amar]], continues through [[Pesukei DeZimrah]], the [[blessings before Shema]], [[Shema]] itself, and culminates in the [[Shemoneh Esreh]]. Each section of the niggun accomplishes its own particular spiritual work, operating either in an ''inner'' (''pnimi'') mode — penetrating and transforming — or in an ''encompassing'' (''makif'') mode, which hovers above and surrounds the soul.
* A letter from the name of Havayah
* A level in the soul
* Divine light


== Times when the niggun is played ==
In this niggun, the Alter Rebbe distilled his entire approach to Chassidus and the inner spiritual path of a Chabad Chassid. Each of the four sections corresponds to several parallel dimensions simultaneously:<ref name="sicha-kislev-trc">From a letter of the [[Frierdiker Rebbe]] dated 15 [[Kislev]] 5690 (1929), citing the [[Rebbe Rashab]] at a farbrengen on [[Yud-Tes Kislev]] 5663 (1902). Also cited in the collection ''[[HaTamim]]'', booklet 5.</ref>


==== Times for playing the Niggun ====
* A spiritual [[world (Chassidus)|world]]
Due to its deep spiritual significance, Chabad chassidim are careful to play it with great precision and only during special celebrations and appointed times. It is accepted in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek that on weekdays (except for the times mentioned), playing it could arouse kitrugs (heavenly accusations) chas v'shalom.
* A letter of the [[Divine Name]] (the Tetragrammaton)
* A level of the [[soul]]
* A mode of Divine [[light]]


Among the appropriate times for playing the Daled Bavos niggun: the three festivals (Shalosh Regalim), Purim, 19 Kislev, 12 Tammuz, the month of Elul, the days of Selichos, as well as when escorting the groom to the chuppah and during the bride's circling around the groom. It was once sung at the farbrengens of Erev Shavuos 5746. The Rebbe Rashab stated that 19 Kislev is the Rosh Hashanah for the four bavos niggun. It is also played at bris milah celebrations, bar mitzvahs, and wedding feasts.
{| class="wikitable"
! Bava !! Spiritual World !! Letter of the Divine Name !! Soul Level !! Divine Light !! Meaning
|-
| '''First''' || [[Asiyah]] || ה (lower ''heh'') || [[Nefesh]] || [[Mimalei kol almin]] || This section effects ''displacement and deepening'' — its opening notes draw the person away from mundane surroundings, while the continuation prompts deep inward reflection on one's purpose and true standing in the world.
|-
| '''Second''' || [[Yetzirah]] || ו (''vav'') || [[Ruach]] || [[Mimalei kol almin]] || This section is bound to the first: it opens on a note of bitterness and sorrow, yet quickly moves toward hope and ascent. The tension between bitterness and hopeful rising is the natural outgrowth of the displacement and deepening produced by the first bava.
|-
| '''Third''' || [[Beriah]] || ה (upper ''heh'') || [[Neshama]] || [[Sovev kol almin]] || This section works an ''exaltation of the soul''. Though it follows on the heels of a section of intense bitterness, the dominant feeling here is one of elevation and outpouring — the soul opening and expanding upward.
|-
| '''Fourth''' || [[Atzilus]] || י (''yud'') || [[Chayah]]/[[Yechidah]] || [[Etzem]] || This section corresponds to the world of Atzilus, which stands wholly apart from and above the three worlds below it. Although it follows the first three in sequence, it is by its very nature in a different category entirely. Its particular spiritual work is ''elation of the soul'' — not mere exaltation, but a deeper, purer joy. This fourth bava was added by the Alter Rebbe after he accepted the leadership of the movement.
|}


Before the four bavos niggun, it is customary to play a preparatory niggun for the Daled Bavos, an ancient niggun that was beloved by the Rebbe Rashab.
==When the Niggun Is Sung==


During farbrengens conducted by the Rebbe, the Rebbe himself would instruct when to play the preparatory niggun, which would be started by the chozzer Reb Yoel Kahn, and toward the end of the preparatory niggun, the Rebbe would signal with his fingers the number of times he wanted the fourth bava to be repeated.
Because of its profound spiritual significance, Chabad Chassidim are careful to sing Arba Bavos only with great precision and only on special occasions and times of joy.<ref name="igros-zmanim"/> It is a tradition in the name of the [[Tzemach Tzedek]] that singing it on ordinary weekdays — outside the designated times — can, Heaven forbid, arouse spiritual opposition.<ref name="shn-vol1">[[Sefer HaNiggunim]], vol. 1, p. 30 (from a talk of the Frierdiker Rebbe).</ref>


Several times the chassidim sang the niggun "Nye Zhuritzi Chloptzi" after the Daled Bavos.
Occasions on which Arba Bavos is customarily sung include: the [[Three Festivals]] (Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos), [[Purim]],<ref name="ss-tarpach">[[Sefer HaSichos of the Frierdiker Rebbe|Sefer HaSichos]] 5688 (1927–28), p. 12.</ref> [[Yud-Tes Kislev]] (the Chassidic New Year, marking the release of the Alter Rebbe from Czarist imprisonment in 1798), [[Yud-Beis Tammuz]], the month of [[Elul]], and the [[Selichos]] period leading into the High Holidays.<ref name="ss-tashaa">[[Sefer HaSichos of the Frierdiker Rebbe|Sefer HaSichos]] 5701 (1940–41), pp. 85–86.</ref> It is also sung at a wedding — during the procession of the groom to the [[chuppah]] (wedding canopy) and during the bride's encircling of the groom. On one occasion it was sung at a farbrengen on the eve of Shavuos 5746 (1986). The [[Rebbe Rashab]] declared that Yud-Tes Kislev is the "Rosh Hashana" — the head of the year — for Arba Bavos. It is further customary to sing it at a [[bris milah]] (circumcision), a [[bar mitzvah]], and at the wedding feast.


==== Spiritual qualities of the Niggun ====
Before Arba Bavos is sung, it is customary to first sing the [[Niggun HaHachana LeArba Bavos]] (the Preparatory Niggun), an ancient melody that was especially beloved by the Rebbe Rashab.
The Rebbe Maharash: "When singing the Alter Rebbe's niggun, it is an opportune time for teshuvah, because it is an eis ratzon (favorable time) above."


The Rebbe Rashab: "When the niggun is sung with inner awakening, it is an opportune time for teshuvah and hiskashrus (connection to the Rebbe); and when the niggun is sung with purity of heart, after proper terumas hadeshen at Tikkun Chatzos, after saying Krias Shema at bedtime with authenticity, and after prayer with deep effort, one can effect a personal salvation in children and life."
At [[farbrengen]]s conducted by [[the Rebbe]], the Rebbe himself would indicate when to begin the preparatory niggun — which was typically started by the ''chozzer'' (the Rebbe's designated reciter of Chassidic discourses), Rabbi [[Yoel Kahn]]. As the preparatory niggun neared its end, the Rebbe would signal with his fingers how many times he wished the fourth bava to be repeated.


The Rebbe Rayatz: "We have a promise that when the niggun is sung, whenever and wherever it may be, the Rebbe (Alter Rebbe) will hear it and feel it, at whatever high levels he may be. But this depends on the preparations of the receiver." When this niggun is sung at the Rebbe's farbrengens, the Rebbe emphasizes that it should be sung with great deliberation and deep seriousness.
On several occasions, Chassidim followed Arba Bavos with the singing of ''[[Nye Zhuritzi Chloptzi]]''.


The Rebbe instructed musician Jean Zeidel-Rudolf not to make changes to the niggun.
==Qualities and Powers of the Niggun==


== See also ==
'''[[Maharash|The Maharash]]''' (Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch, fourth Rebbe of Chabad): "When the Rebbe Zaken's niggun is being sung, that is a time favorable for teshuvah, because it is then a time of Divine favor above."
* [[Preparatory niggun for Daled Bavos]]


== External links ==
'''[[Rebbe Rashab|The Rebbe Rashab]]''' (Rabbi Shalom DovBer of Lubavitch, fifth Rebbe of Chabad): "When the niggun is sung with inner awakening, it is a time favorable for teshuvah and for deepening one's bond with the Rebbe. And when it is sung with purity of heart — after a proper ''tikkun chatzos'' (the midnight vigil and lamentation), after a sincere recitation of the bedtime Shema, and after prayer with deep exertion — it is possible to bring about a personal salvation in the areas of children and life."
'''Information'''


* The Tzemach Tzedek says about the niggun "It appears as if the master of the teaching stands before him":
'''[[Frierdiker Rebbe|The Frierdiker Rebbe]]''' (Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, sixth Rebbe of Chabad): "We have a promise that whenever and wherever this niggun is sung, the Rebbe — the Alter Rebbe — will hear it and will feel it, no matter how elevated a plane he is on. But this depends on the preparation of the one who receives."<ref name="ss-tashaz">See [[Sefer HaSichos of the Frierdiker Rebbe|Sefer HaSichos]] 5707 (1946–47), p. 101.</ref>
** Toras Menachem – 1 – year 5710, from the talk of the second day of Shavuos 5710, p. 92.
** Toras Menachem – 5 – year 5712 – second part, talk of the second night of Pesach 5712, p. 126. On the Chabad Lubavitch Library website
* Yekusiel Yehuda Gendel, '''Daled Bavos''', 'HaMevaser' weekly about the special niggun Daled Bavos: its nuances, customs and stories 25 Teves 5780 22.01.2020


'''Media'''
When a Chassid who had been active in [[spreading Judaism]] and supporting Jews in Russia asked the Rebbe — through a video recorded by Rabbi [[Dovber Levine]] and transmitted to the Rebbe — for a niggun he could sing whenever he wished to enter into a private audience (''[[yechidus]]''), the Rebbe responded (after viewing the clip a second time, and with visible emotion) that he should sing Arba Bavos. The Rebbe also recounted that when [[Shneur Zalman Rubashov (Shazar)|Shazar]] was at the beginning of his political career and went through moments of doubt, he would shut himself in his room and sing the niggun — and would find in it his counsel and direction.<ref name="kfar-tashpa">[[Mendy Kurtes]], "A Soul Returns to Itself," ''Kfar Chabad Weekly'', issue 2124, p. 34 (5785/2024–25).</ref>


* 'Daled Bavos' in the Rebbe's voice
The Rebbe instructed the musician Jeanne Zaidel-Rudolph not to make any alterations to the niggun.<ref name="anash-alterations">[https://anash.org/the-alter-rebbes-niggun-shouldnt-be-manipulated/ "The Alter Rebbe's Niggun Shouldn't Be Manipulated"], Anash.org.</ref>
* 'Daled Bavos' on the Heichal Neginah website
* 'Daled Bavos' arranged by R' Elaor Velner
* 'Daled Bavos' arranged by Chanan Bar Sela
* 'Daled Bavos' performed by the "Nichach" choir
* 'Daled Bavos' from "Neimos Chabad"
* '''To hear the niggun''' from the baal menagen R' Dovid Horowitz
* To hear the niggun from the baal menagen Rashbatz Althoiz
* Moving: "Daled Bavos" with the Rebbe, 19 Kislev 5744 ● Video


==See Also==
* [[Niggun HaHachana LeArba Bavos]]
==External Links==
===Information===
* The Tzemach Tzedek on the niggun — "it is as though the one who originated the teaching stands before him":
** [https://chabadlibrary.org/books/admur/tm/1/22/92.htm Toras Menachem, vol. 1 — 5710, talk of the second day of Shavuos 5710, p. 92]
** [https://chabadlibrary.org/books/admur/tm/5/13/126.htm Toras Menachem, vol. 5 — 5712 part two, talk of the second night of Pesach 5712, p. 126]
* Yekusiel Yehuda Gandel, [https://col.org.il/news/122696 Arba Bavos], ''HaMevaser'' weekly, on the special niggun — its dimensions, customs, and stories. COL, 25 Teves 5780 (January 22, 2020).
===Audio===
* [https://chabad.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/10-07-2016-23-45-56-song22.mp3 Arba Bavos] — sung by [[the Rebbe]]
* [https://chabad.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/04-09-2016-21-11-57-song1.mp3 Arba Bavos — arrangement by R' Elior Valner]
* [https://chabad.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/26-07-2016-01-19-39-song1.mp3 Arba Bavos — arrangement by Chanan Bar Sela]
* [https://chabad.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/31-08-2016-23-19-21-song17.mp3 Arba Bavos — performed by the Niach Choir]
* [https://chabad.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/03-07-2016-19-54-45-song2.mp3 Arba Bavos — from ''Ne'imos Chabad'']
* [https://col.org.il/news/65501 Moving: "Arba Bavos" with the Rebbe, Yud-Tes Kislev 5744 (1983) — video]
==Notes==
<references/>
[[Category:Niggunim of the Alter Rebbe]]
[[he:ניגון ארבע בבות]]
[[he:ניגון ארבע בבות]]
Retrieved from "https://chabadpedia.com/index.php?title=Niggun_Arba_Bavos"