The Tenth Song

The "Tenth Song" is the "New Song" that King Moshiach and the Jewish people will sing in the future at the time of redemption.

Sources edit

In the Mechilta it states that throughout the history of the Jewish people there were nine songs, and the tenth song will be in the future. It brings two verses about this: "Sing to Hashem a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 42:10) and also "Sing to Hashem a new song, His praise in the congregation of the pious ones" (Psalms 149:1).

The Mechilta continues: "All the songs that have passed are called in feminine language, just as a woman gives birth, so too the salvations that have passed were followed by subjugation, but the future salvation will not be followed by subjugation, therefore it is called in masculine language... the salvation that is to come will not be followed by exile."

According to the above Mechilta, there is a central difference between the nine songs, headed by the Song at the Sea, and the tenth song. All the songs are "shirah" in feminine form, because there was subjugation and exile following them, but the tenth song is in masculine form "shir chadash" (new song) because there will be no more exile after it. An additional difference between the Song at the Sea and the tenth song is brought in the Midrash: "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: In this world, you said before Me once 'This is my G-d,' but in the future, you will say the same thing twice, as it is said, 'And it shall be said on that day, Behold, this is our G-d for whom we waited that He would save us; this is Hashem for whom we waited, we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation.'"

Saying "This is my G-d" means that divinity is revealed in a tangible way that one can point with a finger, "points with his finger and says this," as happened at the splitting of the Red Sea. In the future, in the tenth song, they will say "This is my G-d" twice because the divine revelation will not only be from Hashem's side in a one-sided manner, but in a way that the worlds and creations will be vessels to receive the revelation, and in them too, from their aspect and virtue, the truth of Hashem will shine openly.

The new song is mentioned during the Seder night at the conclusion of the blessing "Asher Ge'alanu": "And we shall thank You with a new song for our redemption and for the salvation of our souls." In the Passover Haggadah with Likutei Ta'amim U'Minhagim, the Rebbe emphasizes, "new song - masculine form."

The Ten Songs edit

In the Midrashim, there are several ways to count the ten songs. One of the ways is:

The song that was sung on the night of the Exodus from Egypt (Isaiah 30:29).
"The Song at the Sea" (Exodus 15:1-21).
"The Song of the Well" (Numbers 21:17-20).
Moses' song upon completing the writing of the Torah, "Ha'azinu" (Deuteronomy 32).
The song after Joshua stopped the sun from moving (Joshua 10:12-13).
Deborah's Song (Judges 5).
King David's Song (Samuel II, 22).
The song for the dedication of the Holy Temple (Psalms 30).
Song of Songs by King Solomon.
The Tenth Song "A New Song" in the true and complete redemption.

In Chassidic Teachings edit

The Rebbe connected the Tenth Song in his talks to additional things related to Moshiach, which will be in the number ten: the Tenth Red Heifer, and the ten-stringed harp of the Messianic era.

The Tzemach Tzedek explains at length the nature and level of the ten songs - which correspond to the ten Sefiros - according to Kabbalah and Chassidus. It is understood that the Tenth Song has an essential innovation compared to the first nine songs. The Rebbe explains that after the first nine Sefiros (which are head, middle, and end, each including head, middle, and end), the tenth Sefirah and the Tenth Song point to the Essence (Atzmut).

The Rebbeim's Niggunim and the Tenth Song edit

In the Rebbe's words, we find a wonderful innovation that the niggunim of our Rebbeim, the Chabad Rebbes, are connected and aligned with the ten songs. These things apparently are also connected to the correspondence between our Rebbeim and the ten Sefiros.

The Rebbe spoke in a hint-like manner about the Tenth Song on the following occasions:

On the night of Simchas Torah 5749, after they sang the ten niggunim, including the niggun of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (the Rebbe's father), in connection with the Chassidic Ushpizin, the Rebbe said that through these ten niggunim we draw down the Tenth Song, and concluded: "Regarding the Tenth Song - we don't know which song it will be, but this we know with certainty, that it will be a song and niggun that will express the joy of the heart over the innovation of the true and complete Redemption" and the Rebbe began to sing "Nyet Nyet Nikavo." A similar expression is found by the Frierdiker Rebbe regarding the niggun that was sung at the splitting of the Sea (in the Song of the Sea) - that the niggun is unknown, but it is clear that it was a joyful, heartfelt niggun.

On Shabbos Parshas Naso, 12 Sivan 5751, the conclusion of the days of completion of Shavuos, there was a "sudden" farbrengen during the third meal, in which the Rebbe "commanded to sing (the ten) niggunim of our Rebbeim." In footnote 150 in the edited talk it appears thus: "After the introduction of the niggunim of our Rebbeim... - the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid, the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Maharash, the Rebbe Rashab and the Previous Rebbe, the leader of our generation - nine niggunim with which we conclude the end of exile, and come to the tenth niggun, the Tenth Song of the King Moshiach." In the publisher's note at the bottom of the page, it is explained regarding the count of "nine niggunim": the six niggunim of the Chabad Rebbes, from the Alter Rebbe to the Frierdiker Rebbe, and the Niggun of Three Movements (of the Baal Shem Tov, the Maggid and the Alter Rebbe) which counts as three niggunim.

And following the nine niggunim, they sang the niggun 'Hu Elokeinu.'

On Rosh Hashanah 5752, the Rebbe said: "To note the custom on Rosh Hashanah to sing the niggunim of our Rebbeim while mentioning their names [beginning with the one closest to us - the leader of our generation, the Previous Rebbe, the Rebbe Rashab, the Maharash, the Tzemach Tzedek, the Mitteler Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, the Maggid and the Baal Shem Tov], and one can say that these niggunim are a preparation for the niggun of the Tenth Song." As the Rebbe's niggun, they then sang 'Atah Bechartanu,' which was usually the regular niggun as the Rebbe's niggun.

The most direct expression that the Rebbe's niggunim are the "Tenth Song" was said in a talk on Shabbos HaGadol - a farbrengen related to 11 Nissan 5751, the 90th year: "... in this synagogue it is customary to say - and in a loud voice - the niggun 'Hu Elokeinu,' and furthermore, it is repeated a second time together with the chazzan, and this niggun is one of the ten niggunim of the future to come, the Tenth Song, similar to what we find regarding the Alter Rebbe - exactly ten niggunim, perfection."

Indeed, the Rebbe taught (on Simchas Torah nights at the special occasion) exactly ten niggunim, "the ten niggunim of the future to come," and the niggun "Hu Elokeinu" is the tenth and final niggun that the Rebbe taught, the "Tenth Song" among Moshiach's niggunim themselves.

External Links edit

Rabbi Lev Leibman, The Order of the Rebbeim's Niggunim, and the Tenth Song on the Niggunim Wall website
Learning Redemption: The Tenth Song Sichat HaShavua Issue 1254
History of Song: 10 Songs of Jewish History