Nigun Avinu Malkeinu
The niggun set to the words Avinu Malkeinu ein lanu melech ela Atah ("Our Father, our King, we have no king but You") is one of the Ten Niggunim attributed to the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. It is the sixth niggun in the Sefer HaNiggunim.
To this day, Chassidim sing this niggun each time the Avinu Malkeinu prayer is recited in public worship.
The niggun is introduced by a distinctive melody of longing (kisufim), which is sung twice before the main niggun begins.
A notable feature of this niggun is that its opening words are repeated — which makes it unusual, since Chabad is otherwise careful to avoid the cantor's practice of repeating words of prayer.
At the Rebbe's synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway, it is customary to sing this niggun before every prayer service throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah (the period from Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur).
In Anash communities generally, the niggun is sung on the following occasions: on Rosh Hashana before each prayer service, throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah, on Yom Kippur, and on public fast days. It is not sung on Shabbos, since Avinu Malkeinu is not recited on Shabbos. It is also sung at farbrengens of the Rebbe on dates associated with the Alter Rebbe, and on occasions when the niggunim of all the Rebbeim are sung, it is included as the Alter Rebbe's niggun.
For a number of years, by the Rebbe's instruction, the niggun was also sung during the forty days preceding Rosh Hashana.
According to the text found in the Sefer HaNiggunim and the Nichoach recordings, the niggun begins with the words "Avinu Malkeinu Avinu Atah" — however, the Rebbe sang only the words "Avinu Malkeinu ein lanu melech ela Atah."
The Words of the Niggun[edit | edit source]
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ אָבִינוּ אַתָּה
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ אֵין לָנוּ מֶלֶךְ אֶלָּא אָתָּה"Our Father, our King, You are our Father / Our Father, our King, we have no king but You"
— Siddur, the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, recited at times of Divine favor
External Links[edit | edit source]
Audio[edit | edit source]
- The Rebbe singing Avinu Malkeinu
- Avinu Malkeinu at Heichal Neginah
- Avinu Malkeinu from Nichoach, vol. 1
- Avinu Malkeinu — sung by the baal menagen R' Dovid Horowitz
- Avinu Malkeinu — sung by the baal menagen R' Zalman Bronstein
- Avinu Malkeinu — sung by the baal menagen R' Shmaryahu Betzalel Tzvi Althoiz
- Avinu Malkeinu — performed by Avraham Fried
- Various arrangements and performances