Комментарий о цитате к Хавакук 3:19

For the Chief Musician: on Neginoth. A Psalm of David: – Our teachers of blessed memory have said (Shoher Tod, ad loc.) that “this Psalm was uttered in three kinds of praise, in nissuah (נצוח), in niggun (ןגוי), and in mizmor (מזמור).” It is evident that the (person called the) מנצח (“Chief Musician”) is the one who was over the singers, and that the Psalms were rendered under the direction of the(se) “Chief Musicians,” who assigned them to (certain) players and singers. [This view is supported by the fact that] you nowhere find [as titles] “For the Singer” or “For the Player,” but only For the Chief Musician. And accordingly we have in the Prayer of Habakkuk (3:19) “For the Chief Musician on my stringed instruments”; and so the text (1 Chron. 23:4) “to superintend (לנצח) the work of the house of the Lord.” It is written also (ibid. 15:21) “with harps set to the Sheminith to lead (לנצח).” And it is the case that there was a “Chief Musician” over the instrument called Neginoth and another over that called Sheminith. And the songs and the melodies and the praises were rendered each according to the melody known in connexion with them; for it was a great science and would stimulate the rational soul, and was reckoned in the category of secular sciences. And the instruments which were (used) in the Temple for praise were lutes, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and a horn. The instruments also were classified according to melodies known in connexion with them. Of the melodies there was that called Alamoth, as in the text (1 Chron. 15:20) and written (Ps. 46:1), “Set to Alamoth. A Song.” And there was that called Neginoth, and in this the present Psalm was rendered. And there was one of them called Maskil, and there was one of them called Mikhtam. There was also Shiggaion, and there was Nehiloth, and there was Shigionoth, and there was Gittith. One of the instruments was called “Tenstrings,” another “Pipes,” and another “Minnim.” And each of these is classified in its melody as it was known to the masters of the science. We find also a text which says (i Chron. 23:5), “And four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments I made to praise.” It is not known, however, whether the instruments were in the hands of those who were actually reciting the Psalm, or whether they acted together – those who sang with the mouth, and opposite them those who played upon (musical) instruments. We find also another text which says (2 Chron. 7:6), “And the Levites with the instruments of music of the Lord which David the king had made to give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy (endureth) for ever, when David praised by their ministry: and the priests sounded the trumpets before them.” And further it is written (ibid. 29:28), “and the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded.” Now the trumpets alone were in the hands of the priests, as it is written (Num. 10:8), “and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets;” and the rest of the instruments were in the hands of the Levites; and so it is written (2 Chron. 29:26), “And the Levites stood with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets.”

312 On the second day, we complete the Hallel. [We say] the full Kaddish. And we sit and read the Scroll of Ruth. [We do so] because it is written in it (Ruth 1:22), "at the beginning of the barley harvest" - corresponding to [Shavuot], which is called, "the first fruits of the wheat harvest" (Exodus 34:12). And some say it is because Ruth converted, as it is written (Ruth 2:12), "under whose wings you have sought refuge”; and we say in [the chapter entitled] HaCholetz that Naomi said to her, "It is forbidden for us to go outside of the Shabbat perimeter." She said to her, "Where you will go, I will go" (Ruth 1:16), etc. And the Israelites converted on [Shavuot] and entered under the wings of the Divine Presence with the receiving of the Torah. Additional comment: And in Midrash Ruth, we say, "Why is Ruth said on [Shavuot], at the time of the giving of the Torah? To teach you that the Torah was only given through afflictions and poverty." And so did Rav Yehudah ben Barzilai write in his [book of] laws: That when Israel left Egypt, they were redeemed through afflictions; and so too Ruth - "there was a famine in the land" (Ruth 1:1) - and she received the Torah when she converted. And in Tractate Soferim (14:3), we say, "One who reads from Ruth, the Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations and from the Scroll of Esther, must recite [the blessing that concludes], 'concerning the reading of the Megillah' - even though it is included in the Writings. But one who reads from the Writings must recite, 'Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has commanded us to read in the Holy Writings.'" Additional comment: [After] they read the Scroll of Ruth, the youth (in mourning) says Kaddish, without [the section that begins,] titkabal, and we [then] take out two Torahs. We read [the portion that begins], "Every firstborn" (Deuteronomy 15:19). But if it is Shabbat, we begin with [the portion that begins], "You shall surely tithe" (Deuteronomy 14:22) - to enlarge [the reading] for the tally of seven (who go up to read from the Torah when it is Shabbat). And the maftir (the concluding Torah reading) is, "And on the Day of the First Fruits" (Numbers 28:26), like that of yesterday. And he concludes in Habakkuk up until, "For the leader; with instrumental music" (Habakkuk, 3:19). ([It is] the end of Habakkuk) - it is because it is written there, "God is coming from Teiman" (Habakkuk, 3:3). And we give out charity only for the living. Additional comment: It is because they read today, "Everyone according to the gift of his hand, etc." (Deuteronomy 16:15). And likewise is it the custom every last day of the festivals - since we read this section - to give out charity only for the living, but not for the [sake of the] dead, so as not to grieve over them. For it is written about the festivals (Deuteronomy 16:15), "and you shall be just happy." And likewise is it the custom in Ashkenaz that we do not give our charity for the dead on the three festivals, but rather only on Yom Kippur. [And then] Ashrei. [Then] Kaddish. Until deamiran. And we pray the additional service (Musaf). Like that of yesterday.