The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in
Christian Perspective-part 17
As
was mentioned earlier, a number of scholarly writers on the music of the Bible
have attested to the authenticity of the accents as a musical notation. This phenomenon is acknowledged in the 20th
century works of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, A. Z. Idelsohn, Macy Nulman, Alfred
Sendrey, Aaron Rothmuller , Encyclopedia
Judaica, et.al. Ancient sources include the Talmud and
the Comments of the venerated Rashi who lived 1040-1105 A.D., (see E.J. Vol.16, pp. 1411-2). It should be pointed out that, although these
authors mention the te’amim as being
a musical notation, they do not all clearly attest to these graphic signs being
a precise musical notation. Macy Nulman
stated, “Thus the function of the accents is to indicate the intonations and
the logical and syntactical importance of the syllables sung to them.” Nulman, CEoJM, p.244. Statements such as Nulman’s are typical of
these authors. Those who do acknowledge
the te’amim as a music notation
system are often give very vague explanations of how the accentuation signs
actually work.
A.Z.
Idelsohn states, “The Talmud says that the Bible should be read in public and
made understood in musical, sweet tune.
And he who reads the Pentateuch without tune shows disregard for it and
the vital values of its laws.” Idelsohn, J MinHD His, p.35-36, (quoting Talmud B.
Megilla, 32, a. He
goes on to say, “A deep understanding can be achieved only by singing the Torah
(naturally, in the traditional tunes),” and “whoever intones the Holy
Scriptures in the manner of secular SONG abuses the Torah.” Idelsohn, pp. 35-6, quoting Talmud, B Sanhedrin, 101a.
As
was mentioned earlier, a number of scholarly writers on the music of the Bible
have attested to the authenticity of the accents as a musical notation. This phenomenon is acknowledged in the 20th
century works of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, A. Z. Idelsohn, Macy Nulman, Alfred
Sendrey, Aaron Rothmuller , Encyclopedia
Judaica, et.al. Ancient sources include the Talmud and
the Comments of the venerated Rashi who lived 1040-1105 A.D., (see E.J. Vol.16, pp. 1411-2). It should be pointed out that, although these
authors mention the te’amim as being
a musical notation, they do not all clearly attest to these graphic signs being
a precise musical notation. Macy Nulman
stated, “Thus the function of the accents is to indicate the intonations and
the logical and syntactical importance of the syllables sung to them.” Nulman, CEoJM, p.244. Statements such as Nulman’s are typical of
these authors. Those who do acknowledge
the te’amim as a music notation
system are often give very vague explanations of how the accentuation signs
actually work.
A.Z.
Idelsohn states, “The Talmud says that the Bible should be read in public and
made understood in musical, sweet tune.
And he who reads the Pentateuch without tune shows disregard for it and
the vital values of its laws.” Idelsohn, J MinHD His, p.35-36, (quoting Talmud B.
Megilla, 32, a. He
goes on to say, “A deep understanding can be achieved only by singing the Torah
(naturally, in the traditional tunes),” and “whoever intones the Holy
Scriptures in the manner of secular SONG abuses the Torah.” Idelsohn, pp. 35-6, quoting Talmud, B Sanhedrin, 101a.
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