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Shabbos Music

Reading through the Shir Shel Yom of Shabbos we notice that it doesn’t talk about Shabbos.[1] Why?

In Kabbalas Shabbos, we say מזמור לדוד הבו...[2] in which it mentions the word קול seven times.[3] These correspond to the seven notes in music as קול means a sound. This is the idea of Shabbos as we say מזמור שיר ליום השבת; a song for the Shabbos day.

The seven days of the week correspond to the seven shepherds (Ushpizin). Shabbos- the seventh day,[4] lines up with Dovid Hamelech- the seventh shepherd[5] and he is נעים זמירות ישראל; sweet singer of Israel, in addition to him saying זמירות היו לי חקיך; Your statutes were music to me.[6] We also say ובשירי דוד עבדך; in the songs of your servant Dovid.[7] Additionally, תפלה is equivalent to שירה[8] in Gematria (515) and Dovid Hamelech says ואני תפלה.[9]

                The seven days of the week parallel the seven Sefiros (Chessed, Gevura and so on). As a result, the Sefira of מלכות matches up with Shabbos.[10] Actually, it is called שבת מלכתא and as we say ישמחו במלכותך; they shall rejoice in Your kingship.[11] Thus, Shabbos is מקור הברכה; source of blessing, just as the source of what occurs in a country is from the government. Dovid who corresponds to Shabbos is מלכות and as we say דוד מלך ישראל.

Music works in a harmony of notes just as a Zivug. Therefore, we sing on Shabbos just as we do at a wedding. Indeed, the Midrash[12] tells us Shabbos is like a wedding as it is called a כלה. Is it any surprise that there are seven Brachos in the Shabbos Shemoneh Esrei- just as there are at Sheva Brachos. Music exists after the seventh note since each one by itself is nothing. Accordingly, after we say the seven קול’s on Shabbos, we sing Lecha Dodi and then מזמור שיר ליום השבת. Consequently, in the Shir Shel Yom of Shabbos- the seventh day- we say מזמור שיר ליום השבת meaning the day of Shabbos itself sings.[13] This explains why we sing Zemiros on Shabbos Moreover, on Shabbos we have additional מזמורים in פסוקי דזמרה.

                It says in Pirkei Drebi Eliezer that there are six lands and the seventh is Eretz Yisrael.[14] In a similar vein, there are six seas and the seventh is the Kineret. In regard to the seventh land- Eretz Yisrael- it says זמרת הארץ, singing.[15] The word for the seventh sea- כנרת- is rooted in כנור (harp), a musical instrument.[16] Indeed, if one goes to the כנרת and sees its beauty, he will understand why it sings. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that the first letters of כנור נעים עם נבל; sing joyously…raise up a song…the sweet harp with the lyre,[17] spell כנען- Eretz Yisrael which is called ארץ כנען.

In light of all that we mentioned, we realize that the Shir Shel Yom of Shabbos is perfect for Shabbos as we say in it ולזמר לשמך עליון; to sing praise to Your name, עלי עשור ועלי נבל עלי הגיון בכנור; upon a ten-stringed instrument and lyre with singing accompanied by a harp and במעשי ידיך ארנן; at the works of Your hands I sing glad song.