The Rebbe highly praised the piyut of Akdamut, which is chanted before the Torah reading on Shavuot.349Akdamut Milin ("In Introduction to the Words"), written by Rabbi Meir ben Yitzchak of Worms, Germany, in the eleventh century.
He said, “People are so accustomed and steeped in good things that they do not realize the greatness of the praise of God in the Akdamut. If you were to know the high level of the Akdamut together with its customary melody, then you would know how wondrously unique it is.”
He then said, “Akdamut is a song of cheshek – of love and devotion.” [See the story of “The Burgher and Pauper” (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories #10), which also discusses the song of cheshek.]
The Rebbe spoke of this on Shavuot during the dairy meal.350It is customary to eat a dairy meal on Shavuot morning, before the noon dinner (Orach Chaim 494:3 in Hagah). He had prayed early with his group, as was his custom, and had begun his meal while the second service was in progress. When he heard the chazan chant the Akdamut, the Rebbe spoke of the high level of this holy song.
שִׁבַּח אֶת אַקְדָּמוּת (פיוט לשבועות) מְאֹד מְאֹד.
The Rebbe highly praised the piyut of Akdamut, which is chanted before the Torah reading on Shavuot.349Akdamut Milin ("In Introduction to the Words"), written by Rabbi Meir ben Yitzchak of Worms, Germany, in the eleventh century.
וְאָמַר: שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם מְשֻׁקָּעִים וּרְגִילִים כָּל כָּךְ בְּטוֹב, עַל כֵּן אֵין מַרְגִּישִׁין כָּל כָּךְ אֶת שֶׁבַח מַעֲלַת גְּדֻלַּת הַשֶּׁבַח הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה שֶׁל אַקְדָּמוּת שֶׁאוֹמְרִים בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת. וְאָמַר: מִי שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ מַעֲלַת הַשִּׁיר שֶׁל אַקְדָּמוּת עִם הַנִּגּוּן שֶׁלּוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁרְגִילִין הָעוֹלָם לְזַמֵּר אוֹתוֹ בְּנִגּוּן הַיָּדוּעַ, הוּא דָּבָר נִפְלָא וְחִדּוּשׁ גָּדוֹל מְאֹד.
He said, “People are so accustomed and steeped in good things that they do not realize the greatness of the praise of God in the Akdamut. If you were to know the high level of the Akdamut together with its customary melody, then you would know how wondrously unique it is.”
וְהִתְחִיל לוֹמַר קְצָת אֵיזֶה תֵּבוֹת מֵאַקְדָּמוּת עִם הַנִּגּוּן.
The Rebbe then chanted a few lines of the Akdamut.
וְאָמַר שֶׁאַקְדָּמוּת הוּא שִׁיר שֶׁל חֵשֶׁק (עַיֵּן בְּהַמַּעֲשֶּׂה שֶׁל הַבֶּערְגֶיר שָׁם מְדַבֵּר מִשִּׁיר שֶׁל חֵשֶׁק).
He then said, “Akdamut is a song of cheshek – of love and devotion.” [See the story of “The Burgher and Pauper” (Rabbi Nachman’s Stories #10), which also discusses the song of cheshek.]
כָּל זֶה סִפֵּר בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת אַחַר תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית בַּבֹּקֶר הַשְׁכֵּם כַּנָּהוּג בְּשָׁבוּעוֹת, וְהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב אֵצֶל הַסְּעֻדָּה שֶׁל מַאַכְלֵי חָלָב. וּכְבָר הִתְפַּלְּלוּ בְּבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת פַּעַם שֵׁנִי, וְזִמֵּר הַחַזָּן אַקְדָּמוּת, וְאָז דִּבֵּר עִמָּנוּ מִמַּעֲלַת הַשִּׁיר הַקָּדוֹשׁ הַזֶּה וְהִפְלִיג בְּמַעֲלָתוֹ מְאֹד.
The Rebbe spoke of this on Shavuot during the dairy meal.350It is customary to eat a dairy meal on Shavuot morning, before the noon dinner (Orach Chaim 494:3 in Hagah). He had prayed early with his group, as was his custom, and had begun his meal while the second service was in progress. When he heard the chazan chant the Akdamut, the Rebbe spoke of the high level of this holy song.