The work Siduro Shel Shabbat draws a connection between singing zemirot on Shabbat and the Leviyim’s singing in the Bet Ha’mikdash when sacrifices were offered. When a person brought a sacrifice seeking atonement for his sins, the singing of the Leviyim had the power to “sweeten” the harsh judgments that had been issued against the person on account of his wrongdoing. On Shabbat, too, we have the power through our soulful singing of zemirot to eliminate harsh sentences that may have been issued against us as a result of the misdeeds we had committed during the previous week.
Our Rabbis teach that our three patriarchs – Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov – are associated, respectively, with the three groups that comprise Am Yisrael – kohanim, Leviyim and Yisraelim. Avraham is associated with the kohanim because the pasuk states in the Book of Bereshit (14), והוא כהן לקל עליון (“and he was a kohen to the Supreme God”), and according to some commentators, this description refers to Avraham. Yaakov was named “Yisrael,” and thus he is associated with the Yisraelim. As for Yitzchak, Rav Shach (in Be’zot Ani Bote’ah) notes the comment of the Midrash, cited by the Bet Yosef (Orah Hayim 292), that when Avraham and Yitzhak made their way to the Akedah, and Yitzhak learned that he was the sacrifice, he began singing to fulfill the requirement of signing at the time of a sacrifice. The Bet Yosef explains on this basis the phrase which we recite in Minhah on Shabbat, יצחק ירנן – “Yitzhak shall sing.” Yitzhak is associated with song because he sang as he was being prepared as a sacrifice. Accordingly, Yitzhak is associated with the Leviyim, who sang while the sacrifices were offered in the Bet Ha’mikdash.
Remarkably, Rav Shach observes, as soon as Yitzhak discovered that he would be killed, he right away sang a song of praise to Hashem. Yitzhak’s reaction sets an example for all of us, Rav Shach adds, teaching us that we must work to maintain our joy and gratitude to G-d even in difficult times, even when our lives do not proceed the way we would have wanted them to. This is the message of the singing of the Leviyim, and this is the message of our singing on Shabbat. We are to train ourselves to “sing” and feel joyful and appreciative even in life’s darker moments.
Rav Shach proceeds to tell the tragic but inspiring story of Rav Avraham ben Avraham, a Polish minister in the early 18th century who converted to Judaism, and was killed by the Polish government for this “crime.” As he was taken away by the authorities to be executed, he sang a song to the prayer, אבל אנחנו עמך בני בריתך בני אברהם אוהבך...זרע יצחק יחידך שנעקד על גבי מזבחך – “But we are Your nation, the children of Avraham, Your beloved…the offspring of Yitzhak, Your singular one, who was bound upon Your altar.” Rav Shach tells that he knew in Europe a certain elderly man who had a very difficult life, and every year, on the night after Yom Kippur, Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer would come to this man’s home and dance with him while singing this song, which was sung by Rabbi Avraham ben Avraham as he was being led to his death. The message conveyed is that a Jew must be able to sing and rejoice despite the hardships and difficulties that he endures. Rav Shach noted that Rabbi Avraham ben Avraham knew with absolute faith and certainty that in a few moments he would ascend to the Heavenly Throne and enjoy eternal closeness with the Almighty, and this is why he was able to sing and rejoice. We, too, are capable of singing and rejoicing even when we experience hardship by fully believing that we are being lovingly cared for by our Father in heaven.
Rav Shach tells in this context the story of a group of Jews who were being led to the gas chambers during the Holocaust, and they suddenly realized that it was Simhat Torah. A number of them mentioned to one another that although they did not have a Sefer Torah or any siddurim or Humashim, nevertheless, they still had their relationship with Hashem, and this was enough of a reason to dance. Indeed, even as they were being led to their death, they began dancing. Rav Shach said that he would forfeit his entire share in the next world to have been part of that remarkable group of Jews.
According to some versions of this story, the Nazis were infuriated by the sight of Jews dancing as they were being led to the gas chambers, and so they threw them out of the chambers, and most members of this group survived the war.
Singing joyfully when times are difficult wields tremendous power, and has the ability to eliminate harsh judgments. Indeed, Yitzhak emerged unscathed from the Akedah, and those Jews managed to survive the death camps. Just as the singing of the Leviyim lifted the spirits of the brokenhearted Jews who sought atonement, similarly, our singing on Shabbat has the capacity to lift the spirits of everyone around us – including ourselves – and enable us to remain joyful and optimistic despite the rigors, challenges and difficulties that we face over the course of our lives. By setting all our problems and hardships aside on Shabbat, and singing joyful songs of praise to Hashem despite life’s challenges, we can ascend to great spiritual levels and help ensure that we experience happiness and contentment regardless of the hardships we confront.