More on how does tradition live?

[richard_wolpoe <richard_wolpoe...>]

Dear List,
        Here is a cute anecdote that I hope will help explain how 
"traditions" can get confused.
        the rabbi of a rather large orthodox congregation with a canto and 
choir gave a lecture on Halacha.  In it he sites the verse "Gadlu Lashem 
iti..."  The halachic interpretation is that one should not raise their 
voice higher or lower than the cantor's.

        The rabbi is a wonderful person, but not well versed in the finer 
points of music.  As such, he interpreted it (as most rabbis do refer to 
volume)  ie when the cantor sings loud sing loud and when the cantor sings 
soft sing soft etc.

        Well in practice, few people can match the average cantor's volume, 
so this interpretation has its flaws  even though it follows the statement 
of the shulchan aruch literally.

        After his lecture was over, I privately posed the following 
interpretation, how about using the idea of pitch instead of volume?  Then, 
it would imply that the congregation should be IN PITCH or the same key as 
the cantor and not to sing in a different key which might produce 
dissonance or cacophony.  Of course the rabbi had not clue what I was 
talking about.

        So here we have a paradox or conundrum or irony.  THE repository of 
tradition, the scholarly rabbi, has the raw facts of how it should be done, 
but without the technical insight of music, hi range of understanding the 
implications is quite limited.  From volume, he know, from pitch he doesn't 
know.

        this is why traditions are important, but are also flexible in a 
sense.  By taking this tradition and applying some music seichel (common 
sense) we can readily understand its meaning. simply stated, try to sing in 
the same key as the cantor so as not to be a nudnik!  But, since people have 
tradition WITHOUT a certain measure of wisdom or understanding, this becomes 
a very narrow thing, sing as loud as the cantor does.  (How one measures 
this is also difficult, my piano is the average person's forte!)

        So it's important sometimes to quote the tradition precisely 
without embellishment, and then see it through the lens of Jews, musicians, 
Americans, etc.  That is apply all of our God given senses to understand 
and to interpret!  And of course realize that no 2 Yidden will agree on 
anything (except that the rabbi's wrong!)

Good shushan Purim!

Rich Wolpoe