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I'm looking for sources for the ideas that either a singer, composer or style of music can infuse a spiritual influence in a song, which would then influence the listener.

The only sources that I am currently familiar with are Rabbi Nachman in Likutei Maran, and the Gemarah crediting the fact that Achar would constantly sing Greek songs as a reason for him becoming a heretic.

I personally don't see any proof from the Gemarah as Greek songs were likely actually infused with Greek philosophy in their lyrics and that could be what the Gemarah meant.

Does anyone have any other sources?

mbloch
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בנימין
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  • My understanding of that Gemara is that Acher would sing the songs of those who destroyed the Beis Hamikdash and massacred the Jews. Just like many Jews nowadays don't listen to Wagner because of his association with Nazis. – N.T. Dec 12 '21 at 02:35
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    Do we really need a proof that music can influence people. It seems fairly obvious to me. – N.T. Dec 12 '21 at 02:36
  • I agree it's obvious that music can influence people. Music with lyrics can convey any kind of message and music obviously can affect the listener's mood. However, I don't find it obvious that the composer/singer/style itself can put some sort of spiritual influence in the song that will affect the listener. – בנימין Dec 12 '21 at 04:07
  • Welcome to MiYodeya Binyamin and thanks for this first question. Great to have you learn with us! – mbloch Dec 12 '21 at 04:21
  • Rav Tzvi Berkowitz downplayed the concept that a person's intent when composing can have any effect. He sort of made fun of the idea. – robev Dec 12 '21 at 07:36
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    related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/125575/music-and-judaism – Dov Dec 12 '21 at 09:23
  • @robev Do you have a video or other source of him doing that? – בנימין Dec 12 '21 at 14:34
  • It was at his shabbos table. He said who knows maybe if I stare at a cup I can have a spiritual effect. Basically, there's no way to know – robev Dec 12 '21 at 17:37
  • There is a Gra that says that most of the secrets of kabbalah are contained in music and that through music it is possible to do techiyas ha'meisim. I did see this Gra quoted once but have forgotten which sefer it was in. – pcoz Dec 12 '21 at 22:41
  • Are you only looking for sources that they do, and not sources that they don’t? Igrot Moshe E.H. 1:95 apparently assumes that they don’t. – Alex Jan 11 '22 at 14:42
  • @Alex Sources either way are appreciated. I think it could be argued that R' Moshe was only considering halachic issues and not kabbalistic ones but the fact that he doesn't seem concerned with it is still definitely noteworthy. – בנימין Jan 12 '22 at 15:11
  • @בנימין See also Shu"t Bach # 127, which is also a discussion about forbidding certain music, and again there is no mention of a potential problem of the negative spirituality infused in the songs. – Alex Jan 12 '22 at 16:13
  • Also Shu"t Mishneh Halachot 6:108 which is about a musician/composer who became bad, and again no mention of the spiritual influence infused in the music. – Alex Jan 12 '22 at 16:37

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For another source that directly touches on your question about the the spiritual influence of music, see the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn (1880-1950). In his Likkutei Dibburim (vol. 1, ch. 4, Kislev 20, no. 5), he extends a concept from the Yerushalmi to get to music composition, writing:

״האומר שמועה בשם אומרה יראה כאילו בעל השמועה עומד לעדו״

כשחוזרים על דבר תורה מתאחדים עם הנפש־רוח־נשמה של בעל השמועה וכשמענים ניגון של בעל השמועה מתאחדים עם החיה־יחידה של בעל השמועה

"Anybody who quotes somebody should consider it as if the author of the quote stood before him" (Yerushalmi, Shab. 1:2) When one repeats a Dvar Torah, one unites with the nefesh-ruach-neshama soul of the scholar. Likewise, when one sings a melody, they unite with the chaya-yechida soul of the composer.

Aryeh
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We find in Kings that music can bring someone to a state of prophecy:

וְעַתָּ֖ה קְחוּ־לִ֣י מְנַגֵּ֑ן וְהָיָה֙ כְּנַגֵּ֣ן הַֽמְנַגֵּ֔ן וַתְּהִ֥י עָלָ֖יו יַד־יְהוָֽה׃
But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

The Talmud interprets this to mean that music can bring one to a state of happiness, and happiness is necessary to prophecy.

We also find by King Saul that music can bring one out of an unhealthy state of mind:

וְהָיָ֗ה בִּֽהְי֤וֹת רֽוּחַ־אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־שָׁא֔וּל וְלָקַ֥ח דָּוִ֛ד אֶת־הַכִּנּ֖וֹר וְנִגֵּ֣ן בְּיָד֑וֹ וְרָוַ֤ח לְשָׁאוּל֙ וְט֣וֹב ל֔וֹ וְסָ֥רָה מֵעָלָ֖יו ר֥וּחַ הָרָעָֽה׃
And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Sha᾽ul, that David took a lyre, and played with his hand: so Sha᾽ul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

N.T.
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