Judaism's Earliest Instrument
Sunday, April 26, 2015
The hand drum is the oldest of musical instruments and is the first instrument to appear in the Torah's narrative upon the successful crossing of the Sea of Reeds. Musical instruments were used by the Hebrews and in particular the Prophets to engage in a tance experience wherein the seer could work between the worlds. The Rambam addresses this in the Mishneh Torah: “Prophecy does not come from sadness or sloth, but from joy. Therefore the prophets had before them harp, drum, flute, and lyre so they could seek prophecy.” More than being happy and joyful though, modern research has demonstrated that rhythmic drumming at 180 bpm (3 beats per second) causes the right and left hemispheres of the brain to interconnect and communicate. This induces a trance state even for those who are first time experiencers of the beat. While meditation is a vital part of the Kabbalah Ma'asit tradition (see Abraham Abulafia) the drum is equally important and while meditation may take years to master and induce trance the drum requires no devotion of such time in order to enter into trance states.
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