Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 237

237 - The main melody and the instrument of song, Levi brought to the world

The main melody and the instrument of song were brought to the world by Levi, as it is brought in the Zohar (Exodus 19a) that the main melody comes from the side of Levi. And this is what Leah said: "This time my husband will accompany me" [Genesis 29:34], meaning that now, this time when Levi was born—through whom the aspect of melody and the instrument of song came to the world—this time my husband will certainly accompany me, because the connection [or union] of two things occurs through melody and the instrument of song. And understand [the play on "yilaveh" sharing a root with "levayah," meaning accompaniment or joining]. And this is the aspect of musical instruments that are played at a wedding [symbolizing union and harmony]. “Princes pursued me gratuitously” [Psalms 119:161] - the initial letters are Rachash [forming "rachash," which may mean stirring, portion, or respect]; [this matter consists of clear words that he said about himself, that they were accustomed to give him the rachash (portion or respect [perhaps a play on "reish" meaning poor, but here honor or share]) that reaches the rabbi, and once we stood before him at the time that there was a wedding in the city, and he said then the above matter regarding the instruments of music that are played at the wedding as above [because thus was his way in holiness that according to the rabbi he would say Torah from the kind of what was being done and spoken then at that time, as will be explained from this in another place]; rachash that reaches him rachash, “Princes pursued me gratuitously” [connecting a personal anecdote to the verse's acronym].