Thoughts about the sung Torah

By Jean-Philippe Amar

Jean-Philippe Amar studies in the University of Paris IV Sorbonne and prepares a PhD on the cantilation of the Thora the Jewish communities of Paris.

The reading of the Torah, the Pentateuch, a usage that would go back to the time of Moses, has become since Esdras the Scribe (5th century before our era) the main moment of the synagogal worship. A pericope is sung during the sabbath morning service every week, following a yearly cycle of readings which divides the text in 54 parts (parasha).

This sung reading, despite the variety of rits of interpretation, is based on the same system of the teamim, developed by the masoretes in Tiberiasa in the Middle Ages. The teamim are diacritic signs indicating, but not strictly, a way of singing the words and dividing the verses. Each taam proposes a melodic formula, not very precise, which allows to the perfomer some liberty, but still respecting the text he has to pass on to the worshippers.

This article is a reflexion on the principles of the Jewish cantilation, with the ideas of transmission of the divine message, the interpretation of the latter, and of the creation of meaning in a hermeneutic approach of the practice of ritual sung reading.

“Réflexions sur la Thora cantilée”, Jean-Philippe Amar

You may also like

LES BUBBEY MAYSE – LE PETIT MATIN DU GRAND SOIR

This 9th CD of the "Discovery" Collection immerses us in the world of four magnificent musicians united by their love…

Songs and prayers for Kippur, Soukkot and Simchat Torah

2 TALMUDIQUES broadcasts Part 1 & 2, September 24 & October 1, 2023, at 9:10 a.m. Songs and prayers for…

PERPETUEL KLEZMER – DENIS CUNIOT

Along with jazz, Klezmer music became involved in the everlasting movement of evolution and creation of the 1980s. In France,…

The new Jewish scene

This playlist presents a selection of artists from the new Jewish scene who blend Klezmer, Yiddish, Judeo-Spanish and Oriental music…