3,909. The Singing Leviim

Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 3:2

The job of the Leviim was guarding the Temple. There were Leviim whose job was to open the gates of the Temple and to close its doors, and there were those whose job was to accompany the daily sacrifices with song. This is inferred from Deuteronomy 18:7: “He shall serve in the name of Hashem his God like all his brother Leviim.” What service involves invoking God’s name? One would have to say the singing. The songs were sung when they brought all the communal burnt offerings, the Shavuos peace offerings and the wine libations. Song wasn’t sung over voluntary communal burnt offerings that were brought from the surplus or over wine libations that were brought by themselves.

Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 3:3

A bereaved Levi is permitted to serve and to sing. There should never be fewer than twelve Leviim on the platform each day to sing over the offerings, but there is no maximum number. The songs were sung a cappella because the main thing was the voices. Other people stood on the platform and accompanied them with musical instruments. Some of these were Leviim and others were Israelites of prestigious descent who were qualified to marry into kohein families. This is because only a person of prestigious descent was permitted to ascend the platform. The ones playing the instruments didn’t count among the requisite twelve singers.