Arakhin 11A

עשרה נקבים היו בה, כל אחד ואחד מוציא עשרה מיני זמר, נמצאת כולה מוציאה מאה מיני זמר. במתניתא תנא: היא אמה וגבוה אמה, וקתא יוצא הימנה, ועשרה נקבים היו בה, כל אחד מוציא מאה מיני זמר, נמצאת כולה מוציאה אלף מיני זמר. אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק: וסימניך מתניתא גוזמא.

There were 10 holes in it and each and every one would emit 10 types of tone. It therefore emerges that the entire instrument emitted 100 types of tone. It was taught in a baraita: The magreifa was 1 cubit wide and 1 cubit tall, and a handle protruded from it. It was hollow and there were 10 holes in it and each one would produce 100 types of tone. It therefore emerges that that the entire instrument emitted 1,000 types of tone. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And your mnemonic to remember which of these two statements was said by Shmuel and which was taught in a baraita is that the baraita expresses itself with exaggeration, as it is common for baraitot to exaggerate numbers.

ועבדי כהנים היו כו׳. לימא בהא קמיפלגי, דמאן דאמר עבדים היו קסבר: עיקר שירה בפה, וכלי לבסומי קלא הוא דעבידא, ומאן דאמר לוים היו קסבר: עיקר שירה בכלי!

§ The Mishnah teaches that the Temple musicians were slaves of priests according to R' Meir, whereas according to R' Yosei they were Israelites of pure lineage, and according to R' Ḥanina ben Antigonus they were Levites. The Talmud suggests: Let us say that they disagree about this; that the one who says they were slaves holds that the primary component of song in the Temple service is singing with the mouth, and the instrumental music was performed merely to sweeten the sound of the singing. Since the instrumental music is mere accompaniment, it could be performed by slaves. And the one who says that the musicians were Levites holds that the primary component of song in the Temple service is the music played with instruments. Therefore, the musicians had to be Levites, who were tasked with the song that was part of the Temple service.