Study Sukkah folio 51A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כתנאי, (דתניא): עבדי כהנים היו, דברי רבי מאיר. רבי יוסי אומר: משפחת בית הפגרים ומשפחת בית ציפריא, ומאמאום היו, שהיו משיאין לכהונה.
This dispute is parallel to another dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a Mishnah in tractate Arakhin: The Temple musicians were slaves of priests; this is the statement of R' Meir. R' Yosei says: The musicians were not slaves; they were Israelites from the family of the House of Happegarim and the family of the House of Tzipperaya. And they were from the city of Emma’um, and their lineage was sufficiently distinguished that they would marry their daughters to members of the priesthood.
רבי חנינא בן אנטיגנוס אומר: לוים היו. מאי לאו בהא קא מיפלגי, דמאן דאמר עבדים היו, קסבר: עיקר שירה בפה. ומאן דאמר לוים היו, קסבר: עיקר שירה בכלי.
R' Ḥanina ben Antigonus says: They were Levites. What, is it not that they disagree with regard to this; that the one who said that the musicians were slaves holds that the primary essence of song is singing with the mouth. Since the instrumental music is mere accompaniment, it could be performed by slaves. And the one who said that the musicians were Levites holds that the primary essence of song is accompaniment by musical instruments. Therefore, the musicians were Levites, who were tasked with the song that was part of the Temple service.
ותסברא?! רבי יוסי מאי קסבר? אי קסבר עיקר שירה בפה — אפילו עבדים נמי, אי קסבר עיקר שירה בכלי — לוים אין, ישראלים לא!
The Talmud asks: And how can you understand the Mishnah that way? According to that explanation, what does R' Yosei hold? If he holds that the primary essence of song is singing with the mouth, then even slaves can also play the instruments. Why then does he require that the musicians be from Israelite families of distinguished lineage? If he holds that the primary essence of song is accompaniment by musical instruments, he should have said: Levites, yes, they may play the instruments, but Israelites, no, they may not.