One of the Most Moving and Soulful Hassidic Melodies

Niggun Shamil Performed by Laura Melnicoff www.melnicoffmusic.com The story behind the song: A story is told of a man named Shamil, a leader of assorted tribes that lived in Russia’s Caucasian Mountains over a century ago. The Russian army attacked these tribes, intending to deprive them of their freedom. Unable to vanquish the valiant warriors in battle, the Russian army leaders proposed a false peace treaty, and thus succeeded in getting them to lay down their arms. Immediately afterwards, the Russians lured the Caucasian leader, Shamil, away from his stronghold and imprisoned him. Staring out of the window of his small narrow cell, Shamil reflected on his days of liberty in the past, In his current exile and helplessness, he bewailed his plight and yearned for his previous position of freedom and fortune. He consoled himself, however, with the knowledge that he would eventually be released from his imprisonment and return to his previous position with even more power and glory. It is the above thought that he expressed in this melancholy, yearning melody. The Moral: The soul descends to this world from the heavens above, clothed in the earthly body of a human being. The soul’s physical vestments here are really its prison cell, for it constantly longs for spiritual, heavenly fulfillments. The soul strives to free itself from the “exile” of the human body and its earthly pleasures by directing its physical being into the illuminated and living paths of Torah and Mitzvot. This video was produced for Lesson 2 of Art & Soul, a course by the Rosh Chodesh Society. The Rosh Chodesh Society is a division of The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. --- Subscribe to our channel for more of the best Jewish video content on YouTube. The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) has the largest collection of Jewish media content. Our exclusive videos range from Torah insights to the most hotly debated contemporary topics. Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myJLI Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myjli/ See our full video library here: https://www.torahcafe.com/ Visit our website here: https://www.myjli.com/ To visit Rosh Chodesh Society visit: http://www.myrcsociety.com/ ABOUT JLI Serving learning centers in over 1,600 communities and on the internet, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute (JLI) is the world's preeminent provider of Jewish learning. The mission of the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is to inspire Jewish learning worldwide and to transform Jewish life and the greater community through Torah study. To make Jewish learning accessible and personally meaningful to every Jew, regardless of background or affiliation. JLI's insightful curriculum utilizes cutting-edge pedagogical techniques, embracing the multiple intelligence model and utilizing multimedia and an array of approaches to engage, educate, and inspire all kinds of minds in a dynamic Jewish learning experience.