The Factory

Every year, my ears are spammed with a tremendous amount of stale attempted Yud Alef Nissan niggunim. They bounce in my head like a rubber-band-ball: a never ending loop of interconnecting genericity.

The factory for the echo chamber, was est. mem beis, stemming from a perplexion and aching, from R' Feitel Levin, that there weren't any fresh niggunim anymore. "If chassidim from previous generations would compose, kol shekein us, Dor Shvi'i can do the same..."

For up until then, the yearly niggun was just a stitch of an already existing niggun and a posuk from the Rebbe's new kapital. He voiced his concern to R' Yoel, and he bluntly responded "...go do it."

R' Feitel poses by a piano for a cover photo of an article by "beis moshiach," Kislev 5786

R' Feitel was not timid. Having a musical ear inherited from his Levin ancestors that would roam the streets of Nevel -- he took the breath-taking leap and composed, by himself, "Harninu Lelokim." It was spectacular. The Rebbe loved it, and encouraged it, even thanking him in ksav yad in a letter.

"The town of Nevel and the Levin family are synonymous"

After the "faucet opened," Brochshtat, Ari Blesovsky, and eventually myriads of Shiur Alef bochrim started pumping the reserves. At a point a few years later, it was so chaotic that a "Vaad" was founded to determine the niggun (hint: their decision wasn't always the final say).

Myth and Legend

His last and third well-known niggun (the second being the Rosh Chodesh Kislev niggun) was Shuva for Yud Alef Nissan Nun Alef. And it was absolutely legendary; even making its way to the broader Jewish world.

R' Feitel's compositions are unmistakably unique; as he said about one of his niggunim:

"Of all the many niggunim composed yearly in honor of Yud Aleph Nissan some linger in the hearts and minds of Chassidim until today, having left an impression as unique and different, out of the ordinary."

He's an artist, a painter, he's built a real name for himself. A Niggun signed with his name alone garners much attention.

Twisted Plots

This year Yud Alef Nissan, 124 years, Detroit generated about ten niggunim, Chicago like eleven-and-a-half, and between Kfar Chabad, Lud, Kriat Gat, we are in the hundreds (you never registered the fact that a niggun composed by a mesivta bochur is never chosen?).

Brochshtat smugly sang his piece of mind to a crew of magnatiles; however, just like the graph of acceptance of his niggunim, this one was jagged and "discombobulated" (I don't know this word where you know it from).

Meir Sassonkin pulled up with his Niggun. With precision, he meticulously folded and crafted the niggun to reject the inserts of unintended wording. His Niggun had a depressed tinge, as noted by a few Chassidim, and obviously followed the Meir Sassonkin pattern and protocols appropriately.

Chassidim Farbreng on Yud Alef Nissan 5783(?)

But then, in a bizarre and a bit awkward turn of events, R' Feitel entered the arena. In reality, it wasn't his fault; he was brought in by some determined Chassid, who saw a looming disaster pending on the horizon.

And so, a sketch, an imperfect dab, was scribbled by the great composer. Far from a masterpiece; they are nonetheless notes from the master's pen.