A newly recorded Chabad niggun attributed to the renowned chossid R’ Hillel Paritcher has been released as part of the ongoing Gaaguim Nigunim project, which has been dedicated in recent years to preserving and sharing authentic Chabad nigunim.

Several of R’ Hillel’s niggunim have already appeared in previous Gaaguim albums, and organizers are now presenting another moving melody from his repertoire. The niggun is listed as Niggun 39 in Sefer Hanigunim and serves as the closing track of the recently released Gaaguim 9 album.

Chassidus places special emphasis on niggunim as a central pillar of chassidishe life. As related in a talk of the Frierdiker Rebbe on the first night of Shavuos 5708, a chassid receives four essential elements from his father or teacher: a Torah teaching or story from the Rebbe, a niggun heard in the Rebbe’s name, the practice of repeating what one has seen or heard, and the teachings or conduct of an elder chossid. These four elements, the Rebbe explained, form the “four walls of the chassidishe sukkah.”

The deep connection of R’ Hillel to niggun was famously described by his friend R’ Aizik Homiler, who said: “I lived my life with intellectual understanding, while R’ Hillel lived his life with niggun and dance.”

The recording features vocals by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Amar, arranged by R’ Ovad Monis, with violin and musical production by R’ Mordechai Brutzki, under the guidance of Rabbi Chaim Weiss.

To date, the project has released 91 niggunim, with work already underway on the upcoming Gaaguim 10 album, expected to be released soon.

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