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Hazzan
A hazzan (/ˈhɑːzən/; Hebrew: [χaˈzan], lit. 'hazan') or chazzan (Hebrew: חַזָּן, romanized: ḥazzān, plural ḥazzānim; Yiddish: חזן, romanized: khazn; Ladino: חזן, romanized: hasan) is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful Jewish prayer. In English, a hazzan is often referred to as a cantor, a term also used in Christianity.
An individual leading a Jewish congregation in public prayer is also called a sh'liaḥ tzibbur (Hebrew: שליח ציבור, lit. 'messenger of the public'). Any person is called a sh'liach tzibbur while leading prayer. However, the term hazzan more commonly refers to someone with formal specialized training in leading prayers or who is appointed to lead prayers regularly in a given synagogue without a formally trained hazzan.
Halakha (Jewish law) restricts the role of sh'liah tzibbur to adult Jews; in Orthodox Judaism, only males can lead public prayer before mixed-sex groups. In theory, any layperson can be a sh'liah tzibbur; many synagogue-going Jews will serve in this role from time to time, especially on weekdays or on a yahrzeit. Proficiency in Hebrew pronunciation is preferred. In practice, in synagogues without an official hazzan (or in the temporary absence of one), those with the best voice and the greatest knowledge of the prayers typically assume the role.[citation needed]
Even in the earliest times, the chief qualifications demanded of the hazzan—in addition to knowledge of biblical and liturgical literature and prayer motifs (Yiddish: שטײַגער, romanized: shtayger)—were a pleasant voice and artistic delivery. For the sake of these, many faults were willingly overlooked. The hazzan was required to possess a pleasing appearance, to be married, and to have a flowing beard. Sometimes, according to Isaac ben Moses of Vienna (13th century), a young hazzan having only a slight growth of beard was tolerated. Maimonides ruled that the hazzan who recited the prayers on an ordinary Shabbat and on weekdays need not possess an appearance pleasing to everybody. He might even have a reputation not wholly spotless, provided he was living a life morally free from reproach at the time of his appointment.[citation needed]
All the above-noted moderations of the rules disappeared on holidays, when an especially worthy hazzan was demanded: one whose life was absolutely irreproachable, who was generally popular, and endowed with an expressive delivery. Even a person who had ever litigated in a non-Jewish court—instead of a Jewish court—could not act as hazzan on those days, unless he had previously done penance. However, many authorities were lenient in this regard. As long as a hazzan was accepted by the congregation (מרוצה לקהל, m'rutzei l'kahal), he was permitted to lead the prayers even on the holiest of days.
Today, a hazzan, particularly in more formal (usually not Orthodox) synagogues, is likely to have academic credentials—most often a degree in music or sacred music, sometimes a degree in music education, Jewish religious education, or a related discipline. The doctor of music degree is sometimes awarded to honour a hazzan.
Early sources in the Mishnah refer to a position called chazzan hakenesset, which involved leadership roles in public prayer, although not necessarily involving music or singing. Later, as public worship was developed in the Geonic period and as the knowledge of the Hebrew language declined, singing gradually superseded the role of sermons in synagogue worship, and the role of chazzan began to focus on chanting or singing of the prayers. Thus, while the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources, the office of the ḥazzan increased in importance with the centuries, evolving a specialized set of skills and becoming a career in itself.
The role of the hazzan as a respected full-time profession has become a reality in recent centuries. In the last two centuries, Jews in a number of European communities, notably Germany and Britain, came to view professionally trained hazzanim as clergy and the hazzan as the deputy rabbi. After the enlightenment, when European nations gave full citizenship and civil rights to Jews, professionally trained hazzanim were accepted by the secular governments as clergy just as rabbis were.
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Hazzan
A hazzan (/ˈhɑːzən/; Hebrew: [χaˈzan], lit. 'hazan') or chazzan (Hebrew: חַזָּן, romanized: ḥazzān, plural ḥazzānim; Yiddish: חזן, romanized: khazn; Ladino: חזן, romanized: hasan) is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who leads the congregation in songful Jewish prayer. In English, a hazzan is often referred to as a cantor, a term also used in Christianity.
An individual leading a Jewish congregation in public prayer is also called a sh'liaḥ tzibbur (Hebrew: שליח ציבור, lit. 'messenger of the public'). Any person is called a sh'liach tzibbur while leading prayer. However, the term hazzan more commonly refers to someone with formal specialized training in leading prayers or who is appointed to lead prayers regularly in a given synagogue without a formally trained hazzan.
Halakha (Jewish law) restricts the role of sh'liah tzibbur to adult Jews; in Orthodox Judaism, only males can lead public prayer before mixed-sex groups. In theory, any layperson can be a sh'liah tzibbur; many synagogue-going Jews will serve in this role from time to time, especially on weekdays or on a yahrzeit. Proficiency in Hebrew pronunciation is preferred. In practice, in synagogues without an official hazzan (or in the temporary absence of one), those with the best voice and the greatest knowledge of the prayers typically assume the role.[citation needed]
Even in the earliest times, the chief qualifications demanded of the hazzan—in addition to knowledge of biblical and liturgical literature and prayer motifs (Yiddish: שטײַגער, romanized: shtayger)—were a pleasant voice and artistic delivery. For the sake of these, many faults were willingly overlooked. The hazzan was required to possess a pleasing appearance, to be married, and to have a flowing beard. Sometimes, according to Isaac ben Moses of Vienna (13th century), a young hazzan having only a slight growth of beard was tolerated. Maimonides ruled that the hazzan who recited the prayers on an ordinary Shabbat and on weekdays need not possess an appearance pleasing to everybody. He might even have a reputation not wholly spotless, provided he was living a life morally free from reproach at the time of his appointment.[citation needed]
All the above-noted moderations of the rules disappeared on holidays, when an especially worthy hazzan was demanded: one whose life was absolutely irreproachable, who was generally popular, and endowed with an expressive delivery. Even a person who had ever litigated in a non-Jewish court—instead of a Jewish court—could not act as hazzan on those days, unless he had previously done penance. However, many authorities were lenient in this regard. As long as a hazzan was accepted by the congregation (מרוצה לקהל, m'rutzei l'kahal), he was permitted to lead the prayers even on the holiest of days.
Today, a hazzan, particularly in more formal (usually not Orthodox) synagogues, is likely to have academic credentials—most often a degree in music or sacred music, sometimes a degree in music education, Jewish religious education, or a related discipline. The doctor of music degree is sometimes awarded to honour a hazzan.
Early sources in the Mishnah refer to a position called chazzan hakenesset, which involved leadership roles in public prayer, although not necessarily involving music or singing. Later, as public worship was developed in the Geonic period and as the knowledge of the Hebrew language declined, singing gradually superseded the role of sermons in synagogue worship, and the role of chazzan began to focus on chanting or singing of the prayers. Thus, while the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources, the office of the ḥazzan increased in importance with the centuries, evolving a specialized set of skills and becoming a career in itself.
The role of the hazzan as a respected full-time profession has become a reality in recent centuries. In the last two centuries, Jews in a number of European communities, notably Germany and Britain, came to view professionally trained hazzanim as clergy and the hazzan as the deputy rabbi. After the enlightenment, when European nations gave full citizenship and civil rights to Jews, professionally trained hazzanim were accepted by the secular governments as clergy just as rabbis were.