Song

Singer of wholeness, Are you yet born? If your soul is still bound In the bond of heaven, The bond of life, Descend to us soon. Play your harp-- Let the down-hearted hear, Let the disillusioned listen To the murmur of your strings-- And be revived.

Orot Hateshuvah, p. 144

There are three levels upon which the individual and collective perfection of Israel must be based. These are the return to nature, to human ethics, and to the national foundation. Supernal holiness rests only upon these three. The highest divine service is connected directly to nature. But this supernal holiness was polluted by human defilement, which destroyed the service of nature and turned it into a monster of idolatry rather than a firm foundation for supernal idealism.

Engaging in the "Chapter of song" is the foundation of this return to nature. This is a lowly return that is high, that rises beyond all national jealousy, lifting man to become an elevated brother to his other brothers, the creations of the Almighty, who all know their Maker and take pleasure in the glory of His activity.

Orot Hakodesh II, pp. 493-94

Jealousy between scribes increases wisdom (Bava Batra 21a). Because this wisdom comes from jealousy, in the end it will disintegrate. Everything that disintegrates has an unpleasant odor. And so the sages said that "in the end of days before the messiah comes, the wisdom of the sages will [be despised, as though it has] an unpleasant odor" (Sotah 49b). This unpleasant odor will destroy the form that the wisdom of the sages had had. Then it will begin to radiate the light of the soul of supernal wisdom, which transcends all jealousy and which is higher than the wisdom of the sages. This wisdom will come to light by means of a "new song."

Arpelei Tohar, p. 59