A niggun is a wordless
song or
melody filled with syllables like those in
Take Five. Niggunim (pl.) are sung repeadley as means of
meditation, becoming
closer to G-d (
D'vay'kut),
rejoicing, and
prayer. Its origins are in
the chassidic movement, whose goal is to bring G-d,
Judaism and
spirituality to every Jew.
Nigguns are usually sung in groups, giving them an even more mystical appearance than they have when sung alone. There are niggunim (plural) for holidays, celebrations, struggles, even death. Some are slow and have a monotone-like sound. Often a niggun will start slowly and build up power, kind of like a whirling dervish, until a religious frenzy is reached. The niggun corresponds to the Baal Shem Tov's concept of integrating prayers and G-d's prescence into everyday life.