445. song (1)
The verse says “Honor Hashem with your money!” (the word for money in this verse is “honecha”) and Chazal extrapolate from here that one can read it as “with your favor” (chinecha) which means that if a person has a sweet voice, he should use it to find favor in the eyes of Hashem. To do this he must strengthen and fortify himself not to intend to make his voice heard in order to show off to the hearers. Instead, his deeds should be for the sake of heaven and only for the honor of Hashem may He be blessed. This is a very difficult thig that is almost impossible to manage unless one makes a great effort and that he should also think “What will it give to me and what will it matter for me if the hearers enjoy the song or not!”. The holy books have already written that everything which starts off with the intention that it is being done for the sake of heaven even if in the end his heart is haughty because people enjoy his voice there is not such a problem with that. How good it would be if he would concentrate on the rods of the song as it is impossible that it will not have mention of the kindnesses of Hashem and supplications for the rebuilding of the holy temple and beseeching for the atonement of our sins, and while singing he should pray for these things from the depths of his heart and he should not turn to empty things.
The halachic authorities have already written that a person whose voice is not pleasant for the listeners should not sing loud for it will not be willingly acceptable before Hashem. He should choose to sing the songs of King David (may he rest in peace) in a clear and pleasant voice and it will then be very willingly accepted before hashem for He chooses his servant David and his songs more than all the other songs in the world as they are the words of the living G-d which were said to King David with Divine inspiration. If, on the other hand, Hashem has favored him with a pleasant voice, he should use it for the utmost good and sing early in the morning and in the synagogue before the morning services as it says “To listen to the song and to the prayer!”, from which Chazal extrapolated that “Prayer should take place in the place where songs are performed!”, from which we see that one is obligated to say songs and praises in the synagogue. This is especially true on Shabbos and the festivals that it is fitting to increase the songs in the synagogue.