Why We Sing the Yom Kippur Confessional to the Tune of Dayenu! .......
Here is a story the Baal Shem Tov once shared:
The Baal Shem Tov once visited a town in which the people complained that their chazzan, cantor, the Al Cheit, Confession of sins, in a merry melody, rather than in a more appropriately somber tune. When questioned by the Baal Shem Tov, the cantor explained:
“Rebbe, a king has many servants who serve him. Some of them prepare the royal meals, others serve the food, while others place the royal crown on the king’s head, and yet others are in charge of running the affairs of the country, etc. Each of them rejoices in his work and the privilege he has to serve and to be so close to the king.
“Now the palace also has a janitor, charged with the duty of removing the rubbish and filth from the palace. The janitor looks and deals with filth all day. He approaches it, gathers it, and removes it. Do you think that he should be depressed because he is looking at dirt all day? No! He is happy, because he is also serving the king. He is removing the dirt from the king’s palace, ensuring that the palace is beautiful! It is not the dirt he is focused on, it is on the King’s palace and its beauty that he is occupied with.
“When a Jew sins, he amasses dirt on his soul. When he is confessing his sins, it is not the sins, the guilt, the darkness and the negativity that he is focused on; it is the holiness and beauty of his soul that he is focused on. He is removing the layers of dirt that are eclipsing the soul; he is allowing his inner light to shine in its full glory. Is that not a reason to sing and rejoice?”