Whoever has participated in singing the Bakashot on Sabbath evenings, and been among the singers, the listening congregation, young men and women and children in particular, meaning that listening, enjoying, singing pleases God and people. For it says, 'Honour the LORD with thy substance' – read not substance, but throat – If God has gifted you with a pleasant voice, do not withhold the good from its owner. It was He, the Holy One blessed be He, who granted you a pleasant voice.
I heard a tale from my father, my master, of blessed memory and in the world to come. A tough and violent Ishmaelite notable once set out to kill a Jew named Baba Eli who owed him much money and had gone bankrupt. He traveled a day's journey and happened upon the town of Amadiah in Iraq on Yom Kippur at the hour of the Moussaf prayer.
The cantor was my elder teacher and master Rabbi Binyamin Avidani, may his memory be for the world to come, and his attendants were his two sons, my master and teacher, my uncle Hakham Rachamim, of blessed memory, and my father, my master, Rabbi Shimon, may his memory be in the world to come, and at the time they were reciting the piyut 'Happy is the eye that saw this all, our spirit is saddened by what we hear".
And the notable heard the loveliness of their voices. The three had pleasant voices that could shatter cedars. Once they had finished the entire Selichot, the notable stood up on his feet and said: I have traveled a day's journey to kill the Jew [mentioned above], but because of the pleasant sound of this prayer by your sages, I have forgiven him, and he immediately turned away and left… Therefore, gentlemen, imagine the value of songs and bakashot here, in our holy land. I therefore request from you honorable men. Strengthen your hands by them. Be strong, increase, sanctify the holies of Jacob…and that we may, as a result, merit total redemption, Amen.