Misplaces Passages
Then Moshe and the Children of Israel sang this song of praise to Hashem and they said, saying: I will sing praise to Hashem for He is greatly exalted. Horse and its ride He threw into the sea. (Sefer Shemot 15:1)
The Song of the Sea
Parshat BeShalach opens with the final episode of the Jewish people’s redemption from bondage in Egypt. Bnai Yisrael leaves Egypt. Paroh decides to pursue them. He traps Bnai Yisrael at the shore of the Reed Sea. The waters of the sea separate, providing a path of escape. Bnai Yisrael flee along the path pursued by Paroh and his legions. As Bnai Yisrael are emerging from the sea, the walls of water collapse upon Paroh and his army. The Jewish people are saved and Paroh and his legions are destroyed.
The Jewish people observe the destruction of their adversaries. Moshe leads them in a song of praise to Hashem, the Shirat HaYam – the Song of the Sea. The above passage is the first passage of this song of praise.
The structure of the Shira
The Shira or Shirat HaYam has an interesting structure. It is set-off in the Torah as a separate section. The passage above is the first passage of the section. The passage has two components. The first is introductory. It describes the circumstances in which the song was composed and recited. The second part of the passage is the first verse of praise. It is odd that these two components are combined into a single passage. One would have expected the components to be divided into separate passages. Also, the first component – which should be a separate passage – should not be included in the set-off section containing the Shira. It should be the concluding passage of the previous section that introduces the Shira.
For the horse of Paroh came into the sea, with its chariot and with his horsemen. And Hashem returned upon them the waters of the sea. And the Children of Israel went on dry land within the sea. (Sefer Shemot 15:19)
The concluding passage of the Shira
The same issue arises at the conclusion of the Shira. The passage above concludes the section containing the Shira. It does not contain praise. It describes the events observed by the nation. These events moved the people to engage in the Shira. This passage seems to be the conclusion of the first portion of the first passage. One can easily imagine these combined into a single passage:
Then Moshe and the Children of Israel sang this song of praise to Hashem. For the horse of Paroh came into the sea, with its chariot and with his horsemen. And Hashem returned upon them the waters of the sea. And the Children of Israel went on dry land within the sea.[1]
Why are the first section of the first paragraph and the concluding passage included within the section of the Shira and not combined into a single introductory passage at the conclusion of the previous section?
The Shira section is self-contained
The first step in resolving this issue is to identify the impact of including the first portion of the first passage and the final passage within the section of the Shira. Through these inclusions the Shira’s context is incorporated into the section. In other words, without these inclusions the context of the Shira – the circumstances from which it emerged – would be contained in the previous section of the Torah but not within the section of the Shira. The section of the Shira would contain only the song of praise but not any explanation for its emergence. Inclusion of the introductory phrase and concluding passage create a section that is self-contained. In other words, the section itself includes the context of the Shira. No reference is required to another section of the Torah for this context.
After taking this step, we must reformulate our question. Originally, we asked why the introductory phrase and concluding passage are included in the section of the Shira. Let us reformulate the question. Why is the Shira presented in the Torah as a self-contained section? Why does the section include description of the context from which the Shira emerged?
The meaning of “they said, saying”
Let us return to the first passage of the Shira. There is another odd element in the first section of this passage:
Then Moshe and the Children of Israel sang this song of praise to Hashem and they said, saying:
The passage explains that Moshe and Bnai Yisrael said or recited the Shira “saying”. What is added by the term “saying”? The passage needed only to state that they recited the Shira. The term “saying” is superfluous. An interesting response to this question is provided by Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra. He suggests a variant translation for this section of the passage:
Then Moshe and the Children of Israel sang this song of praise to Hashem and they said that it should be said:
Ibn Ezra explains that Moshe and Bnai Yisrael intended the Shira to be recited in every generation. It was composed to be recited at the Reed Sea and in each subsequent generation.[2]
Reciting the Shira daily
Ibn Ezra’s position is reflected in our current practice and in the comments of Rambam – Maimonides. He notes that in many communities it is customary to recite the Shira each morning before reciting the Shema and its benedictions.[3] This practice implements Ibn Ezra’s interpretation of the Shira’s opening passage.
Ibn Ezra’s interpretation and our current practice provide a response to our question. Why is the Shira integrated into a self-contained section? This is because the Shira was not composed as a one-time response to the parting of the waters, the salvation of Bnai Yisrael, and the drowning of Paroh and his legions. It was composed and recited as a song of praise to be adopted by all generations. As a song to be recited throughout the generations, a description of context is necessary. When we recite the song throughout the generations we must know its context – the events that led to its composition and original recitation.
A new question emerges from this discussion. Why is the Shira recited daily? Why is this song so important? There are a number of responses to this question. We will focus on one of these.
Who among the angels is like unto You, Hashem? Who is like unto You, powerful on the holy throne? He is praised with trepidation. He performs wonders. (Sefer Shemot 15:11)
The paradox of praising Hashem
The above translation is suggested by the comments of Ibn Ezra. The passage contains a self-reflective phrase. The Shira is a song of praise. Yet, reflecting upon praising Hashem, the passage observes that one praises Hashem with fear or trepidation. What is the reason for this uneasiness? Ibn Ezra explains:
All who offer praise are afraid to praise His name. Who can make heard all His praise. (Yet,) they are obligated to praise His name for He alone performs wonders.[4]
According to Ibn Ezra, praising Hashem involves a paradox. We cannot adequately praise Him. Any praise that we offer – no matter how effusive – is not nearly adequate. In effect, our praise minimizes Him. However, we cannot refrain from praising Him. Through our praise we acknowledge that “He alone performs wonders”. We acknowledge that there is no other source of salvation other than Hashem. He is the source of our existence, our sustenance; He is our protector and our redeemer. How can we not acknowledge Hashem with our praises? The consequence of the paradox is that we praise Hashem with the recognition that our efforts are very inadequate.
It emerges from Ibn Ezra’s comments that the Shira is paradigmatic. It captures the imperative to praise Hashem and the conflicting tension in responding to the imperative. The Jewish people emerged from the sea. They observed the destruction of Paroh and his legions. The people were liberated and freed from the threat of their oppressors. The mighty Egyptians were toppled, overwhelmed in an awesome display of the omnipotence of the Creator. The Jewish people were compelled to acknowledge Hashem. They were compelled to recite a song of praise to Hashem. They also recognized the inadequacy of their praise.
Humility in praising Hashem
The inclusion of the Shira in the morning service suggests that engaging in praise requires recognition of this paradox. According to Rambam, the Shira is preparatory to reciting the Shema and its blessings. These blessings are praises of Hashem. Before engaging in these benedictions of praise, we recite the Shira. We remind ourselves of the paradox of praising Hashem. We must acknowledge that He alone performs wonders. He is the source of our existence and salvation. However, despite our imperative to praise Him, our effort cannot be adequate.
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[1] See Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer Shemot 15:19. Ramban seems to regard the two elements as merging into a single passage. The Shira is placed between the opening and closing portion of the single passage.
[2] Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on Sefer Shemot 15:1.
[3] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Tefilah 7:13.
[4] Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on Sefer Shemot 15:11.