Parshas Beshalach- To Sing Or Not To Sing
On the fifteenth of Nissan, the Jewish people left Egypt in miraculous fashion. On the third day from their departure, Hashem commanded Moshe to begin backtracking towards Egypt (14:2, Rashi). This was intended to cause the Mitzri’im to falsely conclude that the Jews had lost their way. It was effective in goading the Egyptians to pursue them. The Mitzri’im gave chase, ultimately confronting the Jews near the Yam Suf on the eve of day seven from the Exodus (14:5, Rashi). The Jews miraculously crossed the split Sea, and the Mitzri’im were decimated in its waters. In the morning, the Jewish people, led by Moshe, sang the famous “az yashir” to praise and thank Hashem.
The Gemara (Megilla 10b) quotes Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s introduction to teaching the Megilla. The pesukim in Parshas Ki Savo discuss the tochacha, the punishments that will befall the Jews if they disregard Hashem and His commandments. Near its conclusion, the verse states “And it will be that just as Hashem rejoiced over you to benefit you… so Hashem will rejoice to make you perish and destroy you…” (28:63). The implication is that Hashem is happy with the deserved Jewish suffering. However, this is incompatible with two other sources. The verse states (Divrei Hayamim 2, 20:21) that when King Yehoshaphat went to battle against the non-Jewish enemies, he arranged for people to sing the praises of Hashem. They would say “hodu la’Hashem, ki l’olam chasdo”. Notably, they left out “ki tov” as is normally stated. Even though the murdered people were wicked, Hashem was not happy with their demise. Thus, leaving out “ki tov” indicated Hashem did not want praise on this event. Furthermore, the night the Jews crossed the Sea, the angels wanted to sing Hashem’s praises. He disallowed it. “My handiwork (the Egyptians) are drowning in the Sea and you wish to say shira?!” In order to resolve these apparently contradictory implications, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi transalates the initial pasuk as “so Hashem will cause others to rejoice”. Hashem is certainly saddened with the suffering of the wicked. However, their enemies are gladdened.
The disallowance of the singing of the angels is difficult to understand. One of the greatest songs recorded in the Torah is “az yashir”. Why was the song of the angels deemed inappropriate, and that of the Jews laudable?
The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 23:7) explains that the angels wished to sing G-d’s praises the evening that the Mitzri’im were being punished. Hashem did not allow this, as stated above. After the Jews crossed over, the angels again wanted to sing. Hashem then told them that the Jews will sing first, and the angels will follow. The Jews sang “az yashir”, and the angels were then permitted to do so as well.
It emerges that the angels were ultimately allowed to sing Hashem’s praises. The timing was the issue. How can we explain this idea?
The Mishna (Megilla 31a) states that the tochacha, the predicted punishments to befall the Jews when they disobey Hashem, should not be divided into two aliyos. It should be read as one aliya. The Gemara (31b) provides two reasons for this halacha. The second reason (Reish Lakish) is that we are not to make a bracha on punishments. Therefore, we begin the aliya slightly before the pesukim of punishments, and end a few verses afterwards. Tosfos (R Yehoshua of Sichnin) explains the idea. When the Jewish people suffer, Hashem participates in the struggle. Thus, when we read the terrible predictions of the tochacha, Hashem suffers as well. It would not be appropriate to bless Hashem in such a state. Thus, we make the brachos slightly before and after the admonishments.
Imagine you are walking down the street. You overhear a father chastising his son. It would be an awful idea to approach the father at that time, to express what a great job he is doing. When the father gives his son mussar, he suffers along with him. He feels the need to give him the tough love. However, any healthy, loving father is bothered when his son is uncomfortable. To encourage this rebuke during the process would disregard the suffering of the father. This would not be appropriate. However, if after the interaction, one approached the father to express what great chinuch he exhibited, this would be acceptable. In doing so, one recognizes that although it’s not comfortable for the father, the net gain makes it worth it.
Hashem is the ultimate Loving Father. He loves and cares for all of His handiwork. When the Egyptians were actively suffering, it would have been grossly inappropriate to sing to Hashem. This would have been actively disregarding His pain. However, after the fact, the Jews and the angels were permitted to sing His praises. They then understood that although in the moment it was difficult for Hashem, the overall benefit necessitated the punishment. Singing then was deemed acceptable.
Whenever people suffer, Hashem feels their pain and suffers too. May we recognize this, and feel comforted in knowing Hashem shares in our challenges too.
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