In Temple times Shiras Hayam, the Song of the Sea, was sung by the Levites when the daily afternoon sacrifice was offered.157Maseches Rosh Hashanah 31a, mentions that the Ode was sung at Minchah on Shabbos. After the destruction, the Jews of the Holy Land continued the tradition, reciting the Shira at the end of the Pesukei Dezimrah. The custom spread to Italy and from there to other Jewish communities. This daily recital is mentioned by Rav Saadya Gaon but not as an obligatory part of the service. Rambam calls it a “custom.”158Hilchos Tefillah 7:13. Subsequently adopted by all communities, reciting the Shira became an integral part of our daily prayers.
Some hold that the Shira should be chanted aloud while standing. It should be sung with joy as at the time of the Exodus. “Sheloh” writes that reciting the Shira atones for sin, so that if one wishes to repent a serious sin, he should recite the Shira every day with great fervor. The Zohar says, “If one recites this song with elation and joy, he will be worthy to sing it in the next world. He will also be worthy to sing it when he greets the Mashiach.”
וַיּֽוֹשַׁע יְהֹוָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא On that day,159Even though they had been free a week earlier, they were insecure, fearing that the Egyptians would capture and re-enslave them. Only when Hashem had drowned the Egyptians were the Israelites free psychologically.—Seporno Adonoy delivered
אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד מִצְרָֽיִם Yisrael from the hand of Mitzrayim,
וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִצְרַֽיִם and Yisrael saw the Mitzriyim
מֵת עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם: dead on the seashore.
חזן: וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל And Yisrael saw
אֶת־הַיָּד הַגְּדֹלָה the great hand160The use of the word “hand” or any physical attribute with regard to Hashem is merely metaphorical, since Hashem is in no way physical.
אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה בְּמִצְרַֽיִם which Adonoy wielded against Mitzrayim,
וַיִּירְאוּ הָעָם אֶת יְהֹוָה and the people feared Adonoy,
וַיַּאֲמִֽינוּ בַּיהֹוָה and they believed in Adonoy,
וּבְמשֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ: and that Moshe was His servant.
אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Then Moshe and the Children of Yisrael sang
אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַיהֹוָה this song to Adonoy,
וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר and they said:
אָשִֽׁירָה לַיהֹוָה כִּי־גָאֹה גָּאָה I will sing to Adonoy for He is most high;161When people praise a mortal, they often declare undeserved praise. But Hashem is so great that any praise we offer is insufficient.—Rashi
סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם: the horse with its rider, He threw into the sea.
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ The strength and retribution of God
וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה was the cause of my deliverance;162This translation follows Rashi’s commentary.
זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵֽהוּ this is my Almighty and I will glorify Him,
אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ: God of my father and I will exalt Him.
יְהֹוָה אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה Adonoy is master of war
יְהֹוָה שְׁמוֹ: Adonoy is His Name.
מַרְכְּבֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ Pharaoh's chariots and army,
יָרָה בַיָּם He hurled into the sea;
וּמִבְחַר שָׁלִשָׁיו טֻבְּעוּ and his elite officers were drowned
בְיַם־סוּף: in the Sea of Reeds.
תְּהֹמֹת יְכַסְיֻֽמוּ The deep waters covered them;
יָרְדוּ בִמְצוֹלֹת כְּמוֹ־אָֽבֶן: they descended into the depths like stone.
יְמִינְךָ יְהֹוָה Your right hand Adonoy
נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּֽחַ is adorned with power,
יְמִֽינְךָ יְהֹוָה תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב: Your right hand Adonoy crushes the enemy.
וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ And in Your great majesty,
תַּהֲרֹס קָמֶֽיךָ You destroyed Your opponents;
תְּשַׁלַּח חֲרֹנְךָ You sent forth Your fury,
יֹֽאכְלֵמוֹ כַּקַּשׁ: it consumed them like straw.163This verse is also translated, “You will send forth Your fury: it will consume them like straw.” According to the Zohar it thus refers to the time of the Resurrection, when Hashem will destroy all the wicked.
וּבְרֽוּחַ אַפֶּֽיךָ And with the wind from Your nostrils
נֶֽעֶרְמוּ מַֽיִם the waters were heaped up,
נִצְּבוּ כְמוֹ־נֵד נֹזְלִים flowing water stood erect like a wall;
קָפְאוּ תְהֹמֹת the deep waters congealed
בְּלֶב־יָם: in the heart of the sea.164The water became hard as stone and the Egyptians were hurled against it with great force.—Rashi
אָמַר אוֹיֵב The enemy (Pharaoh) said:
אֶרְדֹּף אַשִּׂיג “I will pursue [them], I will overtake [them],
אֲחַלֵּק שָׁלָל תִּמְלָאֵֽמוֹ נַפְשִׁי I will divide the spoils; I will satisfy myself;
אָרִיק חַרְבִּי I will unsheathe my sword,
תּוֹרִישֵֽׁמוֹ יָדִי: my hand will destroy them.
נָשַֽׁפְתָּ בְרוּחֲךָ You blew with Your wind,
כִּסָּֽמוֹ יָם the sea covered them;
צָלֲלוּ כַּעוֹפֶֽרֶת בְּמַֽיִם אַדִּירִים: they sank like lead in the mighty waters.165Seporno and others interpret the verse to read: “They, the mighty, sank like lead in the waters,” “mighty,” referring to the Egyptian officers rather than to the waters.
מִי־כָמֹֽכָה בָּאֵלִם יְהֹוָה Who is like You among the mighty, Adonoy!
מִי כָּמֹֽכָה who is like You?
נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּֽדֶשׁ [You are] adorned in holiness,
נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת עֹֽשֵׂה־פֶֽלֶא: awesome in praise, performing wonders.166Hashem is “awesome in praise” for we fear that all our praise will prove inadequate. In truth, it is impossible to praise Hashem fully, and Dovid therefore said (Tehillim 65:2) “For You, silence is praise.”—Rashi
נָטִֽיתָ יְמִינְךָ You stretched out Your right hand,
תִּבְלָעֵֽמוֹ אָֽרֶץ: the earth swallowed them.
נָחִֽיתָ בְחַסְדְּךָ You led in Your kindliness,
עַם־זוּ גָּאָֽלְתָּ the people whom You redeemed;
נֵהַֽלְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ You guided them with Your might
אֶל־נְוֵה קָדְשֶֽׁךָ: to Your holy dwelling place.
שָֽׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן The peoples heard and trembled,
חִיל אָחַז pangs of fear gripped
ישְׁבֵי פְּלָֽשֶׁת: the inhabitants of Philistia.167The Philistines had killed the Ephraimites thirty years earlier when they left Egypt by force. The Philistines were thus gripped with terror when they heard that Yisrael had escaped from Egypt.—Rashi
אָז נִבְהֲלוּ אַלּוּפֵי אֱדוֹם Then the chieftains of Edom panicked,
אֵילֵי מוֹאָב the mighty men of Moab
יֹֽאחֲזֵֽמוֹ רָֽעַד were seized with trembling,
נָמֹֽגוּ כֹּל ישְׁבֵי כְנָֽעַן: all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.168Nations on all sides panicked: The Philistines to the west, the Edomites to the south, the Moavites to the east and the Canaanites to the north. The Philistines feared revenge. The Edomites panicked because they feared that Yisrael would now seek revenge for what Esau (Edom) had done to Yaakov. The Moavites, the descendants of Lot, feared they would be punished because of the dispute between Lot and Avraham (Bereishis 13:7). Canaan “melted away” because they realized that Yisrael was destined to take their land, and their astrologers told them that there was no way out.—Rabbainu Bachyah
תִּפֹּל עֲלֵיהֶם אֵימָֽתָה וָפַֽחַד Terror and dread fall upon them;
בִּגְדֹל זְרוֹעֲךָ at the greatness of Your arm
יִדְּמוּ כָּאָֽבֶן they were still as stone;
עַד־יַֽעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ יְהֹוָה until Your people cross over, Adonoy,
עַד־יַֽעֲבֹר until [they] cross over,169The two crossings are the respective crossings of the Arnon and the Yardein rivers before entering the Promised Land.—Onkelos
עַם־זוּ קָנִֽיתָ: —the people You have acquired.
תְּבִאֵֽמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵֽמוֹ You will bring them and plant them170Moshe here prophesied that he would not be entering the Promised Land, and he therefore prayed that Hashem should bring the Jews into His inheritance.—Rashi
בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ on the mountain of Your inheritance,
מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ the place for Your habitation
פָּעַֽלְתָּ יְהֹוָה which You, Adonoy, have made;
מִקְּדָשׁ אֲדֹנָי the Sanctuary, my Master,
כּוֹנְנוּ יָדֶֽיךָ: [which] Your hands established.171Hashem’s “habitat” on earth, the Holy Temple, is a parallel of the Holy Temple on high.—Rashi
יְהֹוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד: Adonoy will reign forever and ever.
יְהֹוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד: Adonoy will reign forever and ever.172This verse is not repeated in Shemos. But it is repeated in prayer to signify the end of the Ode, just as the last verse of Tehillim 150 is repeated in the prayer whereas it is not repeated in the Tehillim.—Avudraham
יְהֹוָה מַלְכוּתֵהּ קָאֵם Adonoy! His sovereignty is established
לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא: forever and to all eternity.173This verse is a paraphrase of the previous verse as found in Targum Onkelos.
כִּי בָא סוּס פַּרְעֹה בְּרִכְבּוֹ When Pharaoh's horses, with his chariots,
וּבְפָרָשָׁיו בַּיָּם and his horsemen, went into the sea,
וַיָּֽשֶׁב יְהֹוָה עֲלֵהֶם Adonoy turned back on them
אֶת־מֵי הַיָּם the waters of the sea;
וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל and the Children of Yisrael
הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּֽם: walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.174Shemos 14:30—15:19.
כִּי לַיהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָה For the kingship is Adonoy's
וּמשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם: and He rules over nations.175Tehillim 22:29. The word “king” signifies one whose leadership is accepted freely by all his subjects. Therefore, in reference to Yisrael who willingly accept the Kingship of Hashem, it says, “For the kingship is Adonoy’s.” A “ruler,” however, is one who forcibly rules people, without their consent. Regarding the nations who do not willingly submit to Adonoy’s Kingship, the Psalmist says, “And He rules over nations.”—Gaon of Vilna
חזן: וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁיעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן And deliverers will go up to Mount Tziyon
לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־הַר עֵשָׂו, to judge the mount of Esav,
וְהָיְתָה לַיהֹוָה הַמְּלוּכָה: and the kingdom will be Adonoy's.176Ovadyah 1:21.
חזן: וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה לְמֶֽלֶךְ And Adonoy will be King
עַל־כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ over the whole earth;
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא on that day
יִהְיֶה יְהֹוָה אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד: Adonoy will be One and His Name One.177Zecharyah 14:9. In the future, Hashem will be recognized by all the nations of the world who will accept Him willingly as their King.