SHABBAT SHIRAH/BESHALACH

By Rabbi Neil Fleischmann

At the end of the Torah we read the poem/song of He’ezinu, which speaks about how G-d will never destroy the Jewish People, how despite difficult times we will survive and redemption will arrive. It is in that context that the command is given to write down “this song,” which means that the whole Torah must be written, because of the song that it contains. It also means that the Torah is one long song.

In Jewish tradition a shir (song/poem) captures a moment of clarity and divinity relating to the past, present , and future. The whole Torah is a prose poem, but the specific song poems that appear in the Torah are concentrated expressions of truth, saying things with broken lines (when asked what poetry is Rabbi Menachem Froman said that it is broken lines) and rhymes, in a way that can’t be replicated longhand.

There is an element of song that applies to every Shabbat. In Jewish tradition songs are sung at moments of clarity. Shabbat brings a stronger connection to G-d than other days of the week. The week culminates in this day of connection. On Friday night we sing the “Song of Shabbos,” which mentions Shabbat in its title, while in its content it does not mention Shabbat by name but enumerates what Shabbos is all about - how truth, gracefulness, righteousness, and happiness come from connection to G-d. And in the prayers of Shabbat day we sing the prayer called Nishmat, which speaks of how the song of all living beings ought to sing gratefully (and gracefully) to G-d, and this is a celebratory song unique to Shabbat. Some say that Nishmat (The Soul Of All That Lives) is song in honor of the extra soul and extra soulfulness that we receive on Shabbat.

Parashat Beshalach includes Az Yashir - The Song of the Sea. Like many languages Hebrew has just one word for both poetry and song. Thus, this is the first poem/song of the Torah. So, it’s appropriate to ask, what makes this - or any poem - a poem?

It is worthy of note that there is no consistent, repeating rhyme scheme here in Az Yashir, so clearly that’s not what makes it (or any poem) a poem. One thing that is clear when one looks at Az Yashir in a Torah scroll,or in most versions of the Chumash, or in the Siddur (from which we recite this song daily) is that the words are spaced in an unusual way. Some suggest that he way the words are laid out is meant to look like the pattern with which bricks are laid, reminding us of the brick work of Egypt from which the Jews were freed. Others see the sea, with the sun shining across it, in the way the words are spaced. Today this is called concrete or shape poetry.

Another thing that makes Az Yashir a poem is the use of similes and metaphors - soldiers falling like rocks in water, G-d as a man of war, etc. One more example of poetic style here is the use of alliteration, with one line featuring five words in a row that begin with the same letter and sound (Amar oyeiv, "Erdof, asig, achaleik.").

Understanding a poem is an uphill battle, much like spreading appreciation of poetry is not easy. But it is important to remember that all of the Torah is a poem, and that daily and on Shabbat we recite the poem of Az Yashir and other poetic songs.

This week's Shabbos is called Shabbos Shirah, but the Nesivos Shalom says that every Shabbos is Shabbos Shirah. And this one is just more intense, the Shir HaShirim Shabbos.

May we be blessed to appreciate Az yashir and other poems of our tradition, like Nishmat, Anim Zemirot, Ashrei (and the rest of Tehillim) and so many more. Maybe pick one and make it yours, memorize it, carry it in your pocket, say it in intense times.