Singing “carefree” – Shabbat Shira – Parshat Beshalach

We will read the Shira – אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת להשם. This is (usually) translated as: Then Moshe and the children of Israel sang this song to Hashem, and they spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for very exalted is he…

The Gemara in Sanhedrin notices a short but important reference to some point in the future: “Then Moshe and the children will sing,” (rather than referring to the present song only) Concluding that this is a clue to the resurrection at the final Geulah, at which point, Moshe and the same people will be singing yet again…

The Torah does not refer generally to this point in time (Techiyat Hametim- resurrection). So why was the Shira chosen to give us this “Hint“?

Perhaps, when we sing or praise for having just emerged from a difficulty, be it health or wealth, we are always in the knowledge that although we have just come out of a problem, – there is no guarantee as to when the next difficulty is going to pop up. So it is never a total and “unrestricted relief”, rather – a “measured” one…

When the final redemption will come – It will be possible to sing in a “carefree” mode, not having to worry about the future. But then the question is, who will be leading the “choir“? 

And this is the hint we get from the Shira – Those of us who learned to sing at good times, even as we were not guaranteed as to the length of those fine days, those will be the ones to lead the chorus when the good time will be unrestricted.

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Chaim Michael Biberfeld