In Temple times Shiras Hayam, the Song of the Sea, was sung by the Levites when the daily afternoon sacrifice was offered.87 After the destruction, the Jews of the Holy Land continued the tradition, reciting the Shira at the end of the PesukeiDezimrah. 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.”88Hilchos 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,89Even though they had been free a week earlier, they were insecure, fearing that the Egyptians would capture and re-enslave them. Only when God had drowned the Egyptians were the Israelites free psychologically.—Seporno Adonoy delivered
אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד מִצְרָֽיִם Israel from the hand of Egypt,
וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת־מִצְרַֽיִם and Israel saw the Egyptians
מֵת עַל־שְׂפַת הַיָּם: dead on the seashore.
❖וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל And Israel saw
אֶת־הַיָּד הַגְּ֒דֹלָה the great hand90The use of the word “hand” or any physical attribute with regard to God is merely metaphorical, since God is in no way physical.
אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה בְּמִצְרַֽיִם which Adonoy wielded against Egypt,
וַיִּירְ֒אוּ הָעָם אֶת יְהֹוָה and the people feared Adonoy,
וַיַּאֲמִֽינוּ בַּיהֹוָה and they believed in Adonoy,
וּבְ֒משֶׁה עַבְדּוֹ: and that Moses was His servant.
אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְ֒נֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang
אֶת־הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַיהֹוָה this song to Adonoy,
וַיֹּאמְ֒רוּ לֵאמֹר and they said:
אָשִֽׁירָה לַיהֹוָה כִּי־גָאֹה גָּאָה I will sing to Adonoy for He is most high;91When people praise a mortal, they often declare undeserved praise. But God is so great that any praise we offer is insufficient.—Rashi
סוּס וְרֹכְ֒בוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם: the horse with its rider, He threw into the sea.
עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ The strength and retribution of God
וַיְ֒הִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה was the cause of my deliverance;92This translation follows Rashi’s commentary.
זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵֽהוּ this is my Almighty and I will glorify Him,
אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְ֒מֶֽנְהוּ: 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 טֻבְּ֒עוּ and his elite officers were drowned
בְיַם־סוּף: in the Sea of Reeds.
תְּהֹמֹת יְכַסְ֒יֻֽמוּ The deep waters covered them;
יָרְ֒דוּ בִמְצוֹלֹת כְּמוֹ־אָֽבֶן: they descended into the depths like stone.
יְמִינְ֒ךָ יְהֹוָה Your right hand Adonoy
נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּֽחַ is adorned with power,
יְמִֽינְ֒ךָ יְהֹוָה תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב: Your right hand Adonoy crushes the enemy.
וּבְ֒רֹב גְּאוֹנְ֒ךָ And in Your great majesty,
תַּהֲרֹס קָמֶֽיךָ You destroyed Your opponents;
תְּשַׁלַּח חֲרֹנְ֒ךָ You sent forth Your fury,
יֹֽאכְ֒לֵמוֹ כַּקַּשׁ: it consumed them like straw.93This 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 God will destroy all the wicked.
וּבְ֒רֽוּחַ אַפֶּֽיךָ And with the wind from Your nostrils
נֶֽעֶרְ֒מוּ מַֽיִם the waters were heaped up,
נִצְּ֒בוּ כְמוֹ־נֵד נֹזְ֒לִים flowing water stood erect like a wall;
קָפְ֒אוּ תְהֹמֹת the deep waters congealed
בְּלֶב־יָם: in the heart of the sea.94The 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.95Seporno 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.96God is “awesome in praise” for we fear that all our praise will prove inadequate. In truth, it is impossible to praise God fully, and David therefore said (Psalms 65:2) “For You, silence is praise.”—Rashi
נָטִֽיתָ יְמִינְ֒ךָ 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 בְעָזְּ֒ךָ You guided them with Your might
אֶל־נְוֵה קָדְשֶֽׁךָ: to Your holy dwelling place.
שָֽׁמְ֒עוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן The peoples heard and trembled,
חִיל אָחַז pangs of fear gripped
ישְׁ֒בֵי פְּלָֽשֶׁת: the inhabitants of Philistia.97The 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 Israel 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 ישְׁ֒בֵי כְנָֽעַן: all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away.98Nations on all sides panicked: The Philistines to the west, the Edomites to the south, the Moabites to the east and the Canaanites to the north. The Philistines feared revenge. The Edomites panicked because they feared that Israel would now seek revenge for what Esau (Edom) had done to Jacob. The Moabites, the descendants of Lot, feared they would be punished because of the dispute between Lot and Abraham (Genesis 13:7). Canaan “melted away” because they realized that Israel 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;
בִּגְ֒דֹל זְרוֹעֲךָ at the greatness of Your arm
יִדְּ֒מוּ כָּאָֽבֶן they were still as stone;
עַד־יַֽעֲבֹר עַמְּ֒ךָ יְהֹוָה until Your people cross over, Adonoy,
עַד־יַֽעֲבֹר until [they] cross over,99The two crossings are the respective crossings of the Arnon and the Jordan rivers before entering the Promised Land.—Unkelos
עַם־זוּ קָנִֽיתָ: —the people You have acquired.
תְּבִאֵֽמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵֽמוֹ You will bring them and plant them100Moses here prophesied that he would not be entering the Promised Land, and he therefore prayed that God should bring the Jews into His inheritance.—Rashi
בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְ֒ךָ on the mountain of Your inheritance,
מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּ֒ךָ the place for Your habitation
פָּעַֽלְתָּ יְהֹוָה which You, Adonoy, have made;
מִקְּ֒דָשׁ אֲדֹנָי the Sanctuary, my Master,
כּוֹנְ֒נוּ יָדֶֽיךָ: [which] Your hands established.101God’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.102This verse is not repeated in Exodus. But it is repeated in prayer to signify the end of the Ode, just as the last verse of Psalms 150 is repeated in the prayer whereas it is not repeated in the Psalms.—Avudraham
יְהֹוָה מַלְ֒כוּתֵהּ קָאֵים Adonoy! His sovereignty is established
לְעָלַם וּלְ֒עָלְ֒מֵי עָלְ֒מַיָּא: forever and to all eternity.103This verse is a paraphrase of the previous verse as found in Targum Unkelos.
כִּי בָא סוּס פַּרְעֹה בְּרִכְבּוֹ When Pharaoh's horses, with his chariots,
וּבְ֒פָרָשָׁיו 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 Israel
הָלְ֒כוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּֽם: walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.104Exodus 14:30-15:19.
כִּי לַיהֹוָה הַמְּ֒לוּכָה For the kingship is Adonoy's
וּמשֵׁל בַּגּוֹיִם: and He rules over nations.105Psalms 22:29. The word “king” signifies one whose leadership is accepted freely by all his subjects. Therefore, in reference to Israel who willingly accept the Kingship of God, 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
❖וְעָלוּ מוֹשִׁעִים בְּהַר צִיּוֹן And deliverers will go up to Mount Zion
לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת־הַר עֵשָׂו, to judge Mount Esau,
וְהָיְ֒תָה לַיהֹוָה הַמְּ֒לוּכָה: and the kingdom will be Adonoy's.106Ovadiah 1:21.
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.107Zechariah 14:9. In the future, God will be recognized by all the nations of the world who will accept Him willingly as their King.