According to the Torah, after crossing the sea, our people sing their song of redemption and praise of God's power and strength (from which the Mi Chamocha prayer is taken). However, some sages argue that the song began while the Israelites were still crossing. Determining when the Israelites began to sing has deep psychological import. Were they only able to sing once they were assured of redemption (at least for the moment)? Or were they able to sing while they were still on the brink, walking through the corridors of the Sea?
I wonder if they needed to sing while crossing the Sea: not knowing if they would make it to the other side, but reaching for the strength within them to praise God while still not certain of what God had in store for them. Perhaps their fear and their hope were too much to express in mere words, and so they burst forth in song—perhaps first tenuously, but eventually reaching a crescendo as they approached the other side, then bursting forth as a full-blown “Hallelujah chorus” once they were on dry land.
- Rabbi Steven Nathan, "The Singing of the Oppressed"
1) Do you feel it is still too early to sing songs of redemption and praise? Or do you feel that you must sing to sustain yourself and your efforts?
2) When you look back at your own efforts and what we've had to do in the wake of the 2016 Election up until this moment, can you see any sort of advantage to the approach we've taken? God decided on the route based on an assessment of the capabilities of the people. Have leaders properly assessed what the people are capable of? Have we followed a wise strategy in our "route"?
3) Setting off into the wilderness has it's own difficulties; without one tangible enemy and opportunity (like an election or an escape) the challenge becomes more amorphous. Where do you see yourself and our collective work post-election?
4) The Manna provided to the Israelites clearly was not what they had in mind when they requested food. Do you feel similarly disappointed by any of the outcomes of the election? What kinds of "manna" do you need to sustain you in the journey ahead?