Parashat Beshalach: Mi Kamoekha - Block by Block
User Profile Picture
ByBrian Tice
Collection Logo
Sage Insights

"They were not slaves. They were people. Their condition was slavery."

(Julius Lester, To Be a Slave)

Depiction of the Egyptian Army drowning in the Yam Suf from the Venice Haggadah (1609)

The Israelites had been enslaved and mistreated in Egypt for 430 (or 210?) years as we arrive at the Exodus, the event through which we were freed from the Egyptian stranglehold of slavery.

שמות י״ב:מ׳
(מ) וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃
Exodus 12:40
(40) The length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years;
רש"י על שמות י״ב:מ׳
(א) אשר ישבו במצרים. אַחַר שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ גֵּרִים בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא לָהֶם: (ב) שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה. בֵּין הַכֹּל, מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק עַד עַכְשָׁו, הָיוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת, מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע לְאַבְרָהָם נִתְקַיֵּם כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ, וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הָיוּ מִשֶׁנִּגְזְרָה גְזֵרַת בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים עַד שֶׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק; וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְבַדָּהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי קְהָת מִן הַבָּאִים עִם יַעֲקֹב הָיָה, צֵא וַחֲשֹׁב כָּל שְׁנוֹתָיו וְכָל שְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם בְּנוֹ וּשְׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תִמְצָאֵם כָּל כָּךְ, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ הַרְבֵּה שָׁנִים הָיוּ לִקְהָת עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָרַד לְמִצְרַיִם, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁנוֹת עַמְרָם נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת קְהָת, וְהַרְבֵּה מִשְּׁמוֹנִים שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה נִבְלָעִים בִּשְׁנוֹת עַמְרָם, הֲרֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִמְצָא אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת לְבִיאַת מִצְרַיִם, וְהֻזְקַקְתָּה לוֹמַר עַל כָּרְחֲךָ, שֶׁאַף שְׁאָר הַיְשִׁיבוֹת נִקְרְאוּ גֵּרוּת וַאֲפִלּוּ בְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר גָּר שָׁם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק" (בראשית ל"ה), וְאוֹמֵר "אֶת אֶרֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר גָּרוּ בָהּ" (שמות ו'), לְפִיכָךְ אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר "כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ" מִשֶּׁהָיָה לוֹ זֶרַע, וּכְשֶׁתִּמְנֶה ת' שָׁנָה מִשֶּׁנּוֹלַד יִצְחָק, תִּמְצָא מִבִּיאָתָן לְמִצְרַיִם עַד יְצִיאָתָן ר"י, וְזֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁשִּׁנּוּ לְתַלְמַי הַמֶּלֶךְ (מגילה ט'):
Rashi on Exodus 12:40
(1) אשר ישבו במצרים WHO ABODE IN EGYPT after the other settlements (i. e. including those also) which they had made as strangers in a land that was not theirs (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:40). (2) שלשים שנה וארבע מאות שנה FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY YEARS — Altogether from the birth of Isaac until now were 400 years, and we must reckon from that event, for only from the time when Abraham had offspring from Sarah could the prophecy (Genesis 15:13) “Thy offspring shall be a stranger” be fulfilled; and there had been 30 years since that decree made at “the convenant between the parts” until the birth of Isaac. It is impossible to say that this means that they were 430 years in the land of Egypt alone, for Kohath was one of those who came into Egypt with Jacob (Genesis 46:11); go and reckon all his years and all the years of Amram his son and the whole eighty years of Moses, the latter’s son, until the Exodus and you will not find that they total to so many; and you must admit that Kohath had already lived many years before he went down to Egypt, and that many of Amram’s years are included in the years of his father Kohath, and that many of the 80 years of Moses are included in the years of his father Amram, so that you see that you will not find 400 years from the time of Israel’s coming into Egypt until the Exodus. You are compelled to admit, even though unwillingly, that the other settlements which the patriarchs made in lands other than Egypt come also under the name of “sojourning as a stranger” (גרות), including also that at Hebron, even though it was in Canaan itself, because it is said, (Genesis 35:27) “[Hebron] where Abraham and Isaac sojourned”, and it says, (Exodus 6:4) “[the land Canaan], the land of their sojournings wherein they sojourned”. Consequently you must necessarily say that the prophecy, “thy offspring shall be strangers… [four hundred years]” began only from the time when he had offspring. And only if you reckon the 400 years from the birth of Isaac will you find that from the time they came into Egypt until the time they left it, was 210 years (as alluded to in Genesis 15:13). This was one of the passages which they altered for king Ptolemy (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:40; Megillah 9a).

R' Sa'adia ben David al-Dhamārī, Midrash haBe'ur 89a (15th century)1

Why was Israel allowed to borrow gold and silver vessels from the Egyptians? Know that this was given to them in the way of the grant that is given to the Hebrew slave when he is freed [per D'varim 15:13-14], for they were enslaved to them.

Presentation and Layout of the Shirah

In the midst of Parashat Beshalach is a song called Az Yashir (aka Shirat haYam). This song stands out from the surrounding text through the layout of the text blocks comprising it, i.e. it is one of three songs in the TaNaKh written in a special "half-brick over full-brick and full-brick over half-brick" format. The other two are Deborah's Song in Shofetim (Judges) 5 and David's Song of Praise in Shmu'el Beit (2 Samuel) 22.

מגילה ט״ז ב:י״א
אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא, דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי שֵׁילָא אִישׁ כְּפַר תְּמַרְתָּא: כׇּל הַשִּׁירוֹת כּוּלָּן נִכְתָּבוֹת אָרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵינָה וּלְבֵינָה עַל גַּבֵּי אָרִיחַ —
Megillah 16b:11
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said that Rabbi Sheila, a man of the village of Timarta, interpreted a verse homiletically: All of the songs in the Bible are written in the form of a half brick arranged upon a whole brick and a whole brick arranged upon a half brick, i.e., each line of the song is divided into a stitch of text, referred to as a half brick, which is separated by a blank space, referred to as a whole brick, from the concluding stitch of that line of text.

This layout is quite ancient, being seen in every extant copy of Exodus 15, the oldest of which is the 7th century Ashkar-Gilson fragment (below).

The chapter actually contains two songs, but only the first is displayed with the special formatting. In the text presentation below, the Song of Moshe is in blue and the Song of Miriam (his sister) is in pink. The latter is not given the half-brick over full-brick format.

שמות ט״ו

(א) אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר {ס}
אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה {ס}

ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ {ס}

(ב) עָזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה {ס}

זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ {ס}

אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃ {ס}

(ג) יְהֹוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ה יְהֹוָ֖ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃ {ס}

(ד) מַרְכְּבֹ֥ת פַּרְעֹ֛ה וְחֵיל֖וֹ יָרָ֣ה בַיָּ֑ם {ס}

וּמִבְחַ֥ר שָֽׁלִשָׁ֖יו טֻבְּע֥וּ בְיַם־סֽוּף׃ {ס}

(ה) תְּהֹמֹ֖ת יְכַסְיֻ֑מוּ יָרְד֥וּ בִמְצוֹלֹ֖ת כְּמוֹ־אָֽבֶן׃ {ס}

(ו) יְמִֽינְךָ֣ יְהֹוָ֔ה נֶאְדָּרִ֖י בַּכֹּ֑חַ {ס} יְמִֽינְךָ֥ יְהֹוָ֖ה תִּרְעַ֥ץ אוֹיֵֽב׃ {ס} (ז) וּבְרֹ֥ב גְּאוֹנְךָ֖ תַּהֲרֹ֣ס קָמֶ֑יךָ {ס}

תְּשַׁלַּח֙ חֲרֹ֣נְךָ֔ יֹאכְלֵ֖מוֹ כַּקַּֽשׁ׃ {ס}

(ח) וּבְר֤וּחַ אַפֶּ֙יךָ֙ נֶ֣עֶרְמוּ מַ֔יִם {ס}

נִצְּב֥וּ כְמוֹ־נֵ֖ד נֹזְלִ֑ים {ס}

קָֽפְא֥וּ תְהֹמֹ֖ת בְּלֶב־יָֽם׃ {ס}

(ט) אָמַ֥ר אוֹיֵ֛ב אֶרְדֹּ֥ף אַשִּׂ֖יג {ס} אֲחַלֵּ֣ק שָׁלָ֑ל תִּמְלָאֵ֣מוֹ נַפְשִׁ֔י {ס}

אָרִ֣יק חַרְבִּ֔י תּוֹרִישֵׁ֖מוֹ יָדִֽי׃ {ס} (י) נָשַׁ֥פְתָּ בְרוּחֲךָ֖ כִּסָּ֣מוֹ יָ֑ם {ס} צָֽלְלוּ֙ כַּֽעוֹפֶ֔רֶת בְּמַ֖יִם אַדִּירִֽים׃ {ס}

(יא) מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה {ס} מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ {ס} נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃ {ס} (יב) נָטִ֙יתָ֙ יְמִ֣ינְךָ֔ תִּבְלָעֵ֖מוֹ אָֽרֶץ׃ {ס}

(יג) נָחִ֥יתָ בְחַסְדְּךָ֖ עַם־ז֣וּ גָּאָ֑לְתָּ {ס}

נֵהַ֥לְתָּ בְעׇזְּךָ֖ אֶל־נְוֵ֥ה קׇדְשֶֽׁךָ׃ {ס}

(יד) שָֽׁמְע֥וּ עַמִּ֖ים יִרְגָּז֑וּן {ס} חִ֣יל אָחַ֔ז יֹשְׁבֵ֖י פְּלָֽשֶׁת׃ {ס}

(טו) אָ֤ז נִבְהֲלוּ֙ אַלּוּפֵ֣י אֱד֔וֹם {ס}

אֵילֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב יֹֽאחֲזֵ֖מוֹ רָ֑עַד {ס} נָמֹ֕גוּ כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֥י כְנָֽעַן׃ {ס}

(טז) תִּפֹּ֨ל עֲלֵיהֶ֤ם אֵימָ֙תָה֙ וָפַ֔חַד {ס}

בִּגְדֹ֥ל זְרוֹעֲךָ֖ יִדְּמ֣וּ כָּאָ֑בֶן {ס} עַד־יַעֲבֹ֤ר עַמְּךָ֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה {ס} עַֽד־יַעֲבֹ֖ר עַם־ז֥וּ קָנִֽיתָ׃ {ס}

(יז) תְּבִאֵ֗מוֹ וְתִטָּעֵ֙מוֹ֙ בְּהַ֣ר נַחֲלָֽתְךָ֔ {ס}

מָכ֧וֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ פָּעַ֖לְתָּ יְהֹוָ֑ה {ס} מִקְּדָ֕שׁ אֲדֹנָ֖י כּוֹנְנ֥וּ יָדֶֽיךָ׃ {ס} (יח) יְהֹוָ֥ה ׀ יִמְלֹ֖ךְ לְעֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃ {ס} (יט) כִּ֣י בָא֩ ס֨וּס פַּרְעֹ֜ה בְּרִכְבּ֤וֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו֙ בַּיָּ֔ם {ס}

וַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהֹוָ֛ה עֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־מֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם {ס}

וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָלְכ֥וּ בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃ {פ}

(כ) וַתִּקַּח֩ מִרְיָ֨ם הַנְּבִיאָ֜ה אֲח֧וֹת אַהֲרֹ֛ן אֶת־הַתֹּ֖ף בְּיָדָ֑הּ וַתֵּצֶ֤אןָ כׇֽל־הַנָּשִׁים֙ אַחֲרֶ֔יהָ בְּתֻפִּ֖ים וּבִמְחֹלֹֽת׃ (כא) וַתַּ֥עַן לָהֶ֖ם מִרְיָ֑ם שִׁ֤ירוּ לַֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ {ס}

(כב) וַיַּסַּ֨ע מֹשֶׁ֤ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ מִיַּם־ס֔וּף וַיֵּצְא֖וּ אֶל־מִדְבַּר־שׁ֑וּר וַיֵּלְכ֧וּ שְׁלֹֽשֶׁת־יָמִ֛ים בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר וְלֹא־מָ֥צְאוּ מָֽיִם׃ (כג) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ מָרָ֔תָה וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת מַ֙יִם֙ מִמָּרָ֔ה כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָרָֽא־שְׁמָ֖הּ מָרָֽה׃ (כד) וַיִּלֹּ֧נוּ הָעָ֛ם עַל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹ֖ר מַה־נִּשְׁתֶּֽה׃ (כה) וַיִּצְעַ֣ק אֶל־יְהֹוָ֗ה וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ יְהֹוָה֙ עֵ֔ץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וַֽיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם שָׁ֣ם שָׂ֥ם ל֛וֹ חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וְשָׁ֥ם נִסָּֽהוּ׃ (כו) וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כׇּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כׇּֽל־הַמַּחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ {ס}

(כז) וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֵילִ֔מָה וְשָׁ֗ם שְׁתֵּ֥ים עֶשְׂרֵ֛ה עֵינֹ֥ת מַ֖יִם וְשִׁבְעִ֣ים תְּמָרִ֑ים וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָׁ֖ם עַל־הַמָּֽיִם׃

Exodus 15

(1) Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD. They said:
I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously;
Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. (2) The LORD is my strength and might;
He is become my deliverance.
This is my God and I will enshrine Him;
The God of my father, and I will exalt Him. (3) The LORD, the Warrior—
LORD is His name! (4) Pharaoh’s chariots and his army
He has cast into the sea;
And the pick of his officers
Are drowned in the Sea of Reeds. (5) The deeps covered them;
They went down into the depths like a stone. (6) Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
Your right hand, O LORD, shatters the foe! (7) In Your great triumph You break Your opponents;
You send forth Your fury, it consumes them like straw. (8) At the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up,
The floods stood straight like a wall;
The deeps froze in the heart of the sea. (9) The foe said,
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil;
My desire shall have its fill of them.
I will bare my sword—
My hand shall subdue them.” (10) You made Your wind blow, the sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the majestic waters.
(11) Who is like You, O LORD, among the celestials;
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in splendor, working wonders! (12) You put out Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them. (13) In Your love You lead the people You redeemed;
In Your strength You guide them to Your holy abode. (14) The peoples hear, they tremble;
Agony grips the dwellers in Philistia. (15) Now are the clans of Edom dismayed;
The tribes of Moab—trembling grips them;
All the dwellers in Canaan are aghast. (16) Terror and dread descend upon them;
Through the might of Your arm they are still as stone—
Till Your people cross over, O LORD,
Till Your people cross whom You have ransomed.
(17) You will bring them and plant them in Your own mountain,
The place You made to dwell in, O LORD,
The sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands established. (18) The LORD will reign for ever and ever! (19) For the horses of Pharaoh, with his chariots and horsemen, went into the sea; and the LORD turned back on them the waters of the sea; but the Israelites marched on dry ground in the midst of the sea.

(20) Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels. (21) And Miriam chanted for them:
Sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously;
Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea. (22) Then Moses caused Israel to set out from the Sea of Reeds. They went on into the wilderness of Shur; they traveled three days in the wilderness and found no water. (23) They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; that is why it was named Marah. (24) And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” (25) So he cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet.
There He made for them a fixed rule, and there He put them to the test. (26) He said, “If you will heed the LORD your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer.” (27) And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there beside the water.

There are two primary ways in which the "half-brick over full-brick and full-brick over half-brick" layout is accomplished for Shirat haYam, both following a 30-line format. Below is the version preferred by the Rambam, as found in Sifrei Torah of the Yemenite communities and of the Keter Aram Tsova (aka Aleppo Codex). This example comes from the Bologna Torah (late-12th to early-13th century).

Notice the variety of otiyyot meshunot (specially-modified letters), 37 in total, in the above manuscript. These are the remnant of a tradition expounded in a work called Sefer Tagin.2

  • 3 heys have three tagin
  • 1 zayin has one taga
  • 1 chet has 1 taga
  • 2 chets have 3 tagin
  • 1 teyt has 5 tagin
  • 8 khaphs have two tagin
  • 3 khaph-sofits have two tagin
  • 2 mems have 2 tagin
  • 2 mem-sophits have 2 tagin
  • 1 nun has 1 taga
  • 1 peh has 1 taga
  • 1 peh has two tagin
  • 1 peh-sophit has 2 tagin
  • 5 pehs are written lefufah (whirled)
  • 1 tsade has 5 tagin
  • 1 tsade-sophit has 5 tagin
  • 1 qoph has two tagin
  • 1 resh has one taga
  • 1 shin has seven tagin

The first word in line 30 according to the Rambam is את from את מי הים (“waters of the sea”) in Shemot 15:19, as above. This tradition is also followed in almost all medieval Eastern manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible, including Keter Aram Tsova and Codex Leningradensis, as well as in some Sephardic manuscripts from the thirteenth century.

משנה תורה, הלכות תפילין ומזוזה וספר תורה ח׳:ד׳

(ד) וּלְפִי שֶׁרָאִיתִי שִׁבּוּשׁ גָּדוֹל בְּכָל הַסְּפָרִים שֶׁרָאִיתִי בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ. וְכֵן בַּעֲלֵי הַמָּסֹרֶת שֶׁכּוֹתְבִין וּמְחַבְּרִין לְהוֹדִיעַ הַפְּתוּחוֹת וְהַסְּתוּמוֹת נֶחְלָקִים בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת הַסְּפָרִים שֶׁסּוֹמְכִין עֲלֵיהֶם. רָאִיתִי לִכְתֹּב הֵנָּה כָּל פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה הַסְּתוּמוֹת וְהַפְּתוּחוֹת וְצוּרַת הַשִּׁירוֹת כְּדֵי לְתַקֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם כָּל הַסְּפָרִים וּלְהַגִּיהַּ מֵהֶם. וְסֵפֶר שֶׁסָּמַכְנוּ עָלָיו בִּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ הוּא הַסֵּפֶר הַיָּדוּעַ בְּמִצְרַיִם שֶׁהוּא כּוֹלֵל אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים סְפָרִים שֶׁהָיָה בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם מִכַּמָּה שָׁנִים לְהַגִּיהַּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַסְּפָרִים וְעָלָיו הָיוּ הַכּל סוֹמְכִין לְפִי שֶׁהִגִּיהוֹ בֶּן אָשֵׁר וְדִקְדֵּק בּוֹ שָׁנִים הַרְבֵּה וְהִגִּיהוֹ פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֶעְתִּיקוּ וְעָלָיו סָמַכְתִּי בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי כְּהִלְכָתוֹ:
...

שִׁירַת הַיָּם - כּוֹתְבִין אוֹתָהּ בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים שִׁיטוֹת. שִׁיטָה רִאשׁוֹנָה כְּדַרְכָּהּ וּשְׁאָר הַשִּׁיטוֹת אַחַת מַנִּיחִין בְּאֶמְצָעָהּ רֶוַח אֶחָד וְאַחַת מַנִּיחִין הָרֶוַח בִּשְׁנֵי מְקוֹמוֹת בְּאֶמְצָעָהּ עַד שֶׁתִּמָּצֵא הַשִּׁיטָה חֲלוּקָהּ לְשָׁלֹשׁ וְנִמְצָא רֶוַח כְּנֶגֶד הַכְּתָב וּכְתָב כְּנֶגֶד הָרֶוַח: וְזוֹ הִיא צוּרָתָה
(מסיבה טכנית לא הבאנו ב״תורת אמת״ את הצורה ואין להתייחס למופיע כאן)

א'אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַיְיָ׳‎ וַיֹּאמְרוּ

ב'לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַּיְיָ׳‎ כִּי גָאֹה גָּאָה סוּס

ג'וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי

ד'לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי

ה'אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ יְיָ׳‎ אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה יְיָ׳‎

ו'שְׁמוֹ מַרְכְּבֹת פַּרְעֹה וְחֵילוֹ יָרָה בַיָּם וּמִבְחַר

ז'שָׁלִשָׁיו טֻבְּעוּ בְיַם סוּף תְּהֹמֹת יְכַסְיֻמוּ יָרְדוּ בִמְצוֹלֹת כְּמוֹ

ח'אָבֶן יְמִינְךָ יְיָ׳‎ נֶאְדָּרִי בַּכֹּחַ יְמִינְךָ

ט'יְיָ׳‎ תִּרְעַץ אוֹיֵב וּבְרֹב גְּאוֹנְךָ תַּהֲרֹס

י'קָמֶיךָ תְּשַׁלַּח חֲרֹנְךָ יֹאכְלֵמוֹ כַּקַּשׁ וּבְרוּחַ

י''אאַפֶּיךָ נֶעֶרְמוּ מַיִם נִצְּבוּ כְמוֹ נֵד

י''בנֹזְלִים קָפְאוּ תְהֹמֹת בְּלֶב יָם אָמַר

י''גאוֹיֵב אֶרְדֹּף אַשִּׂיג אֲחַלֵּק שָׁלָל תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ

י''דנַפְשִׁי אָרִיק חַרְבִּי תּוֹרִישֵׁמוֹ יָדִי נָשַׁפְתָּ

ט''ובְרוּחֲךָ כִּסָּמוֹ יָם צָלֲלוּ כַּעוֹפֶרֶת בְּמַיִם

ט''זאַדִּירִים מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם יְיָ׳‎ מִי

י''זכָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ נוֹרָא תְהִלֹת עשֵֹׁה

י''חפֶלֶא נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ אָרֶץ נָחִיתָ

י''טבְחַסְדְּךָ עַם זוּ גָּאָלְתָּ נֵהַלְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ אֶל נְוֵה

כ'קָדְשְׁךָ שָׁמְעוּ עַמִּים יִרְגָּזוּן חִיל

כ''אאָחַז ישְׁבֵי פְּלָשֶׁת אָז נִבְהֲלוּ אַלּוּפֵי

כ''באֱדוֹם אֵילֵי מוֹאָב יֹאחֲזֵמוֹ רָעַד נָמֹגוּ

כ''גכּל ישְׁבֵי כְנָעַן תִּפּל עֲלֵיהֶם אֵימָתָה

כ''דוָפַחַד בִּגְדל זְרוֹעֲךָ יִדְּמוּ כָּאָבֶן עַד

כ''היַעֲבֹר עַמְּךָ יְיָ׳‎ עַד יַעֲבֹר עַם זוּ

כ''וקָנִיתָ תְּבִאֵמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ מָכוֹן

כ''זלְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ יְיָ׳‎ מִקְּדָשׁ אֲדֹנָי כּוֹנֲנוּ

כ''חיָדֶיךָ יְיָ׳‎ יִמְלֹךְ לְעלָם וָעֶד כִּי

כ''טבָא סוּס פַּרְעֹה בְּרִכְבּוֹ וּבְפָרָשָׁיו בַּיָּם וַיָּשֶׁב יְיָ׳‎ עֲלֵיהֶם

לאֶת מֵי הַיָּם וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם.
כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ בֵּין בְּשִׁירוֹת בֵּין בִּשְׁאָר הַכְּתָב יִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אוֹת סְמוּכָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ בְּיוֹתֵר וְלֹא תִּדְבַּק בָּהּ וְלֹא תִּתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנָּה כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּתְרָאֶה הַתֵּבָה כִּשְׁתֵּי תֵּבוֹת אֶלָּא יִהְיֶה בֵּין אוֹת לְאוֹת כְּחוּט הַשַּׂעֲרָה. וְאִם הִרְחִיק אוֹת מֵאוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁתֵּרָאֶה הַתֵּבָה כִּשְׁתֵּי תֵּבוֹת לְתִינוֹק שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָגִיל הֲרֵי זֶה פָּסוּל עַד שֶׁיְּתַקֵּן:

Mishneh Torah, Tefillin, Mezuzah and the Torah Scroll 8:4

(4) As in all the scrolls I have seen, I noticed serious incorrectness in these regards, while authorities on the Massorah, who write treatises and compilations with the aim of pointing out the sections that are closed and those that are open, differ according to the variations in the scrolls on which they rely, I deemed it fit to write here a list of the sections which are closed and those which are open, as also the forms in which the Songs of the Pentateuch are written so that all the scrolls may be corrected from, and compared with them. The copy on which I relied is the well-known Egyptian codex which contains the twenty-four books of the Scriptures and which had been in Jerusalem for several years—used as the standard text for the examination of scrolls. Everyone relied upon it because it had been examined by Ben Asher who closely studied it for many years and examined it again whenever it was being copied. This codex was the text on which I relied in the scroll of the Law that I wrote according to the rules.

...

The Song of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-19) is written in thirty lines, the first line in the ordinary way; the other lines, one with a blank space in the middle, the next with blank spaces in two places, so that the line is divided into three parts and so a blank space corresponds to writing (above and below it) and vice versa as follows.
See the Hebrew text [in the facing column] as it should be written in the scroll. The English pages should be blank.
Throughout the Torah, in the Songs as well as in the rest of the text, the scribe should aim to write all the letters of each word close together, taking care that no letter should be joined to another, and that no letter should be so far away from the next as to make the word seem two words. The interval between the letters in one word should be a hairbreadth. If the scribe wrote one letter so far apart from the other that it would appear to a child who is not familiar with the text like two words, the scroll is unfit for use till he makes the correction.

According to Massekhet Soferim, however, the first word of line 30 is מי (“waters”) from את מי הים (“waters of the sea”) in Shemot 15:19.

מסכת סופרים י״ב:י״א

שירת הים שלשים שיטין. אז. לאמר. ורכבו. לישועה. אבי. שמו. שלשיו. אבן. ה׳. קמיך. אפיך. נוזלים. אויב נפשי. ברוחך. אדירים. כמוכה. פלא. בחסדך. קדשיך. אחז. אדום. כל. ופחד. יעבור. קנית. לשבתך. ידיך. בא. מי:

Tractate Soferim 12:11

The Song at the Sea consists of thirty lines [beginning with the words:] ’az, le’mor, werokebo, lishu‘ah, ’abi, shemo, shalishaw, ’aben, the Tetragrammaton, kameka, ’appeka, nozelim, ’oyeb, nafshi, beruṭaka, ’addirim, kamokah, pele’, beḥasdeka, kodsheka, ’aḥaz, ’Edom, kol, wafaḥad, ya‘abor, ḳanitha, leshibteka, yadeka, ba’, më.

Note that the final line has only one space. Rabbi Meir ben Todros haLevy Abulafia opined that the final line should have two spaces, and in all but the Teimani tradition his ruling has come to be the preferred one. The example below demonstrates the more familiar Abulafia format from a 16th century Litvak Sefer Torah.

It can be seen above that the special formatting ends with the conclusion of Moshe's Song in 15:19. Miriam's Song is presented in normal narrative format.

Analysis

Rashi interprets the verb ישיר of Shemot 15:1 as connoting that the song was sung out of a kavanah (intention of the heart) which flooded over Moshe, but Rabbeinu Bachya understands it as being in the prophetic voice, pointing to a future resurrection.

רש"י על שמות ט״ו:א׳
(א) אז ישיר משה. אָז כְּשֶׁרָאָה הַנֵּס עָלָה בְלִבּוֹ שֶׁיָּשִׁיר שִׁירָה. וְכֵן "אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ" (יהושע י'), וְכֵן "וּבַיִת יַעֲשֶׂה לְבַת פַּרְעֹה" (מלכים א ז') – חָשַׁב בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה לָהּ, אַף כָּאן יָשִׁיר אָמַר לוֹ לִבּוֹ שֶׁיָּשִׁיר וְכֵן עָשָׂה – וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר אָשִׁירָה לַה', וְכֵן בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ כְּשֶׁרָאָה הַנֵּס אָמַר לוֹ לִבּוֹ שֶׁיְּדַבֵּר וְכֵן עָשָׂה – "וַיֹּאמֶר לְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (יהושע י'), וְכֵן שִׁירַת הַבְּאֵר, שֶׁפָּתַח בָּהּ אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל, פֵּרֵשׁ אַחֲרָיו "עֲלִי בְאֵר עֱנוּ לָהּ" (במדבר י"א), "אָז יִבְנֶה שְׁלֹמֹה בָּמָה" (מלכים א י"א), פֵּרְשׁוּ בוֹ חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לִבְנוֹת וְלֹא בָנָה, לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁהַיּוֹ"ד עַל שֵׁם הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה נֶאֶמְרָה, זֶהוּ לְיַשֵּׁב פְּשׁוּטוֹ. אֲבָל מִדְרָשׁוֹ אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִ"לִ "מִכָּאן רֶמֶז לִתְחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה" וְכֵן בְּכֻלָּן, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל שְׁלֹמֹה, שֶׁפֵּרְשׁוּהוּ בִּקֵּשׁ לִבְנוֹת וְלֹא בָנָה. וְאֵין לוֹמַר וּלְיַשֵּׁב לָשׁוֹן הַזֶּה כִּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים הַנִּכְתָּבִים בִּלְשׁוֹן עָתִיד וְהֵן מִיָּד, כְּגוֹן "כָּכָה יַעֲשֶׂה אִיּוֹב" (איוב א'), "עַ"פִּ ה' יַחֲנוּ" (במדבר ט'), "וְיֵשׁ אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה הֶעָנָן" (שם), לְפִי שֶׁהֵן דָּבָר הַהוֹוֶה תָמִיד וְנוֹפֵל בּוֹ בֵּין לְשׁוֹן עָתִיד וּבֵין לְשׁוֹן עָבָר, אֲבָל זֶה שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אֶלָּא לְשָׁעָה, אֵינִי יָכוֹל לְיַשְּׁבוֹ בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה: (ב) כי גאה גאה. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ. (דָּ"אַ – בָּא הַכֵּפֶל לוֹמַר שֶׁעָשָׂה דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְבָשָׂר וָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת; כְּשֶׁהוּא נִלְחָם בַּחֲבֵרוֹ וּמִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו, מַפִּילוֹ מִן הַסּוּס, וְכָאן הַסוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם, וְכָל שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲשׂוֹת עַל יְדֵי זוּלָתוֹ נוֹפֵל בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן גֵּאוּת, כְּמוֹ "כִּי גֵאוּת עָשָׂה" (ישעיהו י"ב), וְכֵן כָּל הַשִּׁירָה תִּמְצָא כְפוּלָה, עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה, ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה ה' שְׁמוֹ, וְכֵן כֻּלָּם). דָּבָר אַחֵר – כי גאה גאה, עַל כָּל הַשִּׁירוֹת וְכָל מַה שֶּׁאֲקַלֵּס בּוֹ, עוֹד יֵשׁ בּוֹ תּוֹסֶפֶת, וְלֹא כְמִדַּת מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁמְּקַלְּסִין אוֹתוֹ וְאֵין בּוֹ: (ג) סוס ורכבו. שְׁנֵיהֶם קְשׁוּרִים זֶה בָּזֶה וְהַמַּיִם מַעֲלִין אוֹתָן וְיוֹרְדִין לָעֹמֶק וְאֵינָן נִפְרָדִין (מכילתא): (ד) רמה. הִשְׁלִיךְ, וְכֵן "וּרְמִיו לְגוֹא אַתּוּן נוּרָא" (דניאל ג'). וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה: כָּתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר רָמָה, וְכָתוּב אֶחָד אוֹמֵר יָרָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹלִין לָרוּם וְיוֹרְדִין לַתְּהוֹם, כְּמוֹ "מִי יָרָה אֶבֶן פִּנָּתָהּ" (איוב ל"ח), מִלְמַעְלָה לְמַטָּה:
Rashi on Exodus 15:1

(1) אז ישיר משה THEN SANG MOSES — with regard to the usage of the future ישיר, the meaning is: THEN — i. e. when he saw the miracle it entered his mind that HE WOULD SING a song. Similar is, (Joshua 10:12) “Then Joshua would speak (אז ידבר)”; and similar, (1 Kings 7:8) “and a house he would make (יעשה) for Pharaoh’s daughter”, which signifies “he purposed in his heart that he would make it for her”. So, also, ישיר here signifies: his heart told him that he should sing, and thus did he actually do, as it states, “and they (Moses and Israel) spake as follows, ‘I will sing unto the Lord’”. And in the same way, in the case of Joshua, it means: then (או) — when he saw the miracle mentioned in that narrative — his heart told him (prompted him) to speak, and thus did he actually do, as it is stated, “and he spake before the eyes of all Israel”. The same applies to the Song of the Well (Numbers 21:17) which begins with the words: אז ישיר ישראל, “then would Israel sing”; it expresses the intention quite plainly in the following words, “Come up, O Well — sing ye unto it” (i. e. these words are a call to the people to sing to it after Israel had expressed their intention so to do and are not part of the song itself which begins with the words that follow). With regard to (1 Kings 11:7) אז יבנה שלמה במה our Rabbis explained that He proposed to build a high place for Chemosh but actually did not build it (Sanhedrin 91b). This, too, teaches us that the י as a prefix of the imperfect is used in reference to intention to do a thing. This explanation serves to settle the literal meaning of the text. But so far as its Midrashic explanation is concerned our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: from here (i. e. from the fact that the future tense is used) we may derive an intimation that the tenet of the Resurrection of the Dead is from the Torah (is alluded to, although only by inference, in the Torah) (Sanhedrin 91b). And thus, also, do they explain in the case of all them (all of the examples quoted) except in the case of that referring to Solomon which they explained in the sense that he purposed to build a high place but did not build it. — One cannot say that this can be appropriately explained in the same way as one explains other passages which are written in the future tense, but which really refer to an immediate action (i. e. to a then present time); for example, (Job. 1:5) “Thus was Job doing (יעשה)”; (Numbers 9:18) “At the command of the Lord were they encamping (יחנו)”; (Numbers 9:20) “And there were occasions when the cloud was (יהיה) upon the tabernacle”, because these were each of them something that was continuously happening, and there is proper to it either the future tense or the past tense (cf. Rashi on Genesis 29:3). But this (אז ישיר and other passages quoted) which happened only at the particular moment mentioned (once and once only), one cannot fittingly explain in this sense (i. e. of continuous action). (2) כי גאה גאה FOR HE IS GLORIOUSLY SUBLIME — render this as the Targum does: for He is exalted above all exalted beings and real exaltation (supremity) is His alone. [Another explanation: the repetition of the word is intended to state that He has done something which it is impossible for a human being (lit., flesh and blood) to do. When he (the latter) fights against another and vanquishes him he throws him off the horse, but here — horse and its rider together hath He hurled into the sea. The usage is, that in the case of everything which cannot possibly be done by anyone except Him the appropriate expression to use is a form of the root גאה, as in (Isaiah 12:5), “for He hath done גאות” — gloriously. In the same way you will find that throughout the whole Song the words are repeated: (v. 2) “The strength and vengeance of the Lord have become my help”; (v. 4). “The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is His name” (cf. Rashi’s explanation of this), and this is the case in all the verses]. Another explanation of כי גאה גאה: I will sing unto the Lord although (כי) He is exalted high above all songs and however much I may praise Him there will still remain something additional in Him to be praised (עוד יש בו תוספת — I can never exhaust his praises), and not as is the practice in respect to a human king whom one praises, attributing to him certain virtues whilst these are really not in him (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:1:6). (3) סוס ורכבו THE HORSE AND ITS RIDER — both of them attached one to the other; and the waters lifted them up and then they descended into the depths and yet they did not become separated (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:1:6). (4) רמה means HE HATH CAST. Similar is (Daniel 3:21) “and they were cast (ורמיו) into the midst of the fiery furnace”. And an Agadic explanation is: One verse says רמה, which involves the idea of raising (רום), and another verse (v. 4) says, ירה which implies casting from a height (cf. Rashi on ירה יירה 19:13)! This teaches us that they first went up on high and then went down into the depths (i. e. they were tossed up and down). The meaning of ירה here is the same as in (Job. 38:6) “Who laid (ירה) the corner-stone thereof?” — implying laying from above to below (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 15:1:6).

רבנו בחיי, שמות ט״ו:א׳
(א) אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל. לשון הוה הוא, ואמרו רז"ל שר לא נאמר אלא ישיר מכאן רמז לתחית המתים מן התורה. (ב) ובמדרש אז ישיר משה יש אז לשעבר ויש אז לעתיד, לשעבר (בראשית ד׳:כ״ו) אז הוחל, (שמות ד׳:כ״ו) אז אמרה, אז ישיר משה, (במדבר כ״א:י״ז) אז ישיר ישראל. (יהושע י׳:י״ב) אז ידבר יהושע, (דברי הימים א ט״ו:ב׳) אז אמר דוד, (מלכים א ח׳:י״ב) אז אמר שלמה. ויש לעתיד (ישעיהו ס׳:ה׳) אז תראי ונהרת, (שם נח) אז יבקע כשחר אורך, (שם לה) אז ידלג כאיל, (ירמיהו ל״א:י״ג) אז תשמח בתולה, (תהילים קכ״ו:ב׳) אז ימלא שחוק פינו, אז יאמרו בגוים, הרי אלו עתידין. אמר משה באז קראתי תגר לפני הקב"ה ומאז באתי אל פרעה לדבר בשמך, בלשון שסרחתי אני מקלסו, נקלס ליחיד שהוא למעלה משבעה רקיעים. אמרו ישראל כשנפרע הקב"ה מדורו של אנוש שעלו עליו מי אוקינוס והציף שלישו של עולם, שנאמר (בראשית ד׳:כ״ו) אז הוחל לקרא ואנו שעשה לנו דרך במים ונפרע מן המצריים באז אנו מקלסים אותו, ומה שהזכיר משה ובני ישראל לאמר ללמד כי משה ובני ישראל זכו לומר אותו קלוס בעצמו ואותה שירה שמשבחת המדה הנקראת זאת לה' והיא הכלה שמשבחת את המלך ואומרת שיר השירים אשר לשלמה והבן זה, ובשירת הבאר ארמוז מזה בעז"ה יתברך. (ג) ויאמרו לאמר. כפל האמירה על שם שכפלו לשון השירה כי כל פסוקי השירה וכל עניניה הם כפולים וכן תמצא בהלל מן (תהילים קי״ח:ה׳) מן המצר קראתי יה ענני במרחב יה עד זה היום עשה ה', כל הלשון כפול. והקלוס הכפול רמז לכח לפנים מכח, ועל כן באה השירה בלשון כפול כי הוא קלוס למדת רחמים ולשכינה, אשירה לה' ואח"כ עזי וזמרת יה, ה' שמו ואח"כ ימינך שהוא מדת הדין, מי כמכה באלים ה' ואחר כך מי כמוכה נאדר בקדש שהוא אדיר במעון קדשו בשמים שאין בכל העליונים דומה לכבודו שהוא אדיר במעון קדשו, מכון לשבתך פעלת ה' ואחר כך מקדש ה' אל"ף דל"ת והבן זה. או יאמר ויאמרו לאמר בחתוך שפתים וכן (שמות י״ז:ד׳) ויצעק משה אל ה' לאמר, שצריך המתפלל לחתוך בשפתיו. ומצאתי סיוע לזה ממה שאמרו במדרש ויאמרו לאמר ר' נחמיה אומר רוח הקודש שרתה על ישראל והיו אומרים שירה כבני אדם הקורין את שמע. (ד) וע"ד המדרש ויאמרו התינוקות היונקים לאמור העוברים שבמעי אמן, והוא שדרשו כיצד אמרו ישראל שירה עולל מוטל על כרס אמו ותינוק יונק משדי אמו כיון שראו שכינה עולל הגביה את צוארו ותינוק שמט הדד מפיו ואמרו זה אלי ואנוהו שנאמר (תהילים ח׳:ג׳) מפי עוללים ויונקים וגו', ואפילו עוברין שבמעי אמן אמרו שירה על הים שנאמר (שם סח) במקהלות ברכו אלהים ה' ממקור ישראל. (ה) כי גאה גאה. לפי שאין בכל הבהמות מתגאה כסוס והרוכב מתגאה עליו באר הכתוב כי הקב"ה מתגאה על שניהם. (ו) ובמדרש כי גאה גאה ארבעה גאים הם אריה בחיות שור בבהמות נשר בעופות ואדם על כלן שנאמר (בראשית א׳:כ״ח) ורדו בדגת הים ובעוף השמים וגו', מה עשה הקב"ה נתן דמות כל הגאים הללו בכסא הכבוד שלו, שנאמר (יחזקאל א׳:י׳) ודמות פניהם פני אדם ופני אריה אל הימין לארבעתם ופני שור מהשמאל לארבעתם ופני נשר לארבעתם, אמר הקב"ה הואיל והם מתגאים אני מתגאה עליהם שנאמר כי גאה גאה הרי הוא מתגאה על כל הגאים, ע"כ. וזהו שכתוב (תהילים קי״ג:ד׳) רם על כל גוים ה' קרי ביה גאים וזהו המתגאה על חיות הקודש. (ז) ועוד אמרו במדרש ד"א כי גאה גאה נתגאה על כל המתגאים שכל המתגאים לפניו במה שהם מתגאים נפרע מהם. מצרים ופרעה נתגאו במים ולקו במים. דור המבול נתגאו במים אמרו אין אנו צריכים לטפה של גשמים אלא ואד יעלה מן הארץ נפרע מהם במי המבול שנאמר (בראשית ז׳:י״א) ביום הזה נבקעו כל מעינות תהום רבה תהום עליון ותהום תחתון. אנשי סדום נתגאו בעשרם ברבוי כסף וזהב ובקשו לכלות מהם רגלי עוברי דרכים שלא יצטרכו לתת להם, והקב"ה כלה אותם מן העולם, זש"ה הכתוב (איוב כ״ח:ד׳) פרץ נחל מעם גר, הנשכחים מני רגל דלו מאנוש נעו, וכתיב (שם יב) לפיד בוז לעשתות שאנן נכון למועדי רגל, וכתיב (שם) ישליו אהלים לשודדים ובטוחות למרגיזי אל, וכתיב (יחזקאל ט״ז:מ״ט) הנה זה היה עון סדום אחותך גאון שבעת לחם ושלות השקט היה לה ולבנותיה ויד עני ואביון לא החזיקה. פרעה נתגאה במרכבות שנאמר ויקח שש מאות רכב בחור נפרע ממנו במרכבות שנאמר מרכבות פרעה וחילו וגו'. סיסרא נתגאה ברכבו שנאמר (שופטים ד׳:י״ג) ויזעק סיסרא את כל רכבו נפרע ממנו ברכבו שנאמר (שם ה) הכוכבים ממסלותם נלחמו עם סיסרא. שמשון במה שנתגאה בו נפרע ממנו נתגאה בעיניו שנאמר (שם יד) אותה קח לי כי היא ישרה בעיני, נפרע ממנו בעיניו שנאמר (שם טז) ויאחזוהו פלשתים וינקרו את עיניו. וכשם שחטא בעזה שנאמר (שם) וילך שמשון עזתה וירא שם אשה, כן נפרע ממנו בעזה, שנאמר (שם) ויורידו אותו עזתה ויאסרוהו בנחושתים, אבשלום נשתבח בשערו לקה בשערו. שנאמר (שמואל ב י״ח:ט׳) ויחזק ראשו באלה. סנחריב נתגאה ברכבו שנאמר (ישעיהו ל״ז:כ״ד) ברוב רוכבי אני עליתי מרום הרים ירכתי לבנון, מה כתיב (מלכים ב י״ט:כ״ג) ויצא מלאך ה' ויך במחנה אשור, נבוכדנצר נתגאה ואמר (ישעיהו י״ד:ט״ו) אעלה על במתי עב וגו', מה כתוב (שם) אך אל שאול תורד וגו' אמר לו הקב"ה אתה הפרשת עצמך מבני אדם לעשות עצמך אלוה אני אפריש אותך מבני אדם להיות מדורך עם הבהמות הוא שכתוב (דניאל ד׳:כ״א-כ״ב) ולך טרדין מן אנשא ועם חיות ברא להוה מדורך, לכך כתיב גאה גאה. (ח) סוס ורוכבו רמה בים. שהיו כלם לפניו כסוס אחד ורכב אחד וכה"א (דברים כ׳:א׳) כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך וראית סוס ורכב, כלן לפניו כסוס אחד ורכב אחד. (ט) סוס ורוכבו. הסוס קשור ברוכב והרוכב קשור בסוס ועולים למרום ויורדים לתהום ואין נפרדים זה מזה, לכך נאמר רמה בים כנגד מה שעולים למרום ולכך נאמר ירה בים כנגד מה שיורדים לתהום. ודרשו רז"ל סוס ורוכבו רמה בים היה הרוכב אומר לסוס אתמול הייתי מושכך לנילוס ולא היית בא אחרי ועכשו אתה מושכני לים, והיה הסוס משיבו רמה בים ראה מה בים רומו של עולם אני רואה בים.
Rabbeinu Bahya, Shemot 15:1
(1) אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל, “Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang, etc.” The word ישיר is a present tense. Mechilta (Shirah, section two) points out that the Torah did not write שר which would have been the appropriate past tense. The tense used by the Torah here is proof that the resurrection of the dead in the future is a Biblical promise. (2) The Mechilta also mentions that the word אז is sometimes used in the future tense and sometimes in the past tense. Examples of the word occurring in the past tense are Genesis 4,26, Exodus 4,26, Numbers 21,17, Joshua 10,12 and others. At the same time there are numerous examples of the word אז referring to future events such as in Isaiah 60,5 אז תראי ונהרת, Isaiah 58,8 אז יבקע כשחר אורך, Isaiah 35,6 אז ידלג כאיל and many others. Moses reasoned that since he had used the word אזwhen he had criticised G’d’s apparent indifference to Pharaoh’s additional decrees worsening the condition of the Jewish slaves (Exodus 4,10), it was now up to him to make amends by using the same word in exalting Him. The word אז, i.e. 1+7, is an allusion to the Unique One who reigns supreme above the seven heavens.
According to a Midrash Tanchuma on Genesis 4,26 the Israelites reasoned that seeing that word had been used when G’d punished mankind for the first time collectively when He caused one third of the dry land mass to be inundated in response to the idolatry introduced by the generation of Enosh, it was appropriate to use the same word at a time when G’d’s sovereignty on earth had been demonstrated by means of the water which had been made to retreat even from its own habitat.
The words משה ובני ישראל לאמור, teach that Moses and the Children of Israel had the good fortune to personally use this formula of exalting G’d, i.e. praising the attribute called זאת לה'. This was like the bride who applauds her husband the King and says: שיר השירים אשר לשלמה. [This mystical approach is based on the apparent redundancy otherwise of the extra words את השירה הזאת. Ed.] The author promises to deal with this in greater detail in Numbers 21,19. (3) ויאמרו לאמור, “they said as follows:” the reason the word אמירה is repeated here is to make it parallel the previous duplication of the word שירה. One look at the entire song will convince you that repeating words is the salient feature of the syntax of this entire song. It is impossible not to notice that either the same words are repeated or that the same meanings are expressed in different verbs and adjectives.
We find something similar in Hallel, i.e. the combination of psalms arranged by our sages to be recited on festivals. Examples are: Psalms 118,5 מן המצר קראתי י-ה ענני במרחב י-ה, all the way till verse 24. David repeats himself albeit using different words. The few lines in which David did not repeat himself (from verse 21-24) the sages have ordered us to repeat verbatim in order to maintain the rhythm of the whole chapter. The reason these praises of G’d are repeated altogether is to show that when G’d orchestrated this event there were forces within forces at work. Moses praised both the attribute of Mercy and the attribute of Justice which combined to achieve the results which triggered this whole song of thanksgiving. As an example of the truth of this statement simply look at the words אשירה לה' “I will sing to Hashem” (the attribute of Mercy), followed by עזי וזמרת י-ה, “my strength and might is י-ה,” i.e. the attribute of Justice. When Moses adds in verse three ה' שמו, that His name is Hashem;” there is no dichotomy. Even though on occasion it appears as if two different powers are at work this is not so. Two forces, both part of the same power, are at work. This theme of alternating references to the attribute of Justice on the one hand and the attribute of Mercy on the other recurs again and again such as in verse six where the word ימינך refers to the attribute of Justice whereas the words מי כמוכה באלם ה' are clearly addressed to the attribute of Mercy. In verse seventeen the words עד יעבור עמך ה' are clearly addressed to the attribute of Mercy, i.e. Hashem, whereas the words מקדש א-ד-י-נ clearly speak of the attribute of Justice.
Another approach to the words ויאמרו לאמור: “they enunciated every word clearly.” This would be analogous to Exodus 17,4 ויצעק משה אל ה' לאמור, “Moses cried out to G‘d saying, etc.” What need was there for the word לאמור, seeing surely Moses did not mean for G’d to pass along what he said to anyone else? It meant that he formulated his words very precisely. Similarly, here. The Israelites formulated every word precisely. This verse contains the important lesson that when praying we must formulate every word very clearly so as not to leave room for misunderstanding. I have found support for this in Mechilta Shirah, section one, where Rabbi Nechemyah is quoted as saying that the Holy Spirit rested on all the Children of Israel at that time; This enabled them to recite the שירה as if it were the קריאת שמע which every normal person recites by carefully enunciating every word. (4) A Midrashic approach: the word ויאמרו refers to infants reciting the שירה. The word לאמור is a reference to the unborn children within the wombs of their mothers. This is in line with Sotah 30 where we are told: “how did the Israelites recite the שירה?” Answer; a slightly older infant while he was lying on his mother’s knees; a still younger infant while he was nursing at his mother’s breast. As soon as the infant lying on his mother’s knees became aware of the presence of the Shechinah he raised his neck, whereas the suckling infant let go of his mother’s nipple and both recited: זה אלי ואנוהו, “this is my G’d let me exalt Him.” The Midrash is based on Psalms 8,3 מפי עוללים ויונקים, “from the mouths of infants and sucklings.” Even embryos in the wombs of their mothers said the שירה as we know from Psalms 68,27: “in assemblies bless G’d, the Lord, O you who are the fountain of Israel.” [The words ברכו...ממקור were a call to unborn babies. compare Midrash Tehillim there. Ed.] (5) כי גאה גאה, “for He has triumphed gloriously;” seeing that amongst all the animals none is as arrogant in its posture as the horse, and therefore anyone riding it is even more arrogant, the Torah described here that G’d surpasses both horses and rider in His exalted position. (6) A Midrashic (ancient Tanchuma manuscript) view: of the two words גאה גאה: there are four creatures which are known for their arrogance; the lion amongst the free-roaming beasts; the ox amongst the domestic beasts, the eagle amongst the birds; man surpasses them all in arrogance. The reason for this is that G’d gave man dominion over all the other creatures in the terrestrial universe when He said (Genesis 1,28) “and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things which move on earth.” What did G’d do? He had likenesses of all these four “arrogant” creatures made as part of His throne as we know from Ezekiel I,10: “Each of them had a human face at the front; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left; each of them had the face of an eagle at the back.“ The reason for this was that G’d had said: “seeing these creatures display arrogance and consider themselves as superior I have to demonstrate My superiority to them.” This is why we read here that the Jewish people acknowledged this when they described G’d as superior to all who deem themselves superior. (7) A further comment in Mechilta (Shirah, 2): the words כי גאה גאה are a reminder that anyone who dares act arrogantly in the knowledge that there is a G’d who is superior to him will be punished. A number of examples are listed there. 1) The Egyptians expressed their arrogance by boasting of their unfailing water supply, the river Nile. Hence G’d punished them through water. The generation of the deluge boasted that they did not need rain (a symbol of blessing from heaven) as they depended on the mist rising from the earth (compare Genesis 2,6). As a result of this boast G’d punished them by water (40 days unceasing rain, plus the opening of subterranean sources of water gushing forth, Genesis 7,11). The people of Sodom, etc., boasted of their wealth and the gold and silver they had amassed. They were so arrogant that they legislated against anyone staying in their cities overnight so that they should not have to share their wealth with any traveler. As a result of this insufferable behavior G’d wiped out both them and their belongings. This is the meaning of Job 28,4: “they open up a shaft far from where men live, in places forgotten by wayfarers, destitute of men, far removed.” We also read in Job 12,5: ”in the thought of the complacent; there is contempt for calamity; it is ready for those whose foot slips.” Ezekiel 16,49 describes the sin of the people of Sodom in the following words: “only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquillity; yet she did not support the poor and the needy.” Pharaoh boasted of the might of his chariots as we read in 13,14: “he took 600 choice chariots.” As a result of his reliance and boast of the invincibility of these chariots, G’d punished him by means of these very chariots as we read in 15,4. Siserah also was proud of his iron chariots (horse-drawn tanks), as reported in Judges 4,13. G’d punished him by means of these chariots as we know from Judges 5,20. Samson who had boasted of getting what was “good in his eyes,” was punished by being deprived of his eyesight (Judges 14,3 and 16,1). He had committed a sin at Azzah by sleeping with a harlot (Judges 16,1). He was taken prisoner at Azzah and humbled (Judges 16,21). Avshalom used to boast of his hair only to be eventually caught by it which led to his violent death (Samuel II 18,9). Sancheriv, King of Assyria used to boast of his chariots (Isaiah 37,24). In the end G’d sent an angel to destroy his entire military encampment (Kings II 19,35). Nebuchadnezzar had also boasted saying that he would ascend to the clouds and match the Most High (Isaiah 14,14). G’d dealt with him by consigning him to the deepest part of gehinom (Isaiah 14,15). He said to him: “you elevated yourself above mankind, I will separate you from mankind by placing you far below” (Compare Daniel 4,22). The Torah wrote in our verse גאה גאה to teach us this lesson. (8) סוס ורוכבו רמה בים, “He flung horse and its rider into the sea.” The Torah describes them all in the singular as in G’d’s eyes they were no more of a challenge to Him than a single horse and rider. We find this thought repeated in Deut. 20,1 where the Torah speaks about Israel going to war against its enemies. The Israelites are not to be afraid of the enemy’s cavalry any more than they would be of a single horse and its rider. (9) The expression סוס ורוכבו, “horse and its rider,” describes the inseparable relationship between the warrior and his steed. Keeping this in mind, Moses said of G’d: רמה בים, “He flung them upwards into the sea,” to portray that their making war had been an act of rebellion against G’d who is high up in heaven. This is also why the Torah says: ירה בים, “He poured out into the sea,” (verse 4) to reflect that “what goes up must come down again,” i.e. that the arrogance of the Egyptians was suitably rewarded. Shemot Rabbah, 23,14 quotes the rider as saying to his horse: “yesterday I dragged you towards the river Nile but you did not follow me; now you are dragging me towards the sea?” The horse answered its rider: רמה בים, i.e. ראה מה בים, “I can see the Supreme One (G’d) in the sea.”

Following the song is a brief closing to the chapter comprised of Miriam's song and a prosaic paragraph.

שמות ט״ו:כ״ו
(כו) וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כׇּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כׇּֽל־הַמַּחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ {ס}
Exodus 15:26

(26) He said, “If you will heed the LORD your God diligently, doing what is upright in His sight, giving ear to His commandments and keeping all His laws, then I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians, for I the LORD am your healer.”

Rabbi Yossi haGalili comments: "I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians (Shemot 15:26), so the more the Egyptians are smitten, the less the Jews have to fear."3 We are warned, however, not to revel in their smiting.

משנה אבות ד׳:י״ט

(יט) שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אוֹמֵר, (משלי כד) בִּנְפֹל אוֹיִבְךָ אַל תִּשְׂמָח וּבִכָּשְׁלוֹ אַל יָגֵל לִבֶּךָ, פֶּן יִרְאֶה ה' וְרַע בְּעֵינָיו וְהֵשִׁיב מֵעָלָיו אַפּוֹ:

Pirkei Avot 4:19

(19) Shmuel Hakatan said: “If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and avert his wrath from him [to you]” (Proverbs 24:17).

משלי כ״ד:י״ז-י״ח
(יז) בִּנְפֹ֣ל (אויביך) [א֭וֹיִבְךָ] אַל־תִּשְׂמָ֑ח וּ֝בִכָּשְׁל֗וֹ אַל־יָגֵ֥ל לִבֶּֽךָ׃ (יח) פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה וְרַ֣ע בְּעֵינָ֑יו וְהֵשִׁ֖יב מֵעָלָ֣יו אַפּֽוֹ׃
Proverbs 24:17-18
(17) If your enemy falls, do not exult;
If he trips, let your heart not rejoice, (18) Lest the LORD see it and be displeased,
And avert His wrath from him.

Midrash on Hashem's Response: "The Egyptians were My children too"

אגדות היהודים ג׳:א׳:ס״ג-ס״ד
...
Legends of the Jews 3:1:63-64

(63) But even after the men had completed their song, it was not yet given to the angels to raise their voices, for after the men followed the women of Israel, and only then came the turn of the angels. Then they began to murmur, and said, "Is it not enough that the men have preceded us? Shall the women come before us also?" But God replied, "As surely as ye live, so it is."

(64) At first Israel requested their leader Moses to begin the song, but he declined, saying, "No, ye shall begin it, for it is a greater mark of honor to be praised by the multitude than by a single one." At once the people sang: "We will glorify the Eternal, for He has shown us signs and tokens. When the Egyptians passed the decree against us, and said, 'Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river,' our mothers went into the field, and Thou didst bid a sleep to fall upon them, and they bore us without any pain; and the angels descended from Heaven, washed and anointed us, and robed us in many-colored silken garments, and placed in our hands two lumps, one of butter and one of honey. When our mothers awoke and saw us washed, anointed, and clothed in silk, then they praised Thee, and said, 'Praise be God who has not turned His grace and His lasting love from the seed of our father Abraham; and now behold! they are in Thy hand, do with them as Thou wilt.' And they departed. When the Egyptians saw us, they approached to kill us, but Thou in Thy great mercy didst bid the earth swallow us and set us in another place, where we were not seen by the Egyptians, and lo! in this way didst Thou save us from their hand. When we grew up, we wandered in troops to Egypt, where each recognized his parents and his family. All this hast Thou done for us, therefore will we sing of Thee."

אגדות היהודים ג׳:א׳:ע״א
...
Legends of the Jews 3:1:71

(71) After the men had completed the song, the women under the guidance of Miriam sang the same song to the accompaniment of music and dancing. The Israelites had had perfect faith, that God would perform for them miracles and deeds of glory, hence they had provided themselves with timbrels and with flutes, that they might have them at hand to glorify the anticipated miracles. Then Miriam said to the women, "Let us sing unto the Lord, for strength and sublimity are His; He lords it over the lordly, and He resents presumption. He hurled Pharaoh's horses and chariots into the sea, and drowned them, because wicked Pharaoh in his presumption pursued God's people, Israel."

תנחומא בובר, בשלח י״ג:ג׳

(ג) ד"א אז ישיר, בשעה שהיו ישראל חונים על הים באו מלאכי השרת לקלס להקב"ה, ולא הניחן הקב"ה, שנאמר ולא קרב זה אל זה וגו' (שם יד כ), ואומר וקרא זה אל זה (ישעי' ו ג), למי היו דומין, למלך שנשבה בנו, לבש נקמה באויביו והלך להביא אותו. ובאו הבריות לומר לו אימנון, אמר להן לכשאני פודה את בני אתם מקלסין אותי, כך ישראל היו נתונים בצרה בים, באו מלאכי השרת לקלס להקב"ה נזף בהם, אמר להם הקב"ה בניי נתונים בצרה, ואתם מקלסין לפני.

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Beshalach 13:3

(3) Another interpretation (of Exod. 15:1): THEN SANG. When Israel was camping by the sea, the ministering angels came to praise the Holy One, but the Holy One did not give them permission, as stated (in Exod. 14:20): AND THE ONE DID NOT COME NEAR THE OTHER…. It also says (in Is. 6:3): AND ONE CRIED UNTO THE OTHER. To whom are they comparable? To a king whose son was taken prisoner. He clothed himself in vindictiveness against his enemies. When he went to bring him <back>, the people came to utter a hymn for him. He said to them: When I have redeemed my son, <then> you will praise me. Similarly Israel was put in distress by the sea. The ministering angels came to praise him. He rebuked them. The Holy One said to them: When my children are put in distress, would you offer me praise?

מגילה י׳ ב:כ״ו
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כׇּל הַלָּיְלָה״ — בִּקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לוֹמַר שִׁירָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם, וְאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה?
Megillah 10b:26
And similarly, Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And the one came not near the other all the night” (Exodus 14:20)? The ministering angels wanted to sing their song, for the angels would sing songs to each other, as it states: “And they called out to each other and said” (Isaiah 6:3), but the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: The work of My hands, the Egyptians, are drowning at sea, and you wish to say songs? This indicates that God does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked.
סנהדרין ל״ט ב:ה׳
דאמר ר' שמואל בר נחמן אמר ר' יונתן מאי דכתיב (שמות יד, כ) ולא קרב זה אל זה כל הלילה באותה שעה בקשו מלאכי השרת לומר שירה לפני הקב"ה אמר להן הקב"ה מעשה ידי טובעין בים ואתם אומרים שירה לפני
Sanhedrin 39b:5

The Gemara comments: As Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says that Rabbi Yonatan says: What is the meaning of that which is written in the passage describing the splitting of the Red Sea: “And the one came not near the other all the night” (Exodus 14:20)? At that time the ministering angels desired to recite a song before the Holy One, Blessed be He. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: My handiwork, i.e., the Egyptians, are drowning in the sea, and you are reciting a song before Me? Apparently, God is not gladdened by the downfall of the wicked.

Liturgical Usage

The Shirat haYam enjoys a very special status in Judaism. It is said to be the first song ever song in human history.

שמות רבה כ״ג:ד׳

(ד) דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (משלי לא, כו): פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ, מִיּוֹם שֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת הָעוֹלָם וְעַד שֶׁעָמְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַיָּם לֹא מָצִינוּ אָדָם שֶׁאָמַר שִׁירָה לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּרָא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא אָמַר שִׁירָה, הִצִּיל אַבְרָהָם מִכִּבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ וּמִן הַמְּלָכִים וְלֹא אָמַר שִׁירָה, וְכֵן יִצְחָק מִן הַמַּאֲכֶלֶת וְלֹא אָמַר שִׁירָה, וְכֵן יַעֲקֹב מִן הַמַּלְאָךְ וּמִן עֵשָׂו וּמִן אַנְשֵׁי שְׁכֶם וְלֹא אָמַר שִׁירָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיָּם וְנִקְרַע לָהֶם, מִיָּד אָמְרוּ שִׁירָה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱוֵי: פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְאֵלּוּ הָיִיתִי מְצַפֶּה, וְאֵין אָז אֶלָּא שִׂמְחָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכו, ב): אָז יִמָּלֵא שְׂחוֹק פִּינוּ, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן פַּזִּי, מָה רָאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹמַר שִׁירָה בְּאָז, אֶלָּא אָמְרוּ מִתְּחִלָּה הָיָה הַיָּם הַזֶּה יַבָּשָׁה, וְעָמְדוּ דּוֹרוֹ שֶׁל אֱנוֹשׁ וְהִכְעִיסוּ לְפָנָיו בְּאָז, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ד, כו): אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְּשֵׁם ה', וַעֲשָׂאוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָם וּפָרַע מֵהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ה, ח) (עמוס ט, ו): הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם וַיִּשְׁפְּכֵם עַל פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ, וְעַכְשָׁיו יָם הָיָה, וְנַעֲשָׂה לָנוּ יַבָּשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יד, כט): וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, נְקַלְּסֶנוּ בְּאָז, שֶׁהָפַךְ לָנוּ יָם לְיַבָּשָׁה. הֱוֵי: אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאֵין אָז אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בִּטָּחוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ג, כג): אָז תֵּלֵךְ לָבֶטַח דַּרְכֶּךָ.

Shemot Rabbah 23:4

(4) From the day that God created the world until Israel stood by the sea, there was not a single person who said a song to God except for Israel. God created the first man and he didn't say a song. God saved Abraham from the fiery furnace and from the kings and he did not say a song. And also Isaac [was saved] from the knife and he didn't say a song and Jacob [was saved] from the angel and from Esau and from the men of Shechem and he didn't say a song. When Israel came to the sea and it parted for them, they immediately said a song before God, as its says Then Moses and the people of Israel sang.

תוספתא סוטה ו׳:א׳

(א) דרש ר"ע בשעה שעלו ישראל מן הים בקשו לומר שירה שרתה עליהן רוח הקודש ואמרו שירה כיצד אמרו שירה כגדול [שמקרא] את ההלל בבית הכנסת [ועונין] אחריו על כל ענין משה אמר (שמות טו) אשירה לה' [וישראל אמרו] אשירה לה' משה אמר עזי וזמרת יה [וישראל אמרו] אשירה לה' משה אמר ה' איש מלחמה וגו' [וישראל] אמרו אשירה לה' ר' אליעזר בנו של ר' יוסי הגלילי אומר כקטן שקורא את ההלל בבית [הסופר] ועונין אחריו על כל דבר ודבר משה אמר אשירה לה' וישראל אמרו אשירה לה' משה אמר עזי וזמרת יה וישראל אמרו עזי וזמרת יה משה אמר ה' איש מלחמה וגו' ר' נחמיה אומר [כבני אדם שקורין] שמע בבית הכנסת שנאמר אז ישיר משה וגו' שאין ת"ל לאמר [ולמה נאמר] מלמד שהיה משה פותח בדבר [תחלה] וישראל עונין אחריו וגומרין עמו משה אמר אז ישיר וישראל אמרו אשירה לה' כי גאה גאה [וגו'] משה אמר עזי וזמרת יה וישראל אמרו זה אלי ואנוהו משה אמר ה' איש מלחמה וישראל אמרו ה' שמו ר' יוסי הגלילי אומר כיון שעלו ישראל מן הים וראו את אויביהם פגרים מתים ומוטלין על שפת הים אמרו כולם שירה עולל מוטל בין ברכי אמו.

Tosefta Sotah 6:1

(1) Rabbi Akiva explained: At the moment when Israel rose from the Sea they wanted to sing a song. The Holy Spirit rested upon them and they said a song. How did they say the song? Like and adult who leads Hallel in a synagogue and everybody responds each time. Moses said 'I will sing to God' and Israel said "I will sing to God." Moses said "God is my strength and my song" and Israel said, "I will sing to God." Moses said, "God is a man of war" and Israel said "I will sing to God." Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosi HaGlili said it's like a kid leading Hallel at school and everybody repeats each thing after him. Moses said "I will sing to God and Israel said "I will sing to God." Moses said "God is my strength and my song" and Israel said, "God is my strength and my song" etc. Nehemiah said: It's like how people say Shema at synagogue. Moses would start saying something and Israel would respond and finish what he was saying. Moses said "Then Moses sang" and Israel said "I will sing to God." Moses said "God is my strength and song" and Israel said "This is my God and I will glorify Him." Rabbi Yosi the HaGlili said "When Israel came up from the sea and saw their enemies lying dead on the shore, they all burst into song--even a child on his mother's lap and a baby breast feeding.

שמות רבה כ״ג:א׳

(א) אָז יָשִׁיר משֶׁה, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (תהלים צג, ב): נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֵּעוֹלָם אָתָּה, לֹא נִתְיַשֵּׁב כִּסְאֲךָ וְלֹא נוֹדַעְתָּ בְּעוֹלָמְךָ עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ בָּנֶיךָ שִׁירָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז, מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה מִלְחָמָה וְנָצַח, וְעָשׂוּ אוֹתוֹ אָגוּסְטוּס, אָמְרוּ לוֹ עַד שֶׁלֹא עָשִׂיתָ הַמִּלְחָמָה הָיִיתָ מֶלֶךְ, עַכְשָׁיו עֲשִׂינוּךָ אָגוּסְטוּס. מַה יֵּשׁ כָּבוֹד בֵּין הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאָגוּסְטוּס, אֶלָּא, הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹמֵד עַל הַלּוּחַ וְאָגוּסְטוּס יוֹשֵׁב. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, בֶּאֱמֶת עַד שֶׁלֹא בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ הָיִיתָ אַתָּה, מִשֶּׁבָּרָאתָ אוֹתוֹ אַתָּה הוּא, אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל עוֹמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (חבקוק ג, ו): עָמַד וַיְמֹדֶד אֶרֶץ, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁעָמַדְתָּ בַּיָּם וְאָמַרְנוּ שִׁירָה לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאָז, נִתְיַישְׁבָה מַלְכוּתְךָ וְכִסְאֲךָ נָכוֹן, הֱוֵי נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז, בְּאָז יָשִׁיר.

Shemot Rabbah 23:1

(1) THEN MOSHE SANG [Az yashir Moshe] (Ex. 15:1). This is what is meant when it says (Ps. 93:2), "Your throne is established from of old" [Nachon kis'acha me'az]. R' B'rechya said in the name of R' Abbahu, "Even though You have existed for ever, Your throne was not established, and You were not known in Your world, until Your children sang a song.

A portion of the song is recited daily in our shacharit (morning) prayers, i.e. the mi kamoekha section (Shemot 15:11).

שמות ט״ו:י״א
(יא) מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה {ס} מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ {ס} נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא׃ {ס}
Exodus 15:11
(11) Who is like You, O LORD, among the celestials;
Who is like You, majestic in holiness,
Awesome in splendor, working wonders!
סידור ספרד, שחרית של שבת, ק"ש וברכותיה כ״ט-ל״ג

(כט) ... מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְךָ עָנוּ שִׁירָה בְשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה, וְאָמְרוּ כֻלָּם:

(ל) מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִים | יְהֹוָה, מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ, נוֹרָא תְהִלֹּת עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא.

(לא) שִׁירָה חֲדָשָׁה שִׁבְּחוּ גְאוּלִים לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם, יַחַד כֻּלָּם הוֹדוּ וְהִמְלִיכוּ וְאָמְרוּ:

(לב) יְהֹוָה יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד.

(לג) צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל קוּמָה בְּעֶזְרַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וּפְדֵה כִנְאֻמֶךָ יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְנֶאֱמַר: גֹּאֲלֵנוּ יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה גָּאַל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Siddur Sefard, Shabbat Morning Services, Shema & Blessings 29-33

(29) ... Moses and the Children of Israel sang a song to You with great joy, and they all proclaimed:

(30) “Who is like You among the mighty, Adonoy! Who is like You— [You are] adorned in holiness, awesome in praise, performing wonders!”

(31) With a new song the redeemed people praised Your great Name at the seashore! All of them in unison gave thanks and proclaimed Your sovereignty, and said:

(32) “Adonoy will reign forever and ever.”

(33) Rock of Israel, arise to the aid of Israel, and liberate Judah and Israel as You promised. Our Redeemer— ‘Adonoy of hosts' is His Name, the Holy One of Israel Blessed are You, Adonoy, Who redeemed Israel.

The following is a musical rendition of the Az Ashira Moshe as performed by Moroccan Rabbi Hillel Hayyim Lavery-Yisraeli.

Notes

  1. Translated by Yitzchak Tzvi Langermann in Yementie Midrash: Philosophical Commentaries on the Torah - An Anthology of Writings from the Golden Age of Judaism in the Yemen (San Francisco, Calif.: Harper Collins, 1996), 104.
  2. In the whole of the Torah, there are 1960 such modified letters, delineated in Brian Tice, Sefer Tagin: An Ancient Sofer Manual (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Yiddishkeit 101, 2021); see also Menachem Mendel Kasher, Torah Sh'leimah, vol. 29 (1938).
  3. Heinrich Guggenheimer, The Scholar's Haggadah: Ashkenazic, Sephardic, and Oriental Versions (Northvale, N.J.: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1998; orig. 1995), 307.