The goal of this Shiur is to get some perspective on what Jewish sources say about שירה. Song and lyrical poetry are often talked about in a very abstract way, yet it is such a big part of religious life. I decided to compile sources to see if the Mefarshim had more concrete views on the nature of שירה (they do).
This Shiur will move outwards, beginning with this week's Torah reading. We will ask questions like 1) what causes a person to sing, and a nation to sing at the Yam Suf? 2) why do we connect specific Parshiot and Haftorot of שירה to each other? 3) does שירה have a special power and place in Judaism? 4) can the whole Torah be thought of as one big song? and lastly, 5) how does שירה help transmit Mesorah down to the next generation?
This source sheet is quite long so if there is a specific part that appeals to you, feel free to skip to it.
I. The Mechanics of שירה in the context of today's readings: When do we sing and when don't we?
I have taken classes in school on statistical regression models; You have data and create a line of best fit that attempts to decipher patterns from those data points. I think it is useful to think of שירה in this context: When do we sing and when don't we? There are many miracles in Tanach that Hashem performs for our ancestors, yet there are only a few instances when we break out into song. How could we explain these differences? What characteristics unite the episodes where Singing = Yes (to put things extremely crudely)?
1. Pshat similarities between
I think the best thing to do here is to look at the relevant Perakim themselves. There are many repeated themes.
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
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 firey furnace and from the kings and he didn't 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 sang and the people of Israel.
Netivot Shalom. Is it really true that the Avot did not say Shirah? Types of songs: Of the heart, mind, and literally in the body or limbs. Pasuk from Nishmat “Kol Atzmotay Tomarna” that even our bones which are the thickest physicality scream out who is like you God. That is what distinguishes this song at the Sea of Reeds from earlier songs (which the Avot, Adam, and of course, others sang) because here, the lowliest parts of ourselves sang Shira. What caused it is them being saved from the hardship of Egpyt and seeing the salvation of finally being freed. To see the complete orchestration of God in all of the Galut and slavery how it was all for now.
אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל את השירה הזאת ליהוה ויאמרו לאמר (שמות טו, א). יש להבין דהא עיקר השמחה הוא בלב ואם כן מה צורך לדבר ולשיר בעת השמחה. והענין הוא, דהשמחה שבלב היתה נפסקת לשעה או ליותר אבל כשהאדם מדבר דיבורים בעת שמחתו השמחה מתפעלת ונתרבה יותר ויותר. ולכן עם בני ישראל כשנקרע הים לפניהם רצו להרבות השמחה ולהשתעשע עם בוראם ושלא להפסיק על כן נכנסו לגדר הדיבור ושוררו לו בני אלים בכדי להרבות התענוג.
Exodus 15,1.“then Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song and they said: saying;” first we must understand that the essence of joy is what a person feels in his heart; seeing that this is so, what need is there to express these feelings in speech and song or poetry at the time of his joy?The reason is that joy in one’s heart, unless formulated in word and song is bound to subside and cease altogether in short order. By giving verbal expression to one’s joy and composing a song and writing poetry one prolongs and intensifies this feeling of joy. The Israelites were aware of this psychological axiom, and this is why they yearned to give proper expression to their joy. They yearned to share their joy with the Creator, Who had been the architect enabling them to harbour such joyous feelings in their breasts.
Emek Bracha when is there an obligation to sing to Hashem in his piece on Hallel Al Hanes. He says that you need two things: Tovos Hashem and Gevuros Hashem - in addition to the goodness of God that you feel for saving you there needs to be an objective element for the amazing miracles by God that are testaments to the world.
Kedushat Levi cited by Biur Chasidut on Yehoshua 3 asks why they say Shira by Kriyat Yam Suf but not when the same miracle happened at the Jordan. One of the answers is that in Egypt they were saved from certain death by the hands of the Mitzrim whereas here only a miracle was performed but they were not in any danger. Miracles may merit a Bracha (the last Perek of Mishnah Brachot to say a Bracha any place a miracle for the Jews was done) but only salvation. (Similar to the last point.)
את השירה הזאת, וכי שירה אחת היא, והלא עשר שירות הן, הראשונה שנאמרה במצרים, שנאמר השיר הזה יהיה לכם כליל התקדש חג וגו', ... כי השירות כלן קרואות בלשון נקבה, כשם שהנקבה יולדת כך התשועות שעברו היו אחריהם שעבוד, אבל התשועה העתידה להיות אין אחריה שעבוד, לכך קראוה בלשון זכר... (מכילתא: בשלח-שירה פרשה א)
Connections Between Shirat Hayam and Devorah:
אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה לֹא כָּךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה אֶלָּא זֶה אוֹמֵר אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם וְזֶה אוֹמֵר אֵין אֲנִי יוֹרֵד תְּחִילָּה לַיָּם קָפַץ נַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עַמִּינָדָב וְיָרַד לַיָּם תְּחִילָּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר סְבָבֻנִי בְכַחַשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וּבְמִרְמָה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה עֹד רָד עִם אֵל
Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Meir: That is not how the incident took place. Rather, this tribe said: I am not going into the sea first, and that tribe said: I am not going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the prince of Judah, Nahshon ben Amminadab, and descended into the sea first, accompanied by his entire tribe, as it is stated: “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is yet wayward toward God [rad im El]” (Hosea 12:1), which is interpreted homiletically as: And Judah descended [rad] with God [im El].
How The Canaanites Brought The Israelites Under Slavery For Twenty Years; After Which They Were Delivered By Barak And Deborah, Who Ruled Over Them For Forty Years.
... So the battle began; and when they were come to a close fight, there came down from heaven a great storm, with a vast quantity of rain and hail, and the wind blew the rain in the face of the Canaanites, and so darkened their eyes, that their arrows and slings were of no advantage to them, nor would the coldness of the air permit the soldiers to make use of their swords; while this storm did not so much incommode the Israelites, because it came in their backs. They also took such courage, upon the apprehension that God was assisting them, that they fell upon the very midst of their enemies, and slew a great number of them; so that some of them fell by the Israelites, some fell by their own horses, which were put into disorder, and not a few were killed by their own chariots ...
The Kedushat Levi on Song and Personal Elevation
הים ראה וינוס הירדן יסוב לאחור כו'. (תהלים קיד, ג) להבין שינוי הלשון למה בים נאמר וינוס ובירדן יסוב לאחור. יש לבאר הטעם למה בים אמרו שירה ובירדן לא אמרו שירה. אמנם הנה הענין מובן, כי יש ב' בחינות בעבודת האדם. בחינה א', שעובד את יהוה מרוב התבוננותו והסתכלותו בגדולת הבורא ברוך הוא ... ובחינת הב', הוא בחינת יראה עילאה, היינו שמסתכל על רוממות עצמות יהוה שהוא אין סוף פשוט בתכלית הפשיטות ולית מחשבה תפיסא ביה והוא תמיד דבוק ומקושר בעצמות הבורא ברוך הוא ... והוא על דרך משל, ב' עבדים ושרים של מלך שאחד רחוק מהמלך ואינו רואה פני המלך ואף על פי כן הוא עובד את המלך מפני שיודע את גדולת המלך ... ועבד הב', הוא עובד את המלך, כי הוא תמיד לפניו ורואה עצמות המלך ולכן הוא בביטול במציאות ובהעדר הרגשת עצמותו ... ומזה הטעם נאמר בירדן תסוב לאחור (תהלים קיד, ג) דהיינו בבחינת ירידה ולא בחינת עליה, מה שאין כן הים שנתעלה לפני עצמות הבורא ברוך הוא לכן אמרו שירה בים כי גאה גאה, היינו שנתעלה למעלה מעלה בבחינת עליה גדולה ועצומה לפני עצמות הבורא ברוך הוא והבן:
The Kedushat Levi asks two questions here and weaves them together; Why do we say in Hallel that the Joran river was "scared and fled" and why did we not sing when crossing the Joran when entering Israel? Seemingly, crossing the Sea of Reads and the Jordan were two similar miracles where God. He distinguishes between two types of service or יִראָה: One that is distant, intellectual, and self-effacing while the other is familiar and self-empowering. The first is like a lowly servant in the King's household who rarely sees the King, yet serves him out of fear of the monarch's great station and his lowly state in comparison. The second servant has daily contact with the king and serves him because he always sees the greatness of the king and is connected to his will. Moshe (the prophet who spoke to God "face to face") was able to bring about this second kind of recognition of God which is why he was able to lead us in song at the Yam Suf.
II. The Function of שירה More broadly in Tanach
a) Rabbi David Silber on Shirah as transition markers in Tanach and Partnership with Hashem
- Though I was unable to get the original text of Rabbi Silber's comment, the essential idea is that each song comes at the end of a period of Jewish History. Shirat Hayam follows our slavery in Egypt, Shirat Ha'be'er (of the well) and Ha'azinu after our wanderings in the Dessert, and Shirat Devorah when we have finally conquered the land of Israel. This idea that song marks culmination is one we have seen from the Netivot Shalom. Here, Rabbi Silber says that the songs also track man's transition from being passive characters in Hashem's miracles to people who God calls on to act with him - to the point we are blamed if we don't. This reading fits in with the idea that miracles ceased when the Jews entered Israel and had to subsist naturally. Try to see this pattern in the Pesukim I have provided.
עׇזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃
יְהֹוָ֖ה אִ֣ישׁ מִלְחָמָ֑ה יְהֹוָ֖ה שְׁמֽוֹ׃
וּמִשָּׁ֖ם בְּאֵ֑רָה הִ֣וא הַבְּאֵ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ לְמֹשֶׁ֔ה אֱסֹף֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם וְאֶתְּנָ֥ה לָהֶ֖ם מָֽיִם׃ {ס}
אָ֚ז יָשִׁ֣יר יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את עֲלִ֥י בְאֵ֖ר עֱנוּ־לָֽהּ׃
בְּאֵ֞ר חֲפָר֣וּהָ שָׂרִ֗ים כָּר֙וּהָ֙ נְדִיבֵ֣י הָעָ֔ם בִּמְחֹקֵ֖ק בְּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָ֑ם וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר מַתָּנָֽה׃
And from there to Beer, which is the well where יהוה said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.”
Then Israel sang this song:Spring up, O well—sing to it—
The well which the chieftains dug,Which the nobles of the people startedWith maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah,
(2) בִּפְרֹ֤עַ פְּרָעוֹת֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּהִתְנַדֵּ֖ב עָ֑ם בָּֽרְכ֖וּ יהוה׃ ...
(16) לָ֣מָּה יָשַׁ֗בְתָּ בֵּ֚ין הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתַ֔יִם לִשְׁמֹ֖עַ שְׁרִק֣וֹת עֲדָרִ֑ים לִפְלַגּ֣וֹת רְאוּבֵ֔ן גְּדוֹלִ֖ים חִקְרֵי־לֵֽב׃
(17) גִּלְעָ֗ד בְּעֵ֤בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ שָׁכֵ֔ן וְדָ֕ן לָ֥מָּה יָג֖וּר אֳנִיּ֑וֹת אָשֵׁ֗ר יָשַׁב֙ לְח֣וֹף יַמִּ֔ים וְעַ֥ל מִפְרָצָ֖יו יִשְׁכּֽוֹן׃
(2) When locks go untrimmed in Israel,When people dedicate themselves—Bless the LORD! ...
(16) Why then did you stay among the sheepfolds And listen as they pipe for the flocks? Among the clans of Reuben Were great searchings of heart! (17) Gilead tarried beyond the Jordan; And Dan—why did he linger by the ships? Asher remained at the seacoast And tarried at his landings.
Rabbi Menachem Lieptag on שירה marking time periods and meeting God's expectations.
אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא, דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי שֵׁילָא אִישׁ כְּפַר תְּמַרְתָּא: כׇּל הַשִּׁירוֹת כּוּלָּן נִכְתָּבוֹת אָרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵינָה וּלְבֵינָה עַל גַּבֵּי אָרִיחַ חוּץ מִשִּׁירָה זוֹ וּמַלְכֵי כְנַעַן, שֶׁאָרִיחַ עַל גַּבֵּי אָרִיחַ וּלְבֵינָה עַל גַּבֵּי לְבֵינָה. מַאי טַעְמָא — שֶׁלֹּא תְּהֵא תְּקוּמָה לְמַפַּלְתָּן.
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.
The next line of the song inverts the sequence. This is the principle for all songs in the Bible except for this song, referring to the list of Haman’s sons, and the song listing the kings of Canaan who were defeated by Joshua. These two songs are written in the form of a half brick arranged upon a half brick and a whole brick arranged upon a whole brick, i.e., one stitch of text over another, and one blank space over another. What is the reason that these two songs are written in this anomalous fashion? So that they should never rise from their downfall. Just as a wall that is built in this manner will not stand, so too, these individuals should have no resurgence.
SONG TIME PERIOD
1. Shirat HaYam (B) Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus)
2. Shirat Ha'azinu (A) Bnei Yisrael in the desert
3. Shirat Yehoshua (A) Defeat of the 31 kings
4. Shirat Devorah (B) Complete conquest of north
5. Shirat David (B) Establishing the Monarchy
Pattern A is the Half-brick, Whole-brick, Half-brick
Pattern B is Whole brick, Whole brick
"Although all five songs mark the conclusion of certain time periods, it appears that the songs following pattern A, i.e. Shirat Ha'azinu and Yehoshua, mark the end of historical periods which fell short of their original expectations. On the other hand, the songs following pattern B - Shirat HaYam, Devorah, & David- relate to more ideal situations. One could suggest that the structure of these two patterns reflects this distinction: 'pattern B' reflects a 'stable' existence, while 'pattern A' symbolizes a more 'shaky' reality." (OU Torah, "The Five Sons in Tanach)
- Rabbi Lieptag does something very similar here to what Rabbi Silber had done, but he further distinguishes between two structures on the Klaf in which songs appear and how that lines up with our service of God.
וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ זָקֵ֔ן בָּ֖א בַּיָּמִ֑ים וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו אַתָּ֤ה זָקַ֙נְתָּה֙ בָּ֣אתָ בַיָּמִ֔ים וְהָאָ֛רֶץ נִשְׁאֲרָ֥ה הַרְבֵּֽה־מְאֹ֖ד לְרִשְׁתָּֽהּ׃
Joshua was now old, advanced in years. The LORD said to him, “You have grown old, you are advanced in years; and very much of the land still remains to be taken possession of.
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יהוה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְּךָ֥ שֹׁכֵ֖ב עִם־אֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְקָם֩ הָעָ֨ם הַזֶּ֜ה וְזָנָ֣ה ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י נֵכַר־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה֤וּא בָא־שָׁ֙מָּה֙ בְּקִרְבּ֔וֹ וַעֲזָבַ֕נִי וְהֵפֵר֙ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖תִּי אִתּֽוֹ׃
יהוה said to Moses: You are soon to lie with your ancestors. This people will thereupon go astray after the alien gods in their midst, in the land that they are about to enter; they will forsake Me and break My covenant that I made with them.
- (The Baalei Mussar give a slightly different explanation for brick structure saying that there is so much left unsaid with song. The Rav says that is why we end Davening with Aleynu. We say that there is so much more we must thank God for at the end of Davening - that we could keep going. Think about it in relation to Netziv later on)
IV. The power of שירה
1. Even the Trup is Divine
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מִקְרָא סוֹפְרִים וְעִיטּוּר סוֹפְרִים וְקַרְיָין וְלָא כְּתִיבָן וּכְתִיבָן וְלָא קַרְיָין הֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי.
On a related note, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The vocalization of the scribes, and the ornamentation of the scribes, and the verses with words that are read but not written, and those that are written but not read are all halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.
- Though most Shuls will not correct a Ba'al Koreh who gets the Trup wrong, the Gemara says that these vocalizations were given to Moshe at Har Sinai. The tune is a fundamental part of the Torah and must be important if Hashem felt the need to teach it to Moshe in his 40 days on the mountain.
2. Song Helps us Remember What we have Learnt:
וְאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁפַטְיָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל הַקּוֹרֵא בְּלֹא נְעִימָה וְשׁוֹנֶה בְּלֹא זִמְרָה, עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״וְגַם אֲנִי נָתַתִּי לָהֶם חוּקִּים לֹא טוֹבִים וְגוֹ׳״.
And Rabbi Shefatya said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Concerning anyone who reads from the Torah without a melody or studies the Mishna without a song, the verse states: “So too I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live” (Ezekiel 20:25), as one who studies Torah through song demonstrates that he is fond of his learning. Furthermore, the tune helps him remember what he has learned.
- Though Abeye later challenges the interpretation of Rabbi Yohanan, this idea is still quite powerful. If we do not sing when we learn, in some way we have not accepted the Torah and fulfilled our end of Brit Sinai with Hashem. If learning becomes merely an intellectual exercise, Rabbi Yohahan feels that we are losing something central to our Avodat Hashem.
- If we do sing though, we will be rewarded by remembering whatever we have learned. I have memories from Yeshiva of a friend who sat a few seats over that always stood up, leaned on his Shtender, and sang the piece of Gemara he was reviewing from that week to keep it fresh. It was no surprise he would often refer to earlier things he remembered months later that his Chavruta (or me sitting a few seats over) had to be reminded of. There is a powerful physical connection between music and our minds - where something clicks and it allows us to remember better.
3. The Rambam on שירה as a Road to Prophecy
כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים אֵין מִתְנַבְּאִין בְּכָל עֵת שֶׁיִּרְצוּ אֶלָּא מְכַוְּנִים דַּעְתָּם וְיוֹשְׁבִים שְׂמֵחִים וְטוֹבֵי לֵב וּמִתְבּוֹדְדִים. שֶׁאֵין הַנְּבוּאָה שׁוֹרָה לֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְבוּת וְלֹא מִתּוֹךְ עַצְלוּת אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שִׂמְחָה. לְפִיכָךְ בְּנֵי הַנְּבִיאִים לִפְנֵיהֶם נֵבֶל וְתֹף וְחָלִיל וְכִנּוֹר וְהֵם מְבַקְּשִׁים הַנְּבוּאָה. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א י ה) "וְהֵמָּה מִתְנַבְּאִים" כְּלוֹמַר מְהַלְּכִין בְּדֶרֶךְ הַנְּבוּאָה עַד שֶׁיִּנָּבְאוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַתָּה אוֹמֵר פְּלוֹנִי מִתְגַּדֵּל:
All the prophets do not prophesy every time they may desire, but they must prepare their minds, rest in a state of exultation and hearty contentment, and in undisturbed solitude; for, prophecy does not rest upon any prophet either when he is in a state of melancholy or in a state of indolence, but when he is in a state of delightfulness. Therefore, the disciples of the prophets had before them the harp, the timbrel, the flute and the violin when they were seeking the spirit of prophecy, whereof it is said: "And they strove to prophecy" (I Sam. 10.5), meaning, they followed the path of prophecy until they did prophesy, as one says: "Yonder is one aspiring to become great."
- The Rambam is often thought of as the most rational of the Rabbis, least prone to mystical ideas. To an extent, this is true - which makes this comment even more interesting coming from him. Though Rambam emphasizes that prophecy is only given to those who perfect their minds, here he writes that those seeking closeness to God and prophesize had to "get into the mood"; They had to be happy and the best way was through song and instrumentation.
IV. The Whole Torah as a שירה:
וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׂימָ֣הּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּהְיֶה־לִּ֜י הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לְעֵ֖ד בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of Israel; put it in their mouths, in order that this poem may be My witness against the people of Israel.
- Though the plain sense of this Pasuk is that Moshe should write down the words to Shirat Ha'azinu that he is in the process of delivering to the Jews, many of the commentators write that Moshe is being commanded to write all 5 books of the Torah. The immediate question that is raised is how the whole Torah can be thought of as a שירה. The vast majority of the text is not written in this brick style that we have seen used for songs. On a more basic level, the Torah is primarily filled with narrative (prose) and legal instruction. How is that a שירה?
1. Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin on the Torah as Poetry:
דבשיר יש סגולה לפארה ברמזים מה שאינו מענין השיר. כמו שנהוג לעשות ראשי החרוזים בדרך א״ב או שם המחבר. וסגולה זו מיוחדת במליצה ולא בספור פרזי. וידוע דסגולה זו מכרחת הרבה פעמים להמחבר לעקם את הלשון כמעט. רק כדי שיחלו ראשי החרוזים באות הנדרש לו. ודבר זה ממש היא בכה״ת כולה. שמלבד הענין המדובר בפשט המקרא. עוד יש בכל דבר הרבה סודות וענינים נעלמים אשר מחמת זה בא כ״פ המקרא בלשון שאינו מדויק כ״כ. וכ״ז אינו רק בתורה הקדושה אלא בכל מקראי קדש.
A. (The Nature) – For the Torah speaks in a fragmented language. And it is well-known to anyone who has studied that this language of fragments is very different from the language of prose. In a poem, the idea is not fully explained, the way it is in prose. So one has to make notes on the margins, to say that one rhyme means this and another rhyme means that. And that is not just creative interpretation. That is simply the nature of poetry, even the most basic poetry. And it is further understood that one who deeply studies an idea expressed in this poetic form becomes connected to it. The illuminating language of the poem and its unique grammar is far sweeter to him than to one who simply comes to read it quickly and extract the main idea…
This is the nature of the whole Torah as well, whose stories are not fully explained. Rather, one has to make insights and explanations based on the intricacies of the language. And this is not just creative interpretation (drush). On the contrary, this is the most basic way (pshat) to understand the verses…
B. (The Richness) – In poetry, there is a richness that comes from its having been adorned with all kinds of hints, in a way that isn’t done with prose. [Examples are] the custom of using the first letter in each line to spell out the alphabet, or to write out the poet’s name. There is a richness that is [unique] to this fragmented language and not to prose. And it is well-known that in order to achieve this level of richness, the poet is often forced to bend the language so that the beginning letters end up being the ones he is seeking.
So it is exactly with the whole of the Torah, all of it. Aside from the most basic, simple reading, there are in every word many secrets and hidden ideas. Because of this, there are many instances when the language of the Torah is not to be read literally. And all this is not [just] true for the Holy [Chumash] alone, but with all [of Tanach].
- As anyone who begins to learn quickly appreciates, Torah is not something that can be understood on a first read-through. The language is often very terse yet complex. Even the Pshat requires interpretive work. Likewise, the text is rich and uses metaphors. It demands that a reader is familiar with its style. I heard Rabbi Taragin from the Gush explain this comment of the Netziv by saying that just like a person has trouble picking up on the cultural references from older songs and shows, we need to familiarize ourselves with the Torah (and how it has been understood throughout the Mesorah) to understand it ourselves.
2. Rabbi Zvi Yehudah Kook on the Emotion of Torah:
"The whole Torah is a song. The whole Gemara and the whole Shulchan Arukh are a song, which reveals their flow of Godly life. My father [Rav Kook], of blessed memory, came up with a proverb: “Just as yesh chukim le-shirah (there are rules for composing a poem), so too yesh shirah be-chukim (there is singing in the rules).” Since the Torah is a song, [it’s appropriate that] we learn Torah with a niggun (tune). [In the words of Tehillim 35:10:] “My whole being will exclaim, ‘Who is like you, God?’” [Furthermore, the machzor includes the words:] “Hachayot yeshoreru (the angels sing)” – and we sing with them" (Sichot HaRav Zvi Yehudah – Devarim (Jerusalem, 5765), p. 522.)
3. Aruch Hashulchan on Interpretive Pluralism as Musical Harmony:
“Any argument between Tanaim and Amoraim, or between Geonim and Poskim (halachic arbitrators), whose genuine aim is to get to the bottom of an issue, represents the words of the living G-d and has halachic status. Moreover, it glorifies our holy and pure Torah, which we call a song, the beauty of the song being that the voices are all different. This is why its nature is so delightful. And whoever wanders the sea of Talmud will see different beauty in all the voices that are dif“Any argument between Tanaim and Amoraim, or between Geonim and Poskim (halachic arbitrators), whose genuine aim is to get to the bottom of an issue, represents the words of the living G-d and has halachic status. Moreover, it glorifies our holy and pure Torah, which we call a song, the beauty of the song being that the voices are all different. This is why its nature is so delightful. And whoever wanders the sea of Talmud will see different beauty in all the voices that are different from one another.”ferent from one another.” (Introduction to Aruch Hashulchan-Choshen Hamishpat)
- It is not just that "these and these are the words of the living God" - that multiple interpretations can be true. The Aruch Hashulchan goes even further, saying that when different interpretations are learned, it creates this harmony of understanding in your mind that is more sublime than any individual reading of the Pasuk. This is akin to the playing of multiple notes simultaneously, the "left hand" that gives the melody (in our case the Pasuk) more colors.
4. Transmitting Tradition Through Song:
מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה עַל כָּל אִישׁ וְאִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל לִכְתֹּב סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לא יט) ״וְעַתָּה כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם אֶת הַשִּׁירָה״. כְּלוֹמַר כִּתְבוּ לָכֶם תּוֹרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ שִׁירָה זוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין כּוֹתְבִין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִנִּיחוּ לוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה מִצְוָה לִכְתֹּב מִשֶּׁלּוֹ. ואִם כְּתָבוֹ בְּיָדוֹ הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאִלּוּ קִבְּלָהּ מֵהַר סִינַי...
It is an affirmative precept binding upon every individual Israelite to write a scroll of the Law for his own use, as it is said, "Now therefore write ye this Song for you" (Deuteronomy 31:19). As the Torah is not written in separate sections, this text means, "Write for yourselves the Torah in which this Song is contained." Even if one's ancestors have left a person a scroll, it is a religious duty to write a scroll at his own expense. If he wrote it with his own hand, it is accounted to him as if he had received it from Sinai...
Rabbi Saks on Parshat Ha'azinu
(1) "The oral tradition is here hinting at a set of very deep ideas. First, it is telling the Israelites, and us in every generation, that it is not enough to say, “We received the Torah from Moses,” or “from our parents.” We have to take the Torah and make it new in every generation. We have to write our own scroll. The point about the Torah is not that it is old but that it is new; it is not just about the past but about the future. It is not simply some ancient document that comes from an earlier era in the evolution of society. It speaks to us, here, now – but not without our making the effort to write it again. ...
(2) And why call the Torah a song? Because if we are to hand on our faith and way of life to the next generation, it must sing. Torah must be affective, not just cognitive. It must speak to our emotions. As Antonio Damasio showed empirically in Descartes’ Error[2], though the reasoning part of the brain is central to what makes us human, it is the limbic system, the seat of the emotions, that leads us to choose this way, not that. If our Torah lacks passion, we will not succeed in passing it on to the future. Music is the affective dimension of communication, the medium through which we express, evoke, and share emotion. Precisely because we are creatures of emotion, music is an essential part of the vocabulary of mankind. ...
(3) Judaism is a religion of words, and yet whenever the language of Judaism aspires to the spiritual it modulates into song as if the words themselves sought escape from the gravitational pull of finite meanings. Music speaks to something deeper than the mind. If we are to make Torah new in every generation we have to find ways of singing its song a new way. The words never change, but the music does.
(4) A previous Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Avraham Shapiro, once told me a story about two great Rabbinic Sages of the nineteenth century, equally distinguished scholars, one of whom lost his children to the secular spirit of the age, the other of whom was blessed by children who followed in his path. The difference between them was this, he said: when it came to se’udah shlishit, the third Sabbath meal, the former spoke words of Torah while the latter sang songs. His message was clear. Without an affective dimension – without music – Judaism is a body without a soul. It is the songs we teach our children that convey our love of God." (Covenant and Conversation, Veyelech 5775, "Torah as Song")
- This idea is a little different than the rest of the Shiur, but no less important for us to internalize. If the Torah is really a song, then we must incorporate this emotional element into our practice. Rabbi Saks is not arguing against a Judaism that is intellectually/philosophically deep or just that we should focus on the musical in addition to the intellectual. The music is in the words themselves. It is our job to link these two aspects of religious life together as they are meant to be. To have a religious life that is profound and resonant. That is the best way to ensure the tradition is passed on to the next generation.
"וַאֲנִ֗י זֹ֣את בְּרִיתִ֤י אוֹתָם֙ אָמַ֣ר יהוה רוּחִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָלֶ֔יךָ וּדְבָרַ֖י אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי בְּפִ֑יךָ לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁוּ מִפִּ֩יךָ֩ וּמִפִּ֨י זַרְעֲךָ֜ וּמִפִּ֨י זֶ֤רַע זַרְעֲךָ֙ אָמַ֣ר יהוה מֵעַתָּ֖ה וְעַד־עוֹלָֽם׃ " (Isaiah 59:21)