Beshalach is Singing

(א) אז ישיר משה. אז כשראה הנס עלה בלבו שישיר שירה, וכן (יהושע י יב) אז ידבר יהושע, וכן (מלכים א' ז ח) ובית יעשה לבת פרעה, חשב בלבו שיעשה לה, אף כאן ישיר, אמר לו לבו שישיר, וכן עשה, ויאמרו לאמר אשירה לה' וכן ביהושע, כשראה הנס אמר לו לבו שידבר וכן עשה (יהושע י יב) ויאמר לעיני ישראל, וכן שירת הבאר שפתח בה (במדבר כא יז) אז ישיר ישראל, פרש אחריו עלי באר ענו לה. (מלכים יא ז) אז יבנה שלמה במה, פרשו בו חכמי ישראל שבקש לבנות ולא בנה. למדנו שהיו''ד על שם המחשבה נאמרה, זהו לישב פשוטו. אבל מדרשו אמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, מכאן רמז לתחית המתים מן התורה, וכן בכלן חוץ משל שלמה, שפרשוהו, בקש לבנות ולא בנה. ואין לומר ולישב הלשון הזה כשאר דברים הנכתבים בלשון עתיד והן מיד, כגון (איוב א ה) ככה יעשה איוב, (במדבר ט כג) על פי ה' יחנו, (שם כ) ויש אשר יהיה הענן, לפי שהן דבר ההוה תמיד, ונופל בו בין לשון עתיד בין לשון עבר, אבל זה שלא היה אלא לשעה אינו יכול לישבו בלשון הזה:

Then…sang: Heb. אָז יָשִׁיר. [The future tense presents a problem. Therefore, Rashi explains:] Then, when he [Moses] saw the miracle, it occurred to him to recite a song, and similarly, “Then Joshua spoke (אָז יְדַבֵּר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ)” (Josh. 10:12); and similarly, “and the house [which] he would make (יַעֲשֶׂה) for Pharaoh’s daughter” (I Kings 7: 8), [which means] he decided to make it for her. Here too, יָשִׁיר [in the future tense means that] his heart dictated to him that he should sing, and so he did, “and they spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord.’ ” Likewise, with [the above reference to] Joshua, when he saw the miracle [of the defeat of the Amorite kings (Josh. 10:11)], his heart dictated to him that he speak [praises to God], and so he did, “and he said in the sight of Israel” (Josh. 10:12). Likewise, the song of the well, with which [Scripture] commences: “Then Israel sang (אָז יָשִׁיר)” (Num. 21:17), it explains after it, “Ascend, O well!, sing to it.” [I.e., in these three instances, the “yud” of the future tense denotes the thought, and after each one, Scripture continues that the thought was brought to fruition.] “Then did Solomon build (אָז יִבְנֶה) a high place” (I Kings 11:7); the Sages of Israel explain that he sought to build [it] but did not build [it] (Sanh. 91b). We [thus] learn that the “yud” may serve to indicate a thought. This is to explain its simple meaning, but the midrashic interpretation is [as follows]: Our Rabbis of blessed memory stated: From here is an allusion from the Torah to the resurrection of the dead (Sanh. 91b, Mechilta), and so it is [i.e., the future tense is used] with them all, except that of Solomon, which they explained as [implying] “he sought to build but did not build.” One cannot say and explain this form like other words written in the future, but which mean [that they occurred] immediately, such as “So would Job do (וָעִשֶׂה)” (Job 1:5); “by the command of the Lord would they encamp (יַחֲנוּ)” (Num. 9:23); “And sometimes the cloud would be (יִהְיֶה)” (Num. 9:21),

because that is [an example of] something that occurs continually, and either the future or the past is appropriate for it, but that which occurred only once [i.e., the song that was sung], cannot be explained in this manner. —

(א) אז ישיר. לא היה צריך לומר אז אלא וישר משה וגו' והדבר מובן כי אז שוררו. אכן יכוין הכתוב להודיענו הכנת המושג. כי כשנכנסה בלבם יראת הרוממות והאמונה השלימה אז זכו לומר שירה ברוח הקודש. ואומרו ישיר לשון עתיד לצד שאמר אז חש הכתוב שיטעה אדם ויאמר כי אז מיעט שאין שירה זו יכולה ליאמר זולת אז תלמוד לומר ישיר שישנה לשירה זו גם לעתיד וכל הבא לשיר שירה זו לפני ה' יש לאל ידו. או ירמוז למצוה שמצוה לאומרה תמיד וקבעוה בתפלת שחרית בכל יום:

Az Yashir. The psauk didn't have to say "az" rather "vayashar" (And Moshe sang..) And the idea is understood because they really sang. However, the pasuk is intended to make us aware of another meaning. That when the great fear and complete belief in God entered into their hearts, then they merited to sing this with divine inspiration "ruach ha kodesh". And the pasuk says Yashir, which is future tense, that a person might be mistaken and say that the kind of song they sang was totally unique and rare and could only be sung then. The Az is there to teach us that we will merit to sing it also in the future, and that all who come to sing the song befure Hashem, will be able to. OR to hint to us the mitzvah 0 that there is a mitzvah to say this (section) always, and it is established in shacharit prayer every day.

Me'am Lo'az Ex. 15:1 (Aryeh Kaplan Trans. Exodus II, Pg. 232)

The Angels wanted to sing before the Israelites. Usually the Israelites sing before the Angeles, as we have discussed earlier. But this night, since the Egyptians had drowned, God did not let the angles sing during the night. They therefore wanted to sing first. Still, God made them wait, saying, "I want to hear the song of My Children first."

R. Hirsch (Ex. 15:1 Pg. 187)

The Peculiarity that the AZ is frequently construed with the future tense, when it introduces an event which from the standpoint of the narrator is in the past, may be understood by the meaning of this adverb. אז, אזי (From the root AZA related to seeing in your mind something invisible, far off) transposes the thoughts away from the present to make you se an event which occurred at some other period , past or future, actually in the process of happening. The tense is accordingly chosen, not which would be in accordance with the time time of relating. At the moment at which our story has reached, the singing is regarded as just happenin, hens the future tense. Az Yashir, would mean, then, at that time they sang )that had sung). Az Yashir "then they began to sing" (they broke into song) ...