As we enjoy Shabbos Shira, and sing Az Yashir, let us explore some more details about this timeless song.
We have seen that the shira begins with the pasuk “Az Yashir.” What about the end? What is the last pasuk of the shira? Is the pasuk: “ki va sus pharaoh,” part of the shira? At first glance it seems to be just a part of the narrative and not a part of the miracle. However, this is, in fact, a dispute in the Rishonim.
The Ib’n Ezra writes that it is a part of the shira. It is not just telling us when it happened; it is telling us about the tremendous miracle that took place. At the very moment that the Egyptians were drowning in the turbulent waters, the Yidden were strolling calmly on dry land. The Ramban, however, asserts that the expressions used are not similar to the poetic language of a shira, and is just relating the time or the location of the shira.
The nafka mina – the halachic difference – between these two opinions would be how to write the last pasuk. Should it be written as a shira, with spaces, or should it be written as the rest of the Torah is written, without spaces. This is not just a preference; the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch tell us that if written wrong – if a regular pasuk is written as a shira, with spaces, or if the shira is written without spaces – the sefer torah is pasul. Indeed, the Rambam includes this pasuk in the 30 lines of the shira, which have a special way to be written. This is, in fact, how most sifrei torah have it.
The Machtzis Hashekel discusses this machlokes and cautions not to change the sefer torah, but to keep the sefer torah the way it was written.
There is a fascinating story about this question. When Rav Yehoshua Leib Diskin became Rov in Lomza, at a young age, an older talmid chochom came to him and told him that he believes that this last pasuk is not part of the shira. He proved this from the Avudraham, who writes that the minhag is to repeat the last pasuk of the shira, “Hashem yimloch...” This is also quoted by the Rama (51:7), which would seem to be a clear indication that we pasken that the next pasuk, “ki va sus” is not a part of the shira. He brought another proof from Rav Amram Gaon, who writes that the 18 brochos of shmoneh esrei correspond to the 18 pesukim of the shira. Once again, we see that “ki va sus,” which is the 19th pasuk is not part of the shira. Rav Yehoshua Leib told him that he enjoyed his dvar torah, and even added that the Mordechai in Meseches Sukah also concurs with the Avudraham.
But then the man, excited about his chiddush, wished to take it a step further and told the sofrim to change the pasuk of “ki va sus,” to be written in the way of the regular pesukim, and not like a shira. He felt this is so important, since if a sefer torah is written in the wrong way it is pasul. Rav Yehoshua Leib told him that he was taking his shtikel torah too far. We do not change the tradition that we have in writing the sifrei torah, and challenging the status of the sifrei torah would be a disgrace to the holy scrolls. Unfortunately, the man did not relent and continued to go around, convincing the sofrim to change the sifrei torah. That Friday, while immersing in the mikvah, he drowned, getting punished midah k’neged midah – measure for a measure. He had disgraced the pasuk of “ki va sus...” which discusses Pharaoh’s drowning, and he himself drowned.
Singing by Krias Hatorah
Most places read the whole shira – every pasuk – with a special melody. Some have the minhag to only sing a pasuk that has Hashem’s name (Minhag Pressburg, and in the Lederman Shul, which follows the minhagim of the Chazon Ish). Others use the special melody where there is a double expression of praise, such as “גָאֹה גָּאָה.”
In Summary
There is a machlokes if the last pasuk – ki vas sus...” is part of the Shira, but we must keep the sefer torah the way it was written, and not make any changes in the sefer torah. There are different customs how the leining is done, some do all the p'sukim with a special melody, and some places only certain p'sukim.
Rabbi Nachum Scheiner, Night Kollel & Morning Kollel
