by Rabbi Nachum Scheiner, Night Kollel & Morning Kollel
Although Parshas Beshalach and the Shira have already past, we still continue to sing Hashem’s praises, reciting Az Yashir every day, in pesukei d’zimra. What is the reason for this?
The source for this minhag is the Zohar, where it is described the great benefits of its daily recital. The Sefer Charedim – a contemporary of the Arizal – elaborates on this and adds in the name of the Midrash that one who recites Az Yashir with feelings of joy – as if he just was saved from the pursuing Egyptians – will merit his sins forgiven. The Chida and the Mishna Berura add that one should picture in his mind that he is standing at the shore of the Yam Suf, just after he was miraculously saved and the Egyptians were drowned.
Some Pointers for the Recital of Az Yashir
צָלֲלוּ כַּעוֹפֶרֶת בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִים – “They sunk like lead in the water – the strong.” The simple reading of the pasuk is a reference to the water – they sunk like lead in the strong waters. However, the Gemara explains that the word אַדִּירִ ים is actually a reference to the Egyptians: they – the mighty Egyptians – sunk like lead in the water. This is also clear from the trup of the word בְּ מַ יִם, which has a tipcha, showing that it is not connected to the word after it. The poskim therefore write that one should pause slightly in between the word בְּ מַ יִם and the word אַדִּירִ ים, to make it clear that one does not mean to say בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִ ים – in the strong waters, but rather the word אַדִּירִ ים is referring to the Egyptians: they – the mighty Egyptians – sunk like lead in the water. The Rashbam, however, explains the pasuk the first way: בְּמַיִם אַדִּירִ ים – in the strong waters.
The Beis Yosef writes that when we recite the words מִ י כָמֹכָה twice: “מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִם ה' מִי כָּמֹכָה נֶאְדָּר בַּקֹּדֶשׁ” – the second כָמֹכָה should be with a “kof – כָּמֹכָה.” Although grammatically both times should really be “כָמֹכָה,” we change it to “כָּמֹכָה,” so it doesn’t sound like “Hashem, Micha,” which has the connotation of equating Micha and his idols to Hashem.
How to Recite the Shira
There is another fascinating discussion as to how the shira was recited at the yam suf. The Gemara in Sota (30b) quotes three opinions as to how it was done. Rabbi Akiva states that Moshe Rabeinu chanted the words of the shira, and the rest of Klal Yisroel responded with the chorus “אָ שִׁ ירָ ה לַּ ה'.” Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rav Yossi Haglili opines that they actually repeated each pasuk after Moshe. And Rabbi Nechemia maintains that Moshe just started off and they all chimed in, meaning that they all recited it together.
The Likutei Mahariach quotes the sefer Nachala L’yisroel, who suggests that this machlokes can be the source for some of the different minhagim in how the shira is recited. In some places the chazzan chants an entire pasuk, followed by everyone else. This is following the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer that they repeated each pasuk after Moshe. In Maaseh Rav it is documented that this was how the Gra recited the shira on Shvi’i Shel Pesach. Some places do the same on Shabbos of Parshas Beshalach.
Other places have the chazzan just start, and everyone else chimes in. This would be based on the opinion of Rabbi Nechemia, that they all recited it together.
Summary
One who recites Az Yashir joyfully will merit forgiveness for his aveiros. There are various minhagim in how to recite the shira, which may be based on the machlokes in the Gemara how it was recited at the time of kriyas yam suf.
Rabbi Scheiner
