Torah Portion

Sing A Song
Unto The Lord

A speaker needs people who listen to his
words, and the cantor requires a congre-
gation whose reverence is an integral
part of the experience of worship.
A familiar term for cantor is Shaliach
Ts' ibur -- an emissary of the congrega-
tion. One can only be an emissary if
his Shabbat is known as
there is a congregation that the cantor
Shabbat Shira, the Sabbath of represents, as he conveys on the wings of
Song. When the children of
song the hopes and yearnings, the con-
Israel celebrated their great
cerns and joys, of all that enter the
victory over the Egyptians as they
Sanctuary for prayer.
crossed the Red Sea, finally freed of the
The magnificent tradition of our
terror and slavery of centuries, Moses
faith can be understood in the same
and the children of Israel
way. Our whole glorious her-
broke forth into a song that
itage — with its laws and
celebrated that victory: "I will
teachings, its heroes and his-
sing unto the Lord, for He is
tory, its dreams and visions .
highly exalted; the horse and
— is a symphony in search of
his rider hash He thrown into
a listener, a song in search of
the sea." This song became
an echo, a challenge in search
incorporated into the obser-
of a response. We are the
vances of the Jewish people. It
audience of that tradition;
is recited daily in the Morning
and we determine whether it
Service, woven into the pat-
is alive or moribund, ancient
tern of Jewish liturgy.
or relevant, history or destiny.
RABBI IRWIN
In the Talmud, we find a
The
answer is found in
GRO NER
discussion regarding the pre-
the
way
we respond, and
Specia l to the
cise manner in which the
according
to Rabbi
Jewish News
"Song of the Sea" was ren-
Nehemiah, in the way we
dered by Moses and the chil-
share in the creative process.
dren of Israel. Rabbi Akiva declared,
The second theme suggested by the
"The children of Israel repeated the vers-
Torah passages arises out of the sequence
es that fell from Moses' lips."
of the verses, 'And they believed in the
Rabbi Nehemiah resents this asper-
Lord and in His Servant, Moses."
sion on the Jewish people and he says,
The following verse then declares,
"Both Moses and the children of Israel
"I will sing unto the Lord, for He is
were moved by the same divine spirit to
highly exalted." The source of Israel's
compose with shared inspiration the
song was Israel's faith. We are to sing
song of the Red Sea." Moses uttered the
because there is a God in the world
first half of the verse, and the congrega-
and because He created us and
tion responded with the second half.
because we are privileged to share in
Rabbi Akiva believed Moses alone
the unfolding purposes of His cre-
was blessed by heavenly inspiration. The
ation. We live in a wondrous universe,
rest of the congregation was a mere echo
which proclaims everywhere the great-
to his words.
ness and goodness and wisdom of
Rabbi Nehemiah maintained that the
God. This is the basis of our song.
ecstasy of that moment was such that all
Music conveys the spiritual fervor of
of Israel was transformed into a people
Jewish observance. The Jewish people
of prophets, able through their own
developed chants and melodies, nuschaot
inspiration, to complete the words of
and niggnuim, for every worship service.
divine praise.
We rejoice with the song of Moses,
The issue is this. Music is not simply
the first national hymn of Israel. We can
the creative genius of the writer or of the
hear in its cadences the timeless melody
performer, as important and indispens-
of Jewish life through all the ages. 0
able as they are. We should recognize a
spirit that reposes in the people, in the
congregation, that evokes this creative
achievement and that contributes to the
creative process.
What is the significance of the
This is a lesson about life. A writer
different views of Rabbi Akiva
must have readers who respond to his
and Rabbi Nehemiah? What is
message. An artist requires viewers who
the role of the audience in nur-
appreciate what he is trying to portray.
turing the creative spirit and pro-
viding the experience of worship?

Shabbat Beshallach:
Exodus 13:17-17•16•
Judges 4:4-5:31.

T

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