Two Minute Torah Podcast

Beshallah 5770 by Hazzan Larry Goller

Shalom! This is Hazzan Larry Goller of North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, Illinois. This coming Sabbath, on which we read the Torah portion B'shallach, is often referred to as Shabbat Shirah. On this Shabbat, we chant the Shirah, the "Song at the Sea," the song offered up spontaneously by Moshe and the children of Israel as they crossed the Reed Sea on dry land.

Two years ago in this space, Hazzan Steve Stein talked about the strong musical traditions practiced in many synagogues on Shabbat Shirah. I thought that a great way of taking advantage of this medium would be to give you a small taste of that tradition. Specifically, there is a musical traditions associated with Shirat Hayam, the text in this week's parashah which begins with the words "Az Yashir Moshe," "Then Moses sang..." Because it so poetically depicts a seminal event in our nation's history, it was borrowed from this parashah and included in the daily morning service as well. Indeed, Shirat Hayam is considered by some as no less than Judaism's first communal religious expression!

In the Ashkenazi tradition, when chanted as part of the Torah reading, certain lines in this portion, rather than sung with the traditional Torah cantillation, or trope, is chanted responsively employing a special "call and response." For example, the middle of Exodus, chapter 15, verse 1 is sung by the ba'al kriah, the Torah reader, as follows:

"Ashira ladomai, ki ga'oh, ga'ah..."

The congregation responds:

"...sus v'rochvo ramah vayam"

Beginning the next verse, the ba'al kriah proclaims:

"Awzi v'zimrat yah, vay'hi li lishu'ah..."

The congregation jubilantly answers:

"...zeh eli v'anveihu, elohei avi va'a'rom'menhu"

And so it goes. This back-and-forth is meant to emulate the outpouring of emotion displayed by our people as they escaped centuries of slavery in Egypt and perhaps death at the hands of Pharaoh! And we have scientific proof that this is exactly how they sang this song, centuries upon centuries ago! Well, not really Ð but the text suggests that this was a glorious musical moment shared by our early ancestors.

Today, this is a powerful communal, musical moment in our annual synagogue liturgy. If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to hear this in services this shabbat, I hope you will be in attendance Ð it will be as if you were present at the crossing the Reed Sea with your ancestors! And if they don't use this melody in your synagogue Ð teach it to them! Shabbat Shalom.