Sing; Sing a Song; Sing Out Loud; Sing Az Yashir

Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong.

Do you have a song in your head right now? These are lyrics from a 1971 song written for Sesame Street that was made famous in 1973 by the Carpenters. Some songs get stuck in our head – whether we like it or not. That’s how music works.

In Judaism, some songs become so popular that they become ingrained in our religious consciousness. Think about the classic Kiddush melody composed by the 19^th century composer Louis Lewandowski. We all know it. (And, now, it will be stuck in your head.)

Several years ago, I organized a weekday morning Bar Mitzvah. Many of the family members were not regular shul attendees. I offered the men a chance to put on tefillin if they didn’t bring their own. One of the male relatives had not donned tefillin in decades. I announced pages regularly so everyone could follow, and I tried to incorporate what I thought were familiar tunes. Before the Amidah, I sang the well-known “Tzur Yisrael” melody composed a century ago. All of a sudden, the 75 year-old man who hadn’t been in synagogue regularly in years was singing at the top of his lungs.

Music is the language of the Jewish soul.  

This Shabbat is known as “Shabbat Shirah.” Song features prominently in the Parsha as the Jews sing Az Yashir, the Song at the Sea, after their miraculous salvation. In the Haftorah, we hear Shirat Devorah, Devorah’s song.

Az Yashir has become part of the daily Shacharit service. The Chafetz Chaim (Mishnah Berurah OC:51) notes that when we sing this song, it should be “b’simcha,” with joy, and we should imagine ourselves as if we are actually crossing the split sea at that moment.

Why is this song so important? Why are we encouraged to sing? Why are we meant to go back in time and reexperience the song?

Az Yashir provides a needed daily dose of song, joyously connects us to our past, and encourages the optimism that is critical to Jewish thriving.

1) As Jews, we need a daily dose of song.

Song inspires, entertains, and adds joy. People remember songs more easily than words. The daily singing of Az Yashir encourages more song and more singing by more people.

Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach once noted that when two people talk at the same time, it is just noise, but when two people sing at the same time, it is a harmony. It is for this reason that Az Yashir occupies such a prominent role in our daily prayers. It’s a reminder and motivator that we need to capture the joyous optimism of song and strive for a musical and passionate Judaism, one in which our entire community sings together.

2) As Jews, we need a daily dose of connecting with our past.

Az Yashir was not just the Jews singing then. It’s a call to keep singing and pass the song on to the next generation.

The first verse of the song ends with the word “leimor - saying.” Leimor usually means that the words will be repeated to others. Here, however, everyone – Moshe and the people – were all singing the song together. Who else needs to repeat these words? Who else needs to hear the message?  

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev explained that the Jews were looking to pass on this majestic experience to future generations. They were, in effect, singing to us so that we, in turn, will sing like they did. The song is not just sung. It continues. It reverberates. It gets picked up by the next generation and the next and the next.

Anyone familiar with “This is the song that never ends…” sung by Shari Lewis on the album Lamb Chop's Sing-Along, Play-Along? (You can thank me later.)

“This is the song that doesn't end
Yes, it goes on and on, my friends
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was
And they′ll continue singing it forever just because…”

The Jews knew why they were singing. They kept singing so the next generation would keep singing, and they, too, would, hopefully, know why. Even if there shall arise a generation that doesn’t know why, they’ll sing it as well.

3) As Jews, we need a dose of optimism and faith that things will work out.

Some of the Jews were ready and waiting for an opportunity to sing. Miriam was ready for Az Yashir. After the nations sings, Miriam leads the women in singing and dancing with tambourines. Rashi wonders where Miriam got these tambourines. Why would they have been on the packing list for leaving Egypt? Why were the women so ready to sing and dance?

Faith and optimism.

Miriam, in a sense, was born ready. Her worldview was one of optimism and faith that all will be fine and in accordance with God’s plan. She prepared the women in advance and was, accordingly, ready to exult. Miriam modeled the faith found in music.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote: “Faith is more like music than like science. Science analyses, music integrates. And as music connects note to note, so faith connects episode to episode, life to life, age to age in a timeless melody that breaks into time…Faith teaches us to hear the music beneath the noise…The history of the Jewish spirit is written in its songs. The words do not change, but each generation needs its own melodies.

“Rabbi Akiva says, ‘Sing every day, sing every day.’” (Sanhedrin 99a) Are we ready to sing every day?

These days, we are bombarded by messages of how difficult things are. While we remain realistic, we sing Az Yahir each day to insert some song – some soul, some sense of Jewish eternity, and some faith – into our lives.  

Rabbi Kalonymus Kalman Shapira, the Piaseczna Rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto, suggested an exercise to get us singing and to capture the spiritual benefits of song.

“Take a musical phrase, turn your face to the wall, or simply close your eyes and remind yourself that you stand in the presence of God. With your heart breaking open, you are here to pour out your soul to God with music and melody, emerging from the depths of your heart. Inevitably, you will begin to feel the emergence of your spirit in great joy and delight. At first it was you singing to your soul, to wake her up, but slowly you will feel your soul singing her own song.” (Bnei Machshavah Tovah #18)

Sing. Sing a song. Sing out loud. Sing out strong. Maybe Sesame Street had the right idea.