Pesach Let’s talk music. Songs. Those of you who have had heard me sing may wonder with what authority I am speaking on this subject. My response is that even the tone deaf cannot help but notice the plethora of songs we sing in Synagogue on the seventh day of Pesach. This Shabbos, we’ll enjoy a concert of all time greatest Jewish hits: Hallel, Song of Songs, and the Song on the Sea (“If I Were a Rich Man” and “Hava Hageela” will not be presented, though). Hallel is sung by the whole congregation immediately after the Chazzan finishes the repetition of the Amidah (standing prayer). The work, Hallel, means “praise”. It is comprised of six chapters of Psalms (113-118). Although King David compiled the Book of Psalms, the chapters of Hallel were first recited almost five hundred years before our first king ever strung his harp. It was first sung by Moshe and the Children of Israel on the far bank of the Sea of Reeds after G-d saved us by drowning the Egyptian hordes while we passed through on dry land. Hallel relates the ups and downs of the Jewish Nation and the Jewish individual. Like notes rising and falling in a song, the Jewish national experience is one of excited ups and downs. When we run towards G-d, we feel ourselves drawn towards Him faster than we expected. But when we turn away, we’re surprised how quickly we feel a distance. The Jewish People were not designed with a Cruise Control option. We are turbo-charged though. One of the high points of Hallel are when the entire congregation calls out together “Hodu L’Hashem Ki Tov—Give thanks to Hashem for He is Good; His kindness endures forever!” Even though we all have many trials and difficulties in life, we have to appreciate the tremendous good that G-d has bestowed us as well. We always have to focus on the good, or else it can easily be missed. Another highlight is when we cry out together “Ana Hashem Hoshee’ah Na—Please, Hashem, save us now!” One great step in drawing closer to our Creator is realizing that our lives and our successes are dependent totally on Him. We cannot control the world around us. We can only contribute to it. But G-d is in control. Our Creator is always awaiting our turning to Him. The Song of Songs is traditionally read before the Torah Reading Service on the Shabbos of Chol HaMoed or the last days of Pesach. Rabbi Akiva taught that this song is the Holy of Holies of the Jewish musical repertoire. What’s so holy about it? Our first reading of Song of Songs is a surprising experience. It seems to be a love song between a young man and woman. What’s so holy about that? Well, I won’t even get into how the Torah views holiness as the criteria by which every romantic relationship must be shaped and evaluated. That’s a whole subject in itself. We will only note here that we learn from the Song of Songs that G-d created a model in this world from which we are meant to learn what kind of relationship we are to strive to achieve with G-d. That is the ideal relationship between a husband and wife. (This lesson is revealing in the light that it sheds both on the ideal Creator/creation relationship and on the ideal spousal relationship.) The intimacy that can be achieved between husband and wife is the goal for which we can strive with our Creator. We can be that close to G-d. On the other hand, the difficulties and distance that invariably arise when two individuals are attempting to unite are the pitfalls to which we must keep our eyes open when we try coming closer to the Divine. The Song on the Sea, which we read from the Torah, was sung by the Jews after the climax of our miraculous Exodus from Egypt. Even more than the ten plagues, G-d’s splitting of the Sea of Reeds demonstrated that a new world order was beginning—a new age in history. The Jewish Nation was born—a nation that will lead the entire world to recognizing G-d and serving Him—a nation so absolutely central to G-d’s goal in creation that He is willing to turn the laws of nature upside down and intercede in the course of human events for their sake. This song is to be sung by the entire assembled Jewish Nation twice. The first time was immediately following the miraculous event. The encore performance will be after the arrival of Moshiach and the resurrection of the dead, when we will again sing this song of G-d’s praise over the course of world history. Only at the end of days will G-d’s plan, the orchestra of history, be clear in its beauty and completeness. Only then will we be capable of appreciating every movement, all the highs and the lows, and praising G-d for his wondrous composition. True song expresses the desire of the soul to reunite with its Source (Shiurei Da’as). May the songs of this Shabbos and Yom Tov carry us all closer to that Source for which we long. Good Shabbos and Good Yom Tov, Shlomo
Shulman Mazal
Tov
to Rabbi Yosef and Rivka Edelstein and your entire family on the birth of
your new daughter, Miriam! Savannah could use another Edelstein—a bunch
more, really. This is a step in the right direction for our entire
community. May
you merit raising your new daughter and all your children to lives filled
with Torah,
Mitzvahs and Generous Deeds! Happy Passover from STEP! Insights
Into Genesis
To get in touch with STEP, call Rabbi Shulman at (912) 303-9591 or Rabbi
Edelstein at (912) 351-0469. E-mail us at STEPKollel@netzero.net
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