Parshas Beshalach - Singing Yiddishkeit Back to Life

Nitzotzos: Thoughts to keep your spark alive

Rav Burg began this shiur by asking four questions:

1. We sang Shira in the zechus of our Emunah. What is the connection between our emunah and singing?

2. Az Yashir is the source for techias hameisim in the Torah. What is the connection between techias hameisim and singing?

3. Every morning we sing Az Yashir in Pesukei D'zimra. P"D is about praise and thanksgiving for the greatness of Hashem. Az Yashir does not fit this theme.

4. The Gemara in Megillah (16b) teaches that the sections of the Torah involving Shirah need to be written “ariach al gabei leveinah” the script of the line above is written over the empty space of the line below it, in a bricklaying pattern. Rashi comments that there is actually more empty space than words in the Shirah – more blanks than writing. What is the inner significance of this format?

Rav Burg explains that Judaism has a body and a soul. The halacha is the body but emunah is the soul. Through our connection to the soul of Yiddishkeit, not only can we survive in Golus but we can even sing.