“My Father's God”: Faith Seen and Faith Received
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Shemos 15:2
עׇזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ
My strength and song is God, and He has become my salvation. This is my God and I will glorify Him, the God of my father and I will exalt Him.
Rashi on “the God of my father”: I am not the beginning of the holiness. Rather, the holiness is established and abides with me, and His Godliness has been upon me since the days of my fathers.
1“This is my God and I will glorify Him, the God of my father and I will exalt Him.”1 Rashi explains: “I am not the beginning of the holiness. Rather, the holiness is established and abides with me, and His Godliness has been upon me since the days of my fathers.” But this is hard to understand. At that moment Bnei Yisrael were privileged to grasp lofty things. As Chazal said, “A maidservant at the sea saw what Yechezkel did not see in his prophecy.”2 Why, then, did they set aside what they themselves had grasped and give weight only to their father's power, saying “the God of my father”?
זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵוהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרוֹמְמֶנְהוּ (טו, ב). פֵּירֵשׁ רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ, לֹא אֲנִי תְּחִילַּת הַקְּדוּשָּׁה אֶלָּא מוּחְזֶקֶת וְעוֹמֶדֶת לִי הַקְּדוּשָּׁה וֵאלֹהוּתוֹ עָלַי מִימֵי אֲבוֹתַי. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין, הֲרֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל זָכוּ בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לַהַשָּׂגָה גְּדוֹלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (מכילתא שם) רָאֲתָה שִׁפְחָה עַל הַיָּם מַה שֶּׁלֹּא רָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל בִּנְבוּאָתוֹ, וְאִם כֵּן לָמָּה בִּיטְּלוּ אֶת הַהַשָּׂגוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, וְהֶחְשִׁיבוּ רַק אֶת הַכֹּחַ שֶׁל אֲבִיהֶם, בְּאָמְרָם ׳אֱלֹקֵי אָבִי׳.
In shortBnei Yisrael at the sea saw more than Yechezkel; why, then, did they credit the holiness to their fathers, saying “the God of my father”?
2The Midrash says: “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: In this world you said ‘This is my God’ before Me once, but in the time to come you will say it twice, as it says, ‘It will be said on that day: Behold, this is our God; we hoped to Him and He saved us. This is Hashem; we hoped to Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.’”3 What is gained by saying the word “this” twice? Why is once not enough?
אִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה כג, טו), אָמַר לָהֶם הקב״ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֲמַרְתֶּם לִפְנֵי פַּעַם אַחַת ״זֶה אֵלִי״, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא אַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ ב׳ פְּעָמִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה כה, ט) ״וְאָמַר בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא הִנֵּה אֱלֹהֵינוּ זֶה קִוִּינוּ לוֹ וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ זֶה ה׳ קִוִּינוּ לוֹ נָגִילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ״, ע״כ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה הַמַּעֲלָה בַּאֲמִירַת לָשׁוֹן זֶה שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים, וְלָמָּה אֵין דַּי בַּאֲמִירָתוֹ פַּעַם אַחַת.
- Shemos Rabbah 23:15; Yeshayahu 25:9. ↩
In shortIn the time to come, the Midrash says, Israel will say “this” twice instead of once; what does the doubling add?
3aMy holy father and teacher, zt"l, taught that there are two kinds of faith. One comes from seeing and grasping. So it was at the Red Sea, where Bnei Yisrael were privileged to grasp lofty things and saw the revelation of the Shechinah with their own senses, until they said, “This is my God.” The other comes from hearing, as it is written, “Hear, my son, the instruction of your father.”4 This is faith that rests on the tradition of the fathers: what we received from our fathers and our teachers, generation after generation, back to those whose feet stood at Mount Sinai. We believe with perfect faith that Hashem, blessed be He, will keep every promise He made to our fathers. And it works measure for measure. Just as we believe in the good Hashem will do for us in the time to come, so, low as our level is now, He credits us with the power of the good deeds we will do in the future. We will do them when we are privileged to improve and repair our ways.
וְהִנֵּה כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה דִּיבֵּר בְּקָדְשׁוֹ, כִּי יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי עִנְיְנֵי אֱמוּנָה, יֵשׁ אֱמוּנָה מִצַּד רְאִיָּה וְהַשָּׂגָה, כְּפִי שֶׁהָיָה עַל יַם סוּף שֶׁזָּכוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַשָּׂגוֹת נַעֲלוֹת, וְרָאוּ בְּחוּשׁ אֶת הִתְגַּלּוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ ״זֶה אֵלִי״, וְיֵשׁ עוֹד בְּחִינָה שֶׁל אֱמוּנָה בִּבְחִינַת שְׁמִיעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי א, ח) ״שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ״, וְהִיא הָאֱמוּנָה מִצַּד מָסוֹרֶת אָבוֹת, מַה שֶׁקִּבַּלְנוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּמֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דּוֹר אַחַר דּוֹר עַד לְאוֹתָם שֶׁעָמְדוּ רַגְלֵיהֶם עַל הַר סִינַי, וְאָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים בֶּאֱמוּנָה תְּמִימָה שֶׁיְּקַיֵּים ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ אֶת כָּל הַהַבְטָחוֹת שֶׁהִבְטִיחַ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ. וּמִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָנוּ מַאֲמִינִים בְּטוֹבַת ה׳ לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא עָלֵינוּ, אֲזַי הֲגַם שֶׁאָנוּ כָּעֵת בְּדַרְגָּה נְמוּכָה, ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מְצָרֵף כֹּחַ מַעֲשֵׂינוּ הַטּוֹבִים שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא בְּעֵת שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְהֵטִיב וּלְתַקֵּן מַעֲשֵׂינוּ.
- Mishlei 1:8. ↩
3bWith this my holy father explained the saying of Chazal, “An eye sees, an ear hears, and all your deeds are written in a book.”5 There were times when Bnei Yisrael stood on the level of “an eye sees.” They were granted revelation “eye to eye,”6 and saw all the miracles that were done in the Beis HaMikdash.7 But now, in exile, we are on the level of “an ear hears.” Our faith is only of the kind described in “Hear, my son, the instruction of your father”: it rests on the tradition of the fathers, on what we received from them. That is why the Holy One, blessed be He, judges us by what we will be in the future, when we will be privileged to repent, as it is written, “so that no one banished be cast away from Him.”8 This is the meaning of “and all your deeds are written in a book”: Hashem writes all our deeds before Him in a book of remembrance, for good. Those are his holy words.
וּבָזֶה פֵּירֵשׁ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (אבות ב, א) ״עַיִן רוֹאָה וְאוֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַּסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִים״, דְּהִנֵּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל זְמַנִּים בָּהֶם הָיוּ בְּמַדְרֵגַת ׳עַיִן רוֹאָה׳, שֶׁזָּכוּ לְהִתְגַּלּוּת עַיִן בְּעַיִן שֶׁרָאוּ אֶת כָּל הַנִּיסִּים שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בְּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (עיין אבות ה, ד), אַךְ כָּעֵת בִּזְמַן הַגָּלוּת אָנוּ בְּמַדְרֵגַת ׳אוֹזֶן שׁוֹמַעַת׳, שֶׁאֱמוּנָתֵינוּ הִיא רַק בִּבְחִינַת ״שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ״ כַּנִּזְכָּר, מִצַּד מָסוֹרֶת אָבוֹת מַה שֶׁקִּבַּלְנוּ מֵאֲבוֹתֵינוּ, וְעַל כֵּן דָּן אוֹתָנוּ הקב״ה עַל שֵׁם הֶעָתִיד שֶׁאָז נִזְכֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמואל ב יד, יד) ״לְבִלְתִּי יִדַּח מִמֶּנּוּ נִדָּח״, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְכָל מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בַּסֵּפֶר נִכְתָּבִים׳, שֶׁה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ כּוֹתֵב לְפָנָיו כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים בְּסֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן לְטוֹבָה, עכד״ק.
- Avos 2:1. ↩
- Yeshayahu 52:8. ↩
- See Avos 5:4 (in standard editions 5:5), which lists the miracles that took place there. ↩
- Shmuel II 14:14. ↩
In shortFaith by sight, as at the sea, differs from faith by hearing, from the fathers; in exile Hashem credits us now with our future teshuvah.
4We can explain all this as follows. The foundation of complete faith is what the holy sefer Noam Elimelech writes on the verse “And Bnei Yisrael walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.”9 At first glance, the verse should have said “in the midst of the sea, on dry land.” The Noam Elimelech explains that simple, true faith means this: even when a person walks on dry land, on solid ground, he must believe that it is a real miracle, as if he were crossing through the midst of the sea. For “a person does not so much as bruise his finger below unless it is decreed upon him from above,”10 and the workings of nature, too, all come from Hashem. Whoever reaches this level is called a true believer, one with genuine faith in the God of Israel. At the splitting of the Red Sea, Bnei Yisrael reached this level: even walking on dry land was for them like walking through the midst of the sea. This is complete faith.
וְיֵשׁ לְבָאֵר כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר, דְּהִנֵּה יְסוֹד שְׁלֵימוֹת הָאֱמוּנָה, הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ נוֹעַם אֱלִימֶלֶךְ (ליקוטי שושנה ד״ה או יאמר, עם קצת תוספת נופך) עַל הַכָּתוּב (יד, כט) ״וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם״, וְלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה רָאוּי לוֹמַר ׳בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם בַּיַּבָּשָׁה׳. וּבֵיאֵר, דְּהָאֱמוּנָה הַפְּשׁוּטָה וְהַנְּכוֹנָה הִיא, שֶׁאַף כַּאֲשֶׁר הָאָדָם הוֹלֵךְ בַּיַּבָּשָׁה עַל הָאָרֶץ, צָרִיךְ הוּא לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת נֵס מַמָּשׁ כְּאִילּוּ הוּא עוֹבֵר בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, כִּי אֵין אָדָם נוֹקֵף אֶצְבָּעוֹ מִלְּמַטָּה אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן מַכְרִיזִין עָלָיו מִלְּמַעְלָה (חולין ז, ב), וְגַם הַנְהָגַת הַטֶּבַע הַכֹּל הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וּמִי שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לְמַדְרֵיגָה זוֹ, נִקְרָא בַּעַל מַאֲמִין וְיֵשׁ לוֹ אֱמוּנָה אֲמִיתִּית בֶּאֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְהִנֵּה בְּעֵת קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָבוֹא לְדַרְגָּה זוֹ, שֶׁאַף בְּעֵת הַהֲלִיכָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה הָיָה זֶה אֶצְלָם כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹלְכִים בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם, וְזֶהוּ הַשְּׁלֵימוּת שֶׁל הָאֱמוּנָה.
- Noam Elimelech, Likkutei Shoshanah, s.v. O yomar, cited with a little embellishment; Shemos 14:29. ↩
- Chullin 7b. ↩
In shortComplete faith, as the Noam Elimelech teaches, sees even walking on dry land as a miracle like crossing the sea; Bnei Yisrael reached it there.
5This faith is what “This is my God” expresses. The word zeh, “this,” points to something the eye sees so plainly that one can say of it, “this.” As Chazal said, Israel pointed with a finger and said, “This is my God and I will glorify Him”:11 they saw with their own eyes Hashem's power within every thing. This was the level of Moshe Rabbeinu, who prophesied with the words zeh hadavar, “This is the thing,” since the word zeh points to a faith that is seen and felt.12 His level is higher than that of the other prophets, who prophesied only with the words koh amar Hashem, “Thus said Hashem.”13 This is what Chazal meant when they said that a maidservant at the sea saw what Yechezkel did not see in his prophecy. The prophets reached only the level of “Thus said Hashem,” while Bnei Yisrael at the sea reached a higher level, that of Moshe's prophecy. That is why they said “This is my God”: they were granted a faith they could see and feel, seeing the hand of Hashem even in physical things, just as the Noam Elimelech taught about walking on dry land.
וֶאֱמוּנָה זוֹ הִיא בְּחִינַת ״זֶה אֵלִי״, דְּהִנֵּה ׳זֶה׳ מוֹרֶה עַל דָּבָר הַנִּרְאֶה לָעַיִן בְּחוּשׁ עַד שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר עָלָיו ׳זֶה׳, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (שיר השירים רבה ב, ג) שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַרְאִין בְּאֶצְבַּע וְאוֹמְרִים זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁרָאוּ בְּחוּשׁ בְּכָל דָּבָר אֶת כֹּחַ ה׳ שֶׁבּוֹ. וְזוֹ הָיְתָה דַּרְגַּת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ ע״ה אֲשֶׁר נִתְנַבֵּא בְּ׳זֶה הַדָּבָר׳, שֶׁלָּשׁוֹן זֶה מוֹרֶה עַל בְּחִינַת אֱמוּנָה חוּשִׁית, וְזוֹ מַעֲלָה יְתֵירָה עַל מַדְרֵגַת שְׁאָר הַנְּבִיאִים שֶׁנִּתְנַבְּאוּ רַק בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳כֹּה אָמַר ה׳׳ (ספרי מטות ל, ב). וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל שֶׁרָאֲתָה שִׁפְחָה עַל הַיָּם מַה שֶּׁלֹּא רָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל בִּנְבוּאָתוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁדַּרְגַּת הַנְּבִיאִים הִיא רַק בִּבְחִינַת ׳כֹּה אָמַר ה׳׳, וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל הַיָּם זָכוּ לְדַרְגָּה גְּדוֹלָה מִזּוֹ, בְּחִינַת נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה, וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ ׳זֶה אֵלִי׳, שֶׁזָּכוּ לֶאֱמוּנָה חוּשִׁית לִרְאוֹת אֶת יַד ה׳ אֲפִילּוּ בִּדְבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים, וּכְדִבְרֵי הַנּוֹעַם אֱלִימֶלֶךְ הַנִּזְכָּרִים.
In shortZeh, “this,” is faith one can point to, Moshe's level above the prophets' “Thus said Hashem”; so a maidservant saw more than Yechezkel.
6This lets us explain the Midrash we cited, that in the time to come Israel will say “this” twice. We have seen that “this” points to faith that is seen and felt. Yet in this world even this tangible faith is still hidden, a concealment within a concealment. In the days of Moshiach there will be open revelation, with nothing at all standing in between, and Israel will be granted a faith clearer and loftier still. That is what the doubled “this” points to.
וְעַל פִּי הָאָמוּר יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר, שֶׁלֶּעָתִיד לָבוֹא יֹאמְרוּ שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים ׳זֶה׳. דְּהִנֵּה נִתְבָּאֵר דְּ׳זֶה׳ מוֹרֶה עַל בְּחִינַת אֱמוּנָה בְּחוּשׁ, אָכֵן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה גַּם דַּרְגָּה זוֹ שֶׁל אֱמוּנָה בְּחוּשׁ עֲדַיִין הִיא בְּהֶסְתֵּר בְּתוֹךְ הַסֵּתֶר, אֲבָל לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ יְהֵא בְּחִינַת הִתְגַּלּוּת לְלֹא כָּל דָּבָר הַמַּבְדִּיל, וְיִזְכּוּ לִבְהִירוּת הָאֱמוּנָה בְּאוֹפֶן בָּרוּר וְנַעֲלֶה עוֹד יוֹתֵר, וְעַל זֶה מוֹרֶה כֶּפֶל בְּחִינוֹת ׳זֶה׳.
In shortEven faith that is seen stays hidden in this world; in Moshiach's days it will be fully revealed, and so “this” is said twice.
7a[14This is the meaning of what Rashi cites from Chazal: “‘Az yashir, Then Moshe will sing’: it does not say shar, ‘sang,’ but yashir, ‘will sing.’ From here there is a source in the Torah for the resurrection of the dead.”15 But what does song have to do with the resurrection of the dead? Nowadays, in the bitter exile, there is a concealment within a concealment, and not everyone is granted simple faith as Bnei Yisrael were granted it then, at the Song of the Sea. But when our righteous Moshiach comes, knowledge will increase. We will be granted the resurrection of the dead, and Moshe Rabbeinu will come and sing the song with us in the time to come.16 Then we will be able to reach the level of faith that Bnei Yisrael reached at the splitting of the Red Sea. That is why it says az yashir, in the future tense: when will we reach this level again? At the time of the resurrection of the dead.]
*[וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהֵבִיא רש״י הַקָּדוֹשׁ מחז״ל (סנהדרין צא, ב) ״אָז יָשִׁיר״, ׳שָׁר׳ לֹא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא ׳יָשִׁיר׳, מִכָּאן לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת בֵּין עִנְיַן שִׁירָה לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים. אָכֵן כְּהַיּוֹם בַּגָּלוּת הַמַּר יֶשְׁנוֹ בְּחִינַת הַסֵּתֶר בְּתוֹךְ הַסֵּתֶר, וְלֹא כָּל אֶחָד זוֹכֶה לֶאֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁזָּכוּ אָז בְּשִׁירַת הַיָּם, אֲבָל בְּעֵת שֶׁיָּבוֹא מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ יִתְרַבֶּה הַדַּעַת, וְנִזְכֶּה לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים וּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ יָבוֹא וְיָשִׁיר אִתָּנוּ אֶת הַשִּׁירָה לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, (עיין בזוהר ח״א מדרש הנעלם קטז, א ובפירוש רבי חיים ויטאל באור החמה שם שתחיית המתים הראשונה תהיה לימות המשיח), וְאָז נִזְכֶּה לְהַשִּׂיג הַדְרָגָה שֶׁל הָאֱמוּנָה כְּפִי שֶׁהִשִּׂיגוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּשְׁעַת קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. וְזֶהוּ ׳אָז יָשִׁיר׳ לְשׁוֹן עָתִיד, דְּאֵימָתַי נִזְכֶּה עוֹד שׁוּב לְדַרְגָּא זוֹ, בְּעֵת תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים.
7b[With this we can also explain the Midrash: “‘Then Moshe sang’: this is what is written, ‘Your throne is established from then (me'az).’ R' Berechiah said in the name of R' Abahu: Although You have existed forever, Your throne was not established and You were not known in Your world until Your children sang the song. That is why it says, ‘Your throne is established from az, then.’”17 Chazal said that until Moshiach comes, the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is incomplete, and so is the Throne.18 But at the splitting of the Red Sea, Bnei Yisrael were privileged to have the Name complete for that hour. Hashem was revealed to them in the greatness of His glory, and so His Throne, too, was complete then.]
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר גַּם דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה כג, א) ״אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה״, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (תהלים צג, ב) ״נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז״, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אָבָהוּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁמֵּעוֹלָם אַתָּה, לֹא נִתְיַישֵּׁב כִּסְאֶךָ וְלֹא נוֹדַעְתָּ בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ בָּנֶיךָ שִׁירָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז״, ע״כ. דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (פסיקתא דרב כהנא ג, רש״י שמות יז, טז) שֶׁעַד בִּיאַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֵין שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל הקב״ה שָׁלֵם וְאֵין הַכִּסֵּא שָׁלֵם, אָמְנָם בְּעֵת בְּקִיעַת יַם סוּף זָכוּ בִּשְׁעָתוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַשֵּׁם שָׁלֵם וְנִתְגַּלָּה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּגוֹדֶל כְּבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וְאָז מִמֵּילָא הָיָה גַּם כִּסְאוֹ שָׁלֵם].
- Shemos Rabbah 23:1; Tehillim 93:2. ↩
- Pesikta deRav Kahana 3; Rashi on Shemos 17:16. Chazal learn this from Shemos 17:16, where both the Name of Hashem and the word for “throne” are written in shortened form. ↩
In shortThe future-tense az yashir points to the resurrection, when the Song's faith returns; at the sea, Hashem's Name and Throne were complete for that hour.
8This lets us explain why this Shabbos is called Shabbos Shirah, the Shabbos of Song. Other passages are read on other Shabbosos, yet those Shabbosos are not named after them. Why, then, was this Shabbos alone named after the reading of the Song? The answer is that Shabbos rests on faith in the Creator of the world, Who formed and made everything, as it is written, “For in six days Hashem made the heavens and the earth.”19 By the power of Shabbos we carry this faith into the other days of the week as well, believing that everything physical comes entirely from Hashem. This idea is also contained in the words of the holy Zohar, “All six days are blessed from it.”20 Besides their simple meaning, physical blessings such as livelihood and the like, these words surely refer to spiritual blessing as well, such as faith. Through Shabbos we are granted an abundance of faith all through the weekdays, so that in every physical matter we recognize and know that all of it is “the finger of God.”21 That is why this Shabbos in particular was given a name of its own, Shabbos Shirah: Shabbos is bound up with the Song, since both express the faith that sees Hashem's hand in physical things.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר מַדּוּעַ נִקְרֵאת שַׁבָּת זוֹ ׳שַׁבָּת שִׁירָה׳, וְלִכְאוֹרָה יֶשְׁנָם עוֹד קְרִיאוֹת שֶׁקּוֹרִין בִּשְׁאָר שַׁבָּתוֹת וְאֵין קוֹרִין אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת עַל שְׁמָם, וּמַדּוּעַ דַּוְוקָא עַל שֵׁם קְרִיאַת הַשִּׁירָה קָרְאוּ שֵׁם לְשַׁבָּת זוֹ בְּיִחוּד. אֶלָּא דְּהִנֵּה יְסוֹד עִנְיַן הַשַּׁבָּת הוּא הָאֱמוּנָה בְּבוֹרֵא הָעוֹלָם שֶׁיָּצַר וְעָשָׂה כֹּל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (להלן כ, יא) ״כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה׳ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ״, וּמִכֹּחַ הַשַּׁבָּת מַמְשִׁיכִים אֱמוּנָה זוֹ גַּם לִשְׁאָר יְמוֹת הַשָּׁבוּעַ, לְהַאֲמִין שֶׁכָּל הַדְּבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים הַכֹּל מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וְגַם עִנְיָן זֶה נִכְלָל בַּמֶּה דְּאִיתָא בַּזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ח״ב פח, א) שֶׁכָּל שִׁיתָּא יוֹמִין מִינֵּיהּ מִתְבָּרְכִין, דְּמִלְּבַד הַכַּוָּונָה בְּפַשְׁטוּת עַל בְּרָכוֹת גַּשְׁמִיּוֹת כְּפַרְנָסָה וְכַדּוֹמֶה, אַךְ בְּוַדַּאי שֶׁזֶּה אָמוּר גַּם עַל הַשְׁפָּעָה בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת, כְּמוֹ עִנְיַן הָאֱמוּנָה, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי שַׁבָּת קוֹדֶשׁ זוֹכִים לְשֶׁפַע אֱמוּנָה בְּכָל יְמוֹת הַחוֹל, לְהַכִּיר וְלֵידַע בְּכָל הָעִנְיָנִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים אֵיךְ שֶׁהַכֹּל הוּא אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹקִים. וְעַל כֵּן דַּיְיקָא לְשַׁבָּת זוֹ נָתְנוּ שֵׁם לְעַצְמָהּ ׳שַׁבָּת שִׁירָה׳, לְפִי שֶׁעִנְיַן הַשַּׁבָּת שַׁיָּיךְ לְעִנְיַן הַשִּׁירָה, שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם מוֹרִים עַל מַדְרֵגַת הָאֱמוּנָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת.
In shortOnly this Shabbos is named for its reading because Shabbos, like the Song, expresses faith that sees Hashem behind everything physical, all week long.
9This is also what the fifteenth of Shevat, the New Year for trees, is about.22 Chazal said that the word “faith” in a verse of Yeshayahu refers to Seder Zera'im, the order of the Mishnah that deals with farming.23 Tosafos, the classic commentators on the Gemara, give the reason there in the name of the Yerushalmi: a farmer believes in Hashem, the Life of the worlds, and sows. We see from this that sowing in the ground leads us to simple faith. That is why the New Year for trees sometimes falls on Shabbos Shirah: the two are connected. The Song is about seeing faith even in physical things, and the New Year for trees, too, is about finding faith in physical things: “he believes in the Life of the worlds and sows.”
וְזֶהוּ גַּם עִנְיַן חֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר בִּשְׁבָט שֶׁהוּא רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לָאִילָנוֹת (ראש השנה ב, א), דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרוּ חז״ל (שבת ל, א) אֱמוּנָה זֶה סֵדֶר זְרָעִים, וּבְתוֹסְפוֹת הֵבִיאוּ בְּשֵׁם הַיְרוּשַׁלְמִי שֶׁמַּאֲמִין בְּחַי עוֹלָמִים וְזוֹרֵעַ, מְבוֹאָר בָּזֶה שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זְרִיעָה בְּקַרְקַע אָנוּ בָּאִים לִידֵי אֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה. וְעַל כֵּן יוֹצֵא לִפְעָמִים שֶׁחָל יוֹם רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְאִילָנוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת שִׁירָה, דְּיֵשׁ שַׁיָּיכוּת בֵּינֵיהֶם, שֶׁכֵּן הַשִּׁירָה עִנְיָינָהּ לִרְאוֹת הָאֱמוּנָה גַּם בִּדְבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים, וְכֵן הוּא גַּם עִנְיַן רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה לְאִילָנוֹת לִמְצוֹא הָאֱמוּנָה בִּדְבָרִים הַגַּשְׁמִיִּים, מַאֲמִין בְּחַי עוֹלָמִים וְזוֹרֵעַ.
In shortSowing is an act of faith, so the fifteenth of Shevat, like Shabbos Shirah, finds faith in physical things, and the two sometimes coincide.
10How, though, can a person, or a whole community, attain such a level of faith? We can learn it from Bnei Yisrael themselves, and this answers our first question. Even as they stood at the sea, privileged to see more than Yechezkel ben Buzi saw, they said at once, “the God of my father and I will exalt Him.” Rashi explains: “I am not the beginning of the holiness. Rather, the holiness is established and abides with me, and His Godliness has been upon me since the days of my fathers.” They credited everything they had been granted to the merit of the holy Avos alone. “The God of my father” means: we had a holy father who planted in us the power of simple faith, as it is written of Avraham Avinu, “And he believed in Hashem.”24 Avraham handed this power down to the generations after him, as it says, “so that he will command his children and his household after him.”25 Recognizing that one has nothing of one's own, and that all one has comes in the merit of one's fathers, is what leads a person to this level of faith.
אָמְנָם כֵּיצַד אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכּוֹת לְמַדְרֵגָה כָּזֹאת שֶׁל אֱמוּנָה בֵּין בְּיָחִיד בֵּין אֵצֶל צִיבּוּר, זֹאת יֵשׁ לִלְמוֹד מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁאַף בְּעֵת שֶׁעָמְדוּ עַל הַיָּם וְזָכוּ לִרְאוֹת יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶׁרָאָה יְחֶזְקֵאל בֶּן בּוּזִי, אָמְרוּ תֵּיכֶף ׳אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרוֹמְמֶנְהוּ׳, וּכְפֵירוּשׁ רש״י ׳לֹא אֲנִי תְּחִילַּת קְדוּשָּׁה אֶלָּא מוּחְזֶקֶת וְעוֹמֶדֶת לִי הַקְּדוּשָּׁה וֵאלֹהוּתוֹ עָלַי מִימֵי אֲבוֹתַי׳, שֶׁתָּלוּ כָּל מַה שֶׁזָּכוּ רַק בִּזְכוּת הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, ׳אֱלֹקֵי אָבִי׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁהָיָה לָנוּ אָב קָדוֹשׁ שֶׁהִכְנִיס בָּנוּ אֶת הַכֹּחַ שֶׁל אֱמוּנָה פְּשׁוּטָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב אֵצֶל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ (בראשית טו, ו) ״וְהֶאֱמִין בַּה׳״, וְהַכֹּחַ הַזֶּה מָסַר לַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם יח, יט) ״לְמַעַן אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת בֵּיתוֹ אַחֲרָיו״. וְעִנְיָן זֶה שֶׁל הַהַכָּרָה דְּלֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם, וְכֹל שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ הוּא בִּזְכוּת אֲבוֹתָיו, הוּא הַמֵּבִיא לְמַדְרֵגַת הָאֱמוּנָה הַנִּזְכֶּרֶת.
In shortThe way to such faith is humility: at the sea Israel credited everything to the fathers, knowing it had nothing of its own.
11[26This also helps us understand the saying of Chazal, “The prayer of a tzaddik the son of a tzaddik cannot be compared to the prayer of a tzaddik the son of a wicked man.”27 At first glance it should be the other way around. The son of a wicked father should have his prayer accepted more readily, since he had to work harder on himself to become a servant of Hashem than the son of a tzaddik, for whom serving Hashem comes more easily. But we have said that a person must recognize that “the holiness is established and abides with me, and His Godliness has been upon me since the days of my fathers,” and so become humble and lowly, which is the foundation of all avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, and of having one's prayer accepted. A tzaddik the son of a tzaddik credits everything to his father's power. A tzaddik the son of a wicked man has no one to credit, so he credits his service to his own merit, and this is not pleasing to Hashem. For a person must pray in the spirit of “a prayer of the poor man,”28 like a poor man who has nothing of his own. That is why the prayer of a tzaddik the son of a tzaddik is rightly accepted more readily than that of a tzaddik the son of a wicked man.]
*[וּבָזֶה יוּבָן גַּם מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (יבמות סד, א) אֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה תְּפִלַּת צַדִּיק בֶּן צַדִּיק לִתְפִלַּת צַדִּיק בֶּן רָשָׁע, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת לְהֵיפֶךְ, שֶׁמִּי שֶׁאָבִיו רָשָׁע אָז יוֹתֵר נָכוֹן שֶׁתִּתְקַבֵּל תְּפִילָּתוֹ, אַחַר שֶׁהוּא עָבַד עַל עַצְמוֹ קָשֶׁה לִהְיוֹת עוֹבֵד ה׳, יוֹתֵר מֵאֲשֶׁר מִי שֶׁאָבִיו צַדִּיק, שֶׁנָּקֵל לוֹ יוֹתֵר לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳. אָמְנָם לְפִי מַה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהַכִּיר בָּזֶה שֶׁ׳מוּחְזֶקֶת וְעוֹמֶדֶת לִי הַקְּדוּשָּׁה וֵאלֹהוּתוֹ עָלַי מִימֵי אֲבוֹתַי׳, וְעַל יְדֵי כֵּן לִהְיוֹת בִּבְחִינַת הַכְנָעָה וְשִׁפְלוּת שֶׁהִיא הַיְּסוֹד לְכָל עֲבוֹדַת ה׳ וּלְקַבָּלַת הַתְּפִילָּה, וְהִנֵּה מִי שֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק בֶּן צַדִּיק אֲזַי הוּא תּוֹלֶה הַכֹּל בְּכֹחַ אָבִיו, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהוּא צַדִּיק בֶּן רָשָׁע אֵין לוֹ בְּמִי לִתְלוֹת, אֲזַי הוּא תּוֹלֶה אֶת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בִּזְכוּת עַצְמוֹ, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ מְרוּצֶּה לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרֵךְ, לְפִי שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת בִּבְחִינַת (תהלים קב, א) ״תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי״, בִּבְחִינַת עָנִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ כְּלוּם מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן שַׁפִּיר מְקוּבֶּלֶת תְּפִילַּת צַדִּיק בֶּן צַדִּיק יוֹתֵר מִצַּדִּיק בֶּן רָשָׁע].
In shortA tzaddik the son of a tzaddik credits all to his father and prays as a poor man, so his prayer is accepted more readily.
12What follows from all this is a general rule. We must know that we have “nothing of our own,”29 and that everything comes only through the merit of the fathers. We must hold fast to the tradition of the fathers, not look for new paths, and walk only in the way of the fathers. In this merit may the verse be fulfilled in us, “And he will return the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers,”30 and may we greet our righteous Moshiach and then be granted complete faith on lofty levels. Amen.
הַכְּלָל הַיּוֹצֵא מִזֶּה, שֶׁאָנוּ צְרִיכִים לָדַעַת שֶׁאָנוּ בִּבְחִינַת (זוהר ח״א קסח, ב) לֵית לֵיהּ מִגַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם, וְהַכֹּל רַק בִּזְכוּת אָבוֹת, וְעָלֵינוּ לְהַחְזִיק עַצְמֵנוּ בְּמָסוֹרֶת אָבוֹת, וְלֹא לְחַפֵּשׂ דְּרָכִים חֲדָשׁוֹת אֶלָּא רַק לָלֶכֶת בְּדֶרֶךְ אָבוֹת. וּבִזְכוּת זֶה יְקוּיַּים בָּנוּ מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (מלאכי ג, כה) ״וְהֵשִׁיב לֵב אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְלֵב בָּנִים עַל אֲבוֹתָם״, וּנְקַבֵּל פְּנֵי מְשִׁיחַ צְדָקֵינוּ, וְנִזְכֶּה אָז לִשְׁלֵימוּת הָאֱמוּנָה בִּדְרָגוֹת נַעֲלוֹת, אָמֵן.
In shortThe Rebbe prays that, knowing we have nothing of our own and holding to our fathers' ways, we see fathers and children reunited and greet Moshiach.
Takeaway
Most of us do not see Hashem's hand as Israel saw it at the sea; our faith comes by hearing, handed down from parents and teachers all the way back to Sinai. Yet even those who saw more than Yechezkel said at once “the God of my father,” and this humble knowledge that nothing is our own is the path to complete faith. Shabbos, and even sowing a field, can teach us to find Hashem's hand in ordinary physical life, until the hidden faith is revealed twice over.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.