Song of the Future

Rashi says that the verse says az yashir is said in the future tense to allude to the resurrection of the dead.  Why is this the place to hint to this idea?  Rashi says that when Bnei Yisroel saw the miracle they thought to say shira.  What is the חידוש here, obviously one thinks before they speak?  Chazal interpret the praise מי כמכה באלם as me chomocha ba’ilmin- that Hashem is great for he can make himself silent against those that embarrass Him.  Why was this praise said now when Hashem wasn’t silent rather He destroyed those that stood against Him?  Why does the shira include the building the Beis Hamikdash, מקדש ה' כוננו ידך if it only occurred years later?

Klal Yisroel at this point realized that all the years of slavery were for their benefit.  They were able to realize that the silence of Hashem throughout their years of hard labor wasn’t a sign that he was ignoring their plight, but rather it was for a greater purpose.  They were able to understand the hashgacha of Hashem’s presence in everything.  This is akin to the revelation that we will experience by the coming of Moshiach.  All the events of world history, all the trials and tribulations will be recognized as part of the process of getting to the end.  We will understand how the events of dayan ha’emes are really events of hatov ve’hatamatev.  Klal Yisroel thought to sing shira, the shir chadash of yemos hamashiach.  They didn’t just want to sing shira, but rather to sing the ultimate shira of yemos hamashiach.  That’s why the idea of techias hamasim is alluded to here.  That is why they sang about the building of the Beis Hamikdash for they saw (through prophesy) how things would be in the future.  However, there was still something lacking in their realization of the hashgachas Hashem.  Chazal say that if they said Hashem melech in the present tense then Moshiach would have come.  However, their realization was incomplete, and they were only able to say Hashem yimloch in the future tense.

The midrash says that Moshe sinned by complaining to Hashem (at the end of Shemos) with the word az, “ma’az baasi el Pharoa” etc. and he fixed it with the az of az yashir.  What is the connection?  How does the az of the shira correct his complaint?  The Bes Halavi explains that now Moshe was able to appreciate how the additional hard work was necessary for Klal Yisroel to get out of Egypt.  The shira wasn’t just a praise for the redemption, but it was a praise for the slavery as well.  Moshe was now able to recognize how all the events were for the betterment of Klal Yisroel.  This is hinted to in the word az itself.  The Maharal (Gevuros Hashem chapter 47) explains the word is made up of a alef and zayen.  The zayen represents all the power of the world (according to Maharal the number 7 is always the completion of the natural order like 7 days in a week).  The alef represents Hashem, אלופו של עולם.  The word exemplifies Hashem’s dominance over the world and everything that happens in it.   

This Shabbos is called Shabbos Shira.  That would indicate that there is a connection between Shabbos and shira.  What is this connection?  The day of Shabbos is the day when we are able to recognize Hashem’s hand throughout creation.  This was the point of yitzias mitzraim as well.  Shabbos is also a remembrance to leaving Egypt (as we say in Kiddush).  Klal Yisroel was able to have an understanding of this at the time of krias yam suf.  The seventh day of Pesach also shares this aspect of Shabbos and is therefore, it’s called Shabbos (Or Gedalyahu.)  (Based upon Or Gedaylahu and Sifsay Chaim.)