Experiencing Shirah

The Gemarah Sotah (30b-31a) says  דרש רבי יוסי הגלילי בשעה שעלו ישראל מן הים נתנו עיניהם לומר שירה וכיצד אמרו שירה עולל מוטל על ברכי אמו ותינוק יונק משדי אמו כיון שראו את השכינה עולל הגביה צוארו ותינוק שמט דד מפיו ואמרו זה אלי ואנוהו שנאמר (תהלים ח, ג) מפי עוללים ויונקים יסדת עוז היה רבי מאיר אומר מנין שאפי' עוברים שבמעי אמן אמרו שירה שנאמר במקהלות ברכו אלהים ה' ממקור ישראל.  Babies and fetuses do not have the ability to decide to sing shirah.  So why did they say shirah?  Because shirah wasn't a choice as much as it was an outgrowth of the state of existence at the time.  Shirah was not merely sung, it was experienced.    What happened at the yam that caused this outburst of song?  

The Midrash connects the word אז in אז ישיר to the words נָכוֹן כִּסְאֲךָ מֵאָז that the malchut of Hashem was solidified at the time of krias yam suf.  Why was it solidified then more than the makkot?  The maakot were brought for to save Klal Yisrael and punish the Egyptians.  However, the Sifsay Chayim (Sevii shel Pesach) elaborates on the idea that krias yam suf was not a necessary part of the geulah but was just to demonstrate Hashem's dominion over the world.  As he notes, the entire scene of krias yam suf was orchestrated just so that Pharoah would run after Klal Yisrael and there well plenty of miracles that occurred that were not necessary to the salvation of Klal Yisrael such as all the waters of the world splitting.  This is because the yesod of krias yam suf was to bring into the world the manifestation of malchus Hashem.  What does it mean malchus Hashem?  That everything exists only to bring kavod shamayim.  The Egyptians and their deities did not have any independent power that was fighting against Hashem but they too only existed to serve a purpose and were destroyed when they ran their course.  That is why the שירה contains many allusions to the ultimate geulah for then then the message of the malchut of Hashem will permanently take root in the world.  It was this revelation of the malchus of Hashem that took root in the world that left a shirah impression that was felt even by children still in the womb. 

The Shem MeShmuel (5678) cites the Midrash that no one, not Adam, Noach, the Avos etc. said shirah until Klal Yisrael said it at the yam suf.  Why were they the first?  He explains that just as a person can only speak after a person becomes complete as in their body and mind have already taken form, so too for shirah to be experienced as a שכינה מדברת תוך גרונם (his lashon) there needs to be an a combining of many peoples into an entity of one nation.  It is only at this time, אז ישיר , in the singular, that many peoples combine into one nation.  Shirah comes bursting forth when there is unity, a unity experienced on a personal, national and global level.