Rabbi Heller's Blog

There are two poems associated with Passover. The “Shir al-Hayam” (“The Song at the Sea”) is always read on the 7^th day of Passover. “Shir HaShirim” (“The Song of Songs”) is read on the Shabbat of Passover. They among the most beautiful poetic works in our tradition, but they could not be more different in their tone and their scope. This year is one of but a dozen times that the 7^th day falls on Shabbat, leading to their juxtaposition. What do these two poems have to say to each other? And to us?

Exodus records the “Shir Al Hayam”- the triumphant song at the sea, sung by Miriam, Moses and Jewish people to celebrate their miraculous salvation from the Egyptians, as God made a path for them through the Red Sea and drowned their pursuers. It is chosen as the reading for the 7^th day of Passover because, following the Biblical account, it was on that very day that their miraculous escape occurred, and that song was composed and sung. It is a book steeped in the history of a specific moment. It describes the crashing of the waves over the Egyptians, incorporates dramatic images of God as a warrior, and describes the trembling of the nations of Canaan. When it is read in the cycle of annual reading, it is paired with the Song of Deborah, which reflects a time of similarly miraculous national salvation. Its inspiring imagery was ultimately incorporated into the morning service of every day of the year.

“Shir HaShirim”- the Song of Songs, is a book of idyllic, sometimes graphic love poetry, reflecting the romance between lovers against the background of springtime’s buds and blossoms. Other than its attribution to Solomon, it does not seem to have a historical connection. The lovers are anonymous, and they occasionally interact with city watchmen or the “daughters of Jerusalem” but these are stock characters that could be drawn from any time in the Biblical era. It does not speak of world events, and it barely even mentions God’s name! In fact, some of the sages were so distressed by the graphic nature of the book’s image that they felt it should not be included in the Bible at all. 

What does the song of songs have to do with Passover? Some suggest that we read it on the Shabbat of Passover because it reflects the spring season. Others see the love story as symbolic of the love between God and the Jewish people. The ebb and flow of the lovers’ relationships with each other and with those who would disrupt them are a metaphor for our relationship with God in its turns and tribulations.

These two songs, normally read on different days of Passover, give us a powerful message when brought together.  Sometimes we see God in the realm of the Song at the Sea. We expect miracles, national journeys, and thunderous revelation. Other times, our relationship with God is intimate like that of lovers, driven not by supernatural miracles, but by the natural beauty of the world that we encounter. God is not revealed in fully glory in  the clear waters of a divided sea or the force of an overwhelming wind. Rather we sense God peeking out of the dappled shade of an orchard, in the scent of the perfume of a breath.

We may look for God in the big moments of history and national events, or in the small moments of our lives.  The Song of the Sea, and the Song of Songs, tell us that on some days we may find God in one place, some times in another.  Only rarely are the songs sung together, reminding us that God is found in both.