Mekhilta de-Rabbi Ishmael (JPS Classic Reissues)

TRACTATE SHIRATA

169 TRACTATE SHIRATA CHAPTER I (Ex. 15.1) Then Sang Moses. Sometimes the word “then” (az) refers to the past and sometimes to what is to come in the future. “Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord” (Gen. 4.26); “Then she said: ‘A bridegroom of blood’ ” (Ex. 4.26); “Then sang Moses” (here); “Then David said” (I Chron. 15.2); “Then spoke Solomon” (I Kings 8.12)—these refer to the past. And there are instances in which the word “then” refers to what is to come in the future: “Then thou shalt see and be radiant” (Isa. 60.5); “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning” (ibid. 58.8); “Then shall the lame man leap as a hart” (ibid. 35.6); “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened” (ibid., v. 5); “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance” ( Jer. 31.12); “Then will our mouth be filled with laughter . . . Then will they say among the nations: ‘The Lord hath done great things with these’ ” (Ps. 126.2)— these refer to what is to come in the future. Rabbi says: It is not written here: “Then Moses sang” (Shar), but, “Then Moses will sing” (Yashir). Thus we find that we can derive the resurrection of the dead from the Torah. Moses and the Children of Israel. Moses was equal to Israel, and Israel was equal to Moses when uttering the song. Another Interpretation: Moses and the Children of Israel. This tells that Moses sang the song before all Israel. This Song. Is there only one song? Are there not ten songs? The first, which was recited in Egypt, as it is said: “Ye shall have a song, as ‡˙¯È˘„ ‡˙ÎÒÓ ‡˙ÈÓ„˜ ‡˙˘¯Ù (.'‡ ,Â"Ë ˙ÂÓ˘) ‰˘Ó ¯È˘È ʇ „È˙ÚÏ Ê‡ ˘È ¯·Ú˘Ï ʇ ˘È ÌÈÓ„ Ô˙Á ‰¯Ó‡ ʇ ÈÈ Ì˘· ‡Â¯˜Ï ÏÁ‰ ʇ ‡·Ï Ú˘Â‰È ¯·„È Ê‡ χ¯˘È ¯È˘È ʇ ‰˘Ó ¯È˘È ʇ ʇ ʇ ˘È ¯·Ú˘Ï Âχ ȯ‰ ‰ÓÏ˘ ¯Ó‡ ʇ „„ ¯Ó‡ 5 ͯ‡ ¯Á˘Î Ú˜·È ʇ ˙¯‰ ȇ¯È˙ ʇ ‡·Ï „È˙ÚÏ ‰ÏÂ˙· ÁÓ˘˙ ʇ ‰Á˜Ù˙ ʇ ÁÒÙ ÏȇΠ‚Ï„È Ê‡ ȯ‰ ÈÈ ÏÈ„‚‰ ÌÈ‚· Â¯Ó‡È Ê‡ ÂÈÙ ˜ÂÁ˘ ‡ÏÓÈ Ê‡·È˙Î Ôȇ ‰˘Ó ¯˘ ʇ ¯Ó‡ È·¯ ‡·Ï „È˙ÚÏ Âχ ÌÈ˙Ó‰ ˙ÈÈÁ˙ ÔÈ„ÓÏ ÂȈÓ ‰˘Ó ¯È˘È ʇ ‡Ï‡ ԇΠ10 .‰¯Â˙‰ ÔÓ Ï‡¯˘È È·Â ‰˘Ó χ¯˘ÈΠϘ˘ ‰˘Ó¯·„ ‰¯È˘ ¯Ӈ˘ ‰Ú˘· ‰˘ÓÎ ÔÈϘ˘ χ¯˘È ‰¯È˘ ‰˘Ó ¯Ó‡˘ „È‚Ó Ï‡¯˘È È·Â ‰˘Ó ¯Á‡ .χ¯˘È ÏÎ „‚Î 15 ˙‡Ê‰ ‰¯È˘‰ ˙‡ ‡Ï‰Â ‡È‰ ˙Á‡ ‰¯È˘ ÈίӇ˘ ÌȯˆÓ· ‰¯Ó‡˘ ‰¢‡¯‰ Ô‰ ˙Â¯È˘ ¯˘Ú 1Z34 .56 .˘ 1Z39 .'È ÁÏ˘· .˙ 2 .Â"Î ,'„ ˙ÂÓ˘ / .Â"Î ,'„ ˙È˘‡¯· 3¯·„Ó· .·"È ,'È Ú˘Â‰È / Ê"È ,‡"Î 3Z4 .'· ,Â"Ë .‡"ȉ„ 4 .·"È ,'Á .‡ ÌÈÎÏÓ 5 ,'Ò ‰ÈÚ˘È .'Á ,Á" Ì˘ / .'‰ 6 .·"È ,‡"Ï ‰ÈÓ¯È / .'‰ ,‰"Ï Ì˘ / .' ,‰"Ï Ì˘ 7 ,Â"Θ ÌÈω˙ .'· 8Z10 .'· ,‡"ˆ Ôȯ„‰Ò 11Z12 .'‡ ,'„ ¯"˘‰˘ 12Z14 .45 .˙"Ó 1 [¯·Ú˘Ï ʇ ˘È .Ó Ï‡¯˘È ¯È˘È ʇ .„ [ʇ ˘È / ¯·Ú˘Ï χ¯˘È ¯È˘È ʇ .„ ˘È .ÔȯÓ‡ 1Z3 [χ¯˘È ¯È˘ÈZÏ"ÚÏ Ê‡ ˘È .Ó .> 2 [ÌÈÓ„ Ô˙Á ‰¯Ó‡ .„ .¯Ó‡ 3 [‰˘Ó ¯È˘È ʇ .„ .> 4 [˘È .„ .> 8 [¯Ó‡ È·¯ .Ï . .¯Á‡ ¯·„ 11 [‰˘Ó .Ò .‰˘Ó ‡"„ .Ó [χ¯˘ÈÎ / .‰˘Ó ¯Ó‡ È·¯ .„ .χ¯˘È ÏÎ „‚Î 12Z13 ¯Ӈ˘ [„È‚ÓZ‰¯È˘ .‡ .> 170 TRACTATE SHIRATA in the night when a feast is hallowed”1 (Isa. 30.29). The second, which was recited at the sea, as it is said: “Then sang Moses.” The third, which was recited at the well, as it is said: “Then sang Israel” (Num. 21.17). The fourth, which Moses recited, as it is said: “And it came to pass when Moses had made an end of writing . . . And Moses spoke in the ears of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were finished” (Deut. 31.24–30). The fifth, which Joshua recited, as it is said: “Then spoke Joshua to the Lord” ( Josh. 10.12). The sixth, which Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam recited, as it is said: “Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam” ( Judg. 5.1). The seventh, which David recited, as it is said: “And David spoke unto the Lord the words of this song” (II Sam. 22.1). The eighth, which Solomon recited, as it is said: “A Psalm, A Song at the Dedication of the House of David” (Ps. 30.1). Now, was it David who built it? Did not Solomon build it, as it is said: “So Solomon built the house, and finished it” (I Kings 6.14)? What then does it mean by saying: “A Psalm; A Song at the Dedication of the House of David”? Merely, that since David was with his whole soul devoted to it, wishing to build it, it is named after him. And so it says: “Lord, remember unto David all his affliction; how he swore unto the Lord, and vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob: ‘Surely I will not come into the tent of my house . . . until I find out a place for the Lord’ . . . Lo, we heard of it as being in Ephrath,” etc. (Ps. 132.1–6). What does it say in another passage? “Now, see to thine own house, David” (1 Kings 12.16). Thus, since David was with his whole soul devoted to it, it is called by his name. And so you will find if a man devotes himself with his whole soul to anything it is named after him. There were three things to which Moses devoted himself with his whole soul and they were all named after him. He devoted himself with his whole 1. The verse in Isa. 30.29 was understood to refer to the festival observed by the Israelites on the night preceding their deliverance from Egypt...