Passover תרנ”ה-תרנ”ו 20
איתא מוציא אסירים בכושרות בכות ושירות.
“It is stated: ‘He brings out prisoners in kosharot — in weeping and in singing.’”
The Sefat Emet begins by noting that redemption involves two modes: crying and song, both of which must be elevated to holiness.
דאיתא הדיבור הי’ בגלות כמ”ש בזוה”ק שמות ויש צעקה ובכי’ ויש רנה ושירה.
“For it is taught that speech was in exile, as the Zohar in Shemot says: there was crying and weeping, and there was rejoicing and song.”
The exile affected the human capacity for expression, manifesting both in broken speech (crying) and concealed song.
ושניהם צריכין גאולה.
“And both require redemption.”
Both weeping and song must be purified so they can serve God with full sincerity.
להיות הבקשה לשם שמים בלי פסולת.
“So that the plea be for the sake of Heaven, without impurity.”
Crying must be cleansed of self-interest.
וכמו כן השירה שיהיה לשם שמים בלבד בלי פני’.
“And likewise song, that it be solely for the sake of Heaven, without ulterior motives.”
Song must be entirely devoted to divine purpose.
וביצ”מ הי’ הגאולה לבחי’ צעקה.
“And in the Exodus from Egypt, the redemption was of the aspect of crying.”
The first stage of redemption restored the ability to cry out to God.
לכן אח”כ בים כ’ ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ה’ כי כבר היו נגאלין בבחי’ הפה בצעקה.
“Therefore at the sea it says: ‘The Israelites cried out to God,’ for they had already been redeemed in the aspect of the mouth—crying.”
Having regained the capacity for holy outcry, Israel could use it again at the sea.
וז”ש שתפסו אומנת אבותם שבכולם מצינו תפלה וצעקה כמ”ש במד’.
“And this is what it means that they ‘held the craft of their ancestors,’ for in all of them we find prayer and crying, as stated in the Midrash.”
The patriarchs embodied the devotional mode of supplication, which Israel now reenacts.
אך בחי’ שירה עדיין הי’ סתום ולזה היה הגאולה בקי”ס.
“But the aspect of song was still sealed, and therefore the redemption at the Sea of Reeds was necessary.”
The second redemption—at the sea—unlocked the capacity for sacred song.
ובאמת בחי’ שירה הוא מעין לעתיד כמ”ש ישמח ה’ לשון עתיד כדאיתא במדרש שבעוה”ז אין השמחה בשלימות והרמז ולבוקר רנה.
“In truth, the aspect of song is a taste of the future, as it says: ‘God will rejoice’—in future tense—because in this world joy is not complete, hinted at by ‘and in the morning, song.’”
Song draws from the joy of the future world, where joy becomes whole.
ולכן כתיב ישיר לשון עתיד כי הרגישו הארה מעין העתיד ואמרו זו השירה.
“Therefore it says ‘Then he will sing’—in future tense—because they sensed a radiance of the future and declared this as the song.”
The future-oriented verb expresses their contact with a yet-to-come illumination.
וזה הדרך נתעורר בכחו של מרע”ה אז ישיר משה.
“And this path was awakened through the power of Moses—‘Then Moses will sing.’”
Moses channels the future light that awakens true song.
והוא מדריגה שלמעלה מבחי’ תפלה שתקנו האבות.
“This is a level above the prayer established by the patriarchs.”
Song surpasses supplication; it expresses a higher spiritual state.
וכ’ את השירה הזאת לה’ שהי’ לשם שמים בלי פסולת וכמ”ש במכילתא לה’ אמרוה ע”ש.
“And it says: ‘This song to God,’ for it was wholly for the sake of Heaven, without impurity, as the Mekhilta says: ‘To God they said it.’”
The song of the sea was utterly pure, directed only toward God.
לכן הוצרכו לחזור וישובו כו’ אל פי החירות להוציא מכח אל הפועל בחי’ השירה להיות חירות בפה בבחי’ בכות ושירות.
“Therefore they needed to return… to Pi Ha-cherut, to bring into actuality the aspect of song—so that the mouth be free, in the dimension of weeping and song.”
The physical return signified an inner move toward releasing the mouth from exile, completing the redemption of expression.
The Sefat Emet teaches that the Exodus redeemed crying, while the splitting of the sea redeemed song; together they liberated speech itself, preparing Israel for a future, higher joy rooted in pure devotion.
