Trust in Divine Salvation

איתא במדרש אז ישיר אין אז אלא בטחון כמ"ש אז תלך לבטח דרכך.

The Midrash teaches: “Then (az) sang” — ‘az’ signifies trust, as in “then you shall walk securely on your way.”

The Sefat Emet opens by explaining that the word “az” expresses a deep, inner stance of trust in God.

דהנה בנ"י יצאו ממצרים להיות צבאות ה' להלחם עם מלכי כנען.

For the Israelites left Egypt to become the armies of God, to wage war with the kings of Canaan.

The Exodus is framed as preparation for their future divine mission of conquest.

וכן במדבר נחש עקרב וצמאון היו צריכין להתקשר מקודם בחבל אמיץ.

And in the wilderness—of snakes, scorpions, and thirst—they needed first to bind themselves with a strong cord.

Before facing dangers, they required firm spiritual attachment to God.

וזאת השירה הי' להם הכנה למלחמות אלו.

And this song served as their preparation for those battles.

The Song at the Sea fortified their inner strength for future struggles.

כיון שראו ברוה"ק כל הישועה שיהי' להם עד לעתיד כמ"ש ה' ימלוך לעולם ועד.

For they saw through the Holy Spirit all the salvation that would be theirs until the future, as it says: “The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

Their prophetic vision of ultimate redemption empowered their faith.

נתקשרו בהקב"ה ומסרו נפשם להלחם מלחמת ה'.

They bound themselves to the Holy One and offered their very lives to fight God’s battles.

This inner commitment flowed naturally from their heightened spiritual awareness.

וכן דרשו חז"ל ביעקב ויצא יעקב מבאר שבע אז תלך לבטח כו'.

And similarly the Sages interpreted regarding Jacob: “And Jacob left Be’er Sheva” — “then you shall walk securely,” etc.

The same principle of “az” as secure trust appears in Jacob’s journey.

וכמ"ש שם כי באר שבע הוא בחי' אז שורש של כל הז' ימי הבנין הוא האלף אור שבעת הימים.

And as stated there: Be’er Sheva is the aspect of “az,” the root of the seven days of creation — the primordial thousand, the light of the seven days.

Be’er Sheva represents the spiritual root preceding and empowering creation.

וז"ש פן ינחם כו' בראותם מלחמה.

And this is the meaning of “lest they regret… when they see war.”

The people were not yet ready for battle without this grounding in trust.

לכן הסיבם דרך ים סוף עד שקרע להם הים ואמרו השירה.

Therefore He led them by way of the Sea of Reeds until He split the sea for them and they recited the Song.

The detour prepared them spiritually through the experience of divine salvation.

וכן בכל יום הקדימו חז"ל קי"ס והשירה קודם התפלה שהוא בחי' מלחמה כמ"ש שעת צלותא שעת קרבא:

And so, every day the Sages placed the Splitting of the Sea and the Song before prayer, for prayer is a form of battle, as it is said: “The time of prayer is the time of battle.”

Daily liturgy reenacts this spiritual strengthening before engaging in the “battle” of prayer.

The Sefat Emet teaches that the Song at the Sea instills the deep trust needed for spiritual and physical battles, past and present, and this pattern is reenacted daily in prayer.