The malachim were not allowed to say shirah. Yet Klal Yisroel (the Jewish People) did say shirah. “Then Moshe and the B’nei Yisroel sang this song …”

Question: If “the work of My ‘Hands’ is sinking in the sea” and, therefore, the malachim could not sing shirah, how is it that Klal Yisroel did sing shirah?

The Chidah

answers

that Yisroel, who were saved from potential death and destruction, were allowed and indeed obligated to say shirah upon their salvation. On the other hand, the malachim, who were not in danger and were, so to speak, a third party, were not allowed to sing shirah because of “the work of My Hands.”

However, one might answer the question that aderabah (just the opposite), hi hanosenes (that itself is the very point), that specifically the fact that the malachim were not allowed to say shirah is the very reason that Yisroel did say shirah.

How so?

When Shirah?

“A creation says shirah when it achieves a complete fulfillment of an aspect of its purpose (shleimus hametzius).”

“A person when he achieves complete fulfillment says shirah and praise to the One Who gave him the fulfillment … when the fulfillment is in complete actuality…”

“And a ‘man’ wrestled with him (Yaakov) until the break of dawn.”

The “man” was the ministering angel of Eisav (Esau).

“And he (the angel) said, ‘Let me go for dawn has broken,’”

“and I need to say shirah.”

“From the day I was created it was never my time to say shirah until now.”

How do we understand this? At the moment that Yaakov has him in a “full nelson” it’s his time to say shirah? How convenient! The prophecy to Rivka (Rebecca) was that there will be a struggle between the two twins (nations) that she is carrying, “and the elder will serve the younger.”

That occurrence, when Yaakov won over the intrinsic essence of Eisav, was the fulfillment of Eisav’s purpose. It was, therefore, time to say shirah.

Yisroel’s Fulfillment at the Sea

Therefore, when Yisroel emerged victorious from the sea, they had achieved an aspect of complete fulfillment. Therefore, they said shirah. What was this fulfillment?

When a person needs to borrow five dollars he probably has many friends who would willingly oblige. At fifty dollars some friends would drop out. At $500, $5,000 … five million (or as kids say – five zillion dollars) he would not find anyone, even assuming the people had that kind of money. The number of friends a person has is in inverse ratio to the amount of money he needs. Only a father or a friend like Dovid and Yonoson would give such a sum. The reason is that even for a person who has the money, to give a large sum is painful and worrisome. Indeed, one who does give “when it hurts” shows the tremendous love he has for the borrower. The more the pain, the more the love.

Hashem’s Love

Hashem, in order to save Klal Yisroel, drowns the Mitzrim (Egyptians) in the sea. Did this show the boundless love that a Father has for His children? To answer that question we first need to know how much it “bothered” Hashem to drown the Mitzrim. One might possibly have argued that since Hashem can create more Mitzrim whenever He wants, it wasn’t a big deal. Yesterday He created them, today He destroyed them and tomorrow He will create others if He so chooses. Like, lehavdil (to separate) a child who builds up a large edifice of blocks, then sends them all sprawling with a whack of his hand and then builds a new edifice. No big deal. In that case, the destruction of the Egyptians for the sake of Klal Yisroel would not have shown much love for them. Maybe five dollars worth. Perhaps fifty dollars worth. Possible 500 dollars. But zehu (that’s it).

But no!!! This is where the malachim come in. They wanted to say shirah. Hashem stops them. How can you say shirah – “the work of My ‘Hands’ is sinking in the sea.” It’s kaviyachol (as it were) very painful to Me. It’s like five billion, trillion, “zillion” dollars. And yet Hashem does it anyway for the sake of Klal Yisroel. This, only a Tatte (father) would do. This indeed shows the tremendous unstinting ahavah (love) and teshukah (desire) for His children.

It was attaining this fulfillment of the bond of love of a Father to His children

that not only allowed but required Klal Yisroel to say shirah. This was only realized, recognized and actualized by the forbidding of the malachim from saying shirah. The fact that the malachim were not able to say shirah is the very reason that Klal Yisroel did say shirah.