Narrowly escaping Pharaoh’s army, our ancestors reached the safe shore on the far side of the Red Sea, and then they broke out into song. Having been a people bound by slavery for as long as anyone could remember, our people’s first act of freedom was singing. The Torah tells us that Moses and all of the Israelites chanted these words together, joining in a communal experience before they journeyed into the wilderness.

Thus, whenever we read parshat Beshalach, the Shabbat upon which we read it is called Shabbat Shirah, the Sabbath of song. This ancient song, known as “the Song of the Sea,” is chanted today with special trope, marking the extraordinary nature of the biblical passage. The song’s main message is one of praise of God for saving us from Egyptian bondage. At the very outset of the song, we hear these words, “Ozi v’zimrat Yah, vay’hi li lishua” — “My strength and the song of the eternal will be my salvation” (Exodus 15:2). Through this verse, our Torah teaches that song itself is a route to God’s saving power.