They’re Playing My Song

“Then Yisrael sang this song: “’Rise up, well, sing to it!” (Bamidbar 21:17)

Everyone has his own voice, expressed through speech, writing, and through song. Each of the great leaders of Bnei Yisrael had his distinctive voice. Avraham’s was heard throughout his world, while Yitzchak’s was silent in comparison. Moshe described his own voice as defective, yet he was capable of supreme eloquence. Moshe also expressed his voice in song, as in Az Yashir. (Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, OU Parshah)

My father ztz”l could listen to the same song one hundred times. In a row. That’s no exaggeration. My family would often make the four-hour drive to New York to visit my grandfather. My father would listen to one song the entire time. “Play it again, Sam,” he’d quip, and my mother would rewind and the song would begin again. (You do the math, how many times would we hear one song on each trip?)

It was hard to get sick of any of his songs though, because my father enjoyed them as much on repeat #99 as he did the first time around. At home he’d close his eyes and sway softly to the music, humming the words with such appreciation that you could tell he was deep into the song, not just listening to it. There were certain tunes that no matter when I heard them, I’d stop and think, hey, they’re playing Abba’s song!

In this parshah, the voice of the entire nation joined in the Song of the Well. This is a much briefer song than Az Yashir.

Furthermore, Az Yashir was sung responsively, first Moshe singing a phrase, then Bnei Yisrael repeating it. Moshe was the leader, the composer, and the people were but the choir. Yet in this week’s song, the entire people sing as one.

This song coincides with the timing of a critical transition in the leadership of the nation. Since Yetzias Mitzrayim, there were essentially three leaders: Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam. In this week’s parshah, both Miriam and Aharon pass from the scene, and Moshe learns that his leadership authority is waning. The leadership is passing from a period where it is dominated by charismatic leaders to one in which it is  shared by the people as a whole. Thus they find their voice and sing as one.

When my father was niftar suddenly, I couldn’t tolerate hearing any of his songs. As an avel, you’d think I’d be safe since I couldn’t hear music, but Eretz Yisrael is a land of harmony, and I was accosted by these tunes all over.

I remember that first Erev Shavuos in aveilus. I was rushing, preparing for Yom Tov when suddenly the loudspeakers in my neighborhood began blaring “Kad Yasvin Yisrael….”