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(This is based on Mori Vrabi’s Torah on Krias Yam Suf, found in אפיקי מים פסח סימן ל – ל”א.)
One of the Minhagim of Pesach is the reading on Shir HaShirim on Shabbos Chol HaMoed (or Shabbos the second Chag when there is no Shabbos Chol Hamoed). The Machzor Vitri explains Shir Hashirim an allegory for Galus and Geulah, from Mitzrayim through to the final Galus and Geulah[1]. Therefore, it is correct to read it on Pesach, when the Geulah began.
In the second Pasuk, which begins the actual Shir, Klal Yisrael states their ultimate desire.
“Let Him kiss me with kisses of His mouth, since Your love for me is greater than the finest wine.”[2]
Rashi explains this is a reference to Matan Torah where Hashem spoke to us ‘face to face.’ That love is still deeper than any other sweetness. And Hashem guaranteed that He will once again appear to explain the ‘secrets of the Torah’s reasons and its hidden mysteries.’ And we await the fulfillment of this promise.[3]
These words of Rashi were beloved to Mori VRabi ZT”L, and he would often quote them.
But many of the Gedolim of our generation wonder. When was this guarantee given? Rav Dovivd Cohen of Gvul Yavetz, Rav Leib Minzberg, and many others wonder about the source of this Rashi. Not just the source in Chazal, but what is the source that the final Geulah is connected to a Matan Torah of revelation of the secrets of the Torah.
There is a well-known Chazal about the revelation of Krias Yam Suf, “A maidservant on the Yam saw what Yechezkel ben Buzi did not see in the vision of the Merkavah.” (Interestingly, the famous language of the quote is not what it actually says in Chazal, but the intent is the same. See footnote.[4]) This sounds as if it is even greater than Matan Torah?
There is a four-stage sequence.
Stage one was the night of Korban Pesach, Makas Bechoros, and Yetzias Mitzrayim. At the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim, Klal Yisrael recognized and believed in Hashem. But that was a gift from Hashem. We had not yet reached the level of belief in HKB”H. As we say in the Haggadah, we were naked and unclothed[5]. We were still worshippers of Avoda Zara. But still Hashem lifted us to an extremely high level of Ruchniyus.[6]
That is called Isarusa Dleila- an awakening from above. Such a level can only be temporary. It serves to allow us to know what we can do. But then it is our responsibility to reach that level on our own.
Therefore, when we left Mitzrayim that was removed. The next week till Krisa Yam Suf was when Klal Yisrael exerted themselves to reach that level on their own merit.
That is why at Krias Yam Suf the angels objected to the salivation of Klal Yisrael. They said[7], “Why are you saving the Jews? Both they and the Egyptians are idol worshippers.” But why did they not object to Yetzias Mitzrayim?
They knew that Yetzias Mitzrayim was a gift from Hashem, there was nothing to object to. But at Krias Yam Suf Klal Yisrael had to have earn the right to leave Egypt. They then had to be on the level Isarusa Dltasa – an awakening from our efforts. If Klal Yisrael was not yet there, then they could object.
The second stage was when Nachshon jumped into the Yam Suf and Klal Yisrael followed. They earned their salvation through their own efforts.[8]
And then there was the next stage. Hashem gave them another gift. That was the gift of seeing Hashem’s Merkava greater than any Navi. The goal was to then earn that gift through their effort till Matan Torah. That was the revelation of the greatest secrets of the Torah, Maaseh Merkavah.
Krias Yam Suf revealed a level of Matan Torah that includes the secrets of the Torah. They then lost that level and were expected to earn it back through their Avoda of Sefira HaOmer.
But at Matan Torah Klal Yisrael said that they cannot see Hashem face to face[9]. That was the level of Krias Yam Suf. They settled for a lower level. They lost that gift.
But our goal is to return to that level and accept the Torah in that manner once again.
The guarantee that Rashi is referring to is the vision that all of Klal Yisrael had at Krias Yam Suf. Yetzias Mitzrayim was a revelation from Hashem that we then earned by Krias Yam Suf. The revelation of the Merkava of Krias Yam Suf was meant to then be earned at Matan Torah. But that revelation did not reach fruition. But since we did see it, that is a promise from HKB”H that in the future it will take place.
But there was a time when it could have been reached. That was in the time of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva was able to learn from the crowns of the letters. Chazal say[10] that even secrets that were not revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his contemporaries. What can that mean?
Maybe it was that even though Moshe Rabbeinu knew those secrets, they were not revealed. They remained hidden only to Moshe but were not part of the revelation of Torah. It was not that Moshe did not know them, but there was no revelation. It was the secrets of Merkava that Klal Yisrael did not reach at Matan Torah, because they did not want to see HaShem face-to-face.
Rabbi Akiva throughout his life strove to reach that complete revelation of the Name of Hashem. His attempt with his colleagues to enter PARDES- the idea of the complete connection with Hashem was one approach. His teaching his students the highest levels of Torah, the crowns of the letters was another.
And even though Rabbi Akiva is martyred and is unable to accomplish either of his goals, he reveals in his death the Echad of Hashem, which is the revelation of the greatest secret of the Torah. The complete Echad of Hashem is the joining together of the Heh and the Vav and the revelation of the Name of Hashem in its entirety. (The four who try to enter the PARDES with Rabbi Akiva are the four letters of Hashem’s Name.)
That is the connection between Krias Yam Suf and Shir HaShirim. They are both about the ultimate revelation of the presence of Hashem in the world.
This idea can be seen in a deeper way in the GR”A’s explanation on Shir HaShirim.[11]
He writes that the word ‘The kisses of His mouth’ is unusual. It is not the regular conjugation the Hebrew words for either ‘his mouth’ or ‘her mouth.’ It is a combination of both, both a Heh and a Vav. Those are the last two letters of Hashem’s Name. It symbolizes the connection between Hashem as the Vav and the Heh representing Klal Yisrael.
Those are the last two letters of the Name of Hashem which are missing because of Amalek. After the battle with Amalek the Name of Hashem is written missing those two letters. We yearn for a time when both those letters are revealed.
When the Torah is completely revealed then there is no place for Amalek. Or the inverse, when Amalek is eradicated, then the Torah is completely revealed.
Mori VRabi ZT”L said that this could be a reason the last day of Pesach is also called Atzeres. It is a day of revelation like the day of Atzeres of Matan Torah.
Shlomo said Shir HaShirim at the dedication of the Bais HaMikdosh. That day could have been the completion of the journey which began at Yetzias Mitzrayim. He was davening for this complete revelation. It did not take place, but we continue to yearn for it. And on Pesach when we remember Krias Yam Suf and the tremendous revelation, we read the song of desire of Shlomo, and strive for that goal.
[1] מחזור ויטרי – הלכות פסח קו – [ו] ומגילת שיר השירים אומ’ אותה בשבת שחלה להיות בחולו המועד. ת’. ואם אין שבת בחולו המועד או’ אותה יום שביעי של פסח. ת’: ולכך אנו אומרי’ אותה בפסח על שם ששיר השירים מדבר מגאולת מצרים. שנא’ לסוסתי ברכבי פרעה. וגו’. וכל העניין מדבר מארבע גליות למבין:
[2] ספר שיר השירים פרק א – (א) שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים אֲשֶׁר לִשְׁלֹמֹה: (ב) יִשָּׁקֵנִי מִנְּשִׁיקוֹת פִּיהוּ כִּי טוֹבִים דֹּדֶיךָ מִיָּיִן:
[3] רש”י שיר השירים פרק א – (ב) ישקני מנשיקות פיהו – זה השיר אומרת בפיה בגלותה ובאלמנותה מי יתן וישקני המלך שלמ’ מנשיקות פיהו כמו מאז לפי שיש מקומות שנושקין על גב היד ועל הכתף אך אני מתאוה ושוקקת להיותו נוהג עמי כמנהג הראשון כחתן אל כלה פה אל פה. כי טובים – לי דודיך מכל משתה יין ומכל עונג ושמחה, …זהו ביאור משמעו, ונאמר דוגמא שלו על שם שנתן להם תורתו ודבר עמהם פנים אל פנים ואותם דודים עודם ערבים עליהם מכל שעשוע ומובטחים מאתו להופיע עוד עליהם לבאר להם סוד טעמיה ומסתר צפונותיה ומחלים פניו לקיים דברו וזהו ישקני מנשיקות פיהו:
[4] מכילתא פרשת השירה פרשה ג – זה אלי ואנוהו. רבי אליעזר אומר מנין אתה אומר שראתה שפחה על הים מה שלא ראה יחזקאל וכל שאר הנביאים
ספר יד מצרים – הקדמת פותח יד (המשך) – , וכמו שהיה בעת קריעת ים סוף, שראתה שפחה על הים מה שלא ראה יחזקאל במרכבה שלו,
[5] הגדה של פסח – נוסח ההגדה: – וָרָב, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, רְבָבָה כְּצֶמַח הַשָּדֶה נְתַתִּיךְ וַתִּרְבִּי וַתִּגְדְּלִי וַתָּבֹאִי בַּעֲדִי עֲדָיִים שָׁדַיִם נָכֹנוּ וּשְֹעָרֵךְ צִמֵּחַ וְאַתְּ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה:
[6] ספר פרי צדיק לחג הפסח – אות כח – והיינו דבעת יציאת ישראל ממצרים נשלח הארה בתוך לבות בני ישראל בלי שום אתערותא דלתתא
[7] מדרש רבה שמות – פרשה כא פסקה ז -כך בשעה שיצאו ישראל ממצרים עמד סמאל המלאך לקטרג אותן אמר לפני הקב”ה רבש”ע עד עכשיו היו אלו עובדים עבודת כוכבים ואתה קורע להם את הים
[8] ספר קדושת לוי – פרשת בשלח – והנה בקריעת ים סוף היה אתערותא דלתתא שישראל הטיבו מעשיהם וגרמו במעשיהם רחמי השם יתברך עליהם מחמת גודל האמונה והבטחון שהיה להם בה’ שיעשה להם תשועה שמשום הכי עלה בלבם לומר שירה קודם התשועה כנ”ל
[9] ספר שמות פרק כ – (טז) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל משֶׁה דַּבֶּר אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן נָמוּת:
[10] מדרש רבה במדבר – פרשה יט פסקה ו – וכתיב (שם) אלה הדברים עשיתים ולא עזבתים אעשה אין כתיב כאן אלא עשיתים שכבר עשיתי לרבי עקיבא וחביריו דברים שלא נגלו למשה נגלו לר”ע וחביריו (איוב כח) וכל יקר ראתה עינו זה רבי עקיבא וחביריו
[11] ישקני מנשיקות פיהו פי’ שמדבר דרך משל כמו שמדברת המלכה למלך ומפרש רש”י ז”ל כמו שנושק החתן להכלה פה אל פה עכ”ל והיינו שכל מקום שכתוב בוא”ו הוא לשון זכר ובה”א הוא לשון נקבה כידוע וכאן כתיב פיהו זכר ונקבה ביחד וזהו כוונת רש”י כחתן אל כלה פה אל פה
Torah Thoughts from Rabbi Zave Rudman 