The Song of the Sea - Discussions on Prayer, Lesson 25

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The Song of the Sea: Discussions on Prayer, Lesson 25

The song the Jews sang at the splitting of the sea was our first prayer as a people, which illustrates the special connection between prayer and song. Learn the context, the broad themes, and inner insights for the prayers of this song.

Related Text:	Online Siddur with Commentary: Vecharot Imo Habrit Online Siddur with Commentary: Vayosha Hashem Online Siddur with Commentary: Az Yashir Moshe
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Rabbi Shmuel Kaplan is a noted Torah scholar and lecturer. He is the director of Chabad-Lubavitch of the Maryland Region, a board member of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch, the international educational arm of Chabad-Lubavitch, and of the Jewish Learning Institute. Rabbi Kaplan serves as the spiritual leader of The Shul at the Lubavitch Center in Baltimore, Md., and has hosted radio and television shows for more than 35 years, including hosting the acclaimed weekly radio show, "Awake, Alive, and Jewish," and co-hosting the weekly cable program, "Diana, Mike, and the Rabbi."

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Rachel Baltimore July 20, 2022

The Song of the Sea talks about the Egyptians on the shore, which was AFTER the Yehudim had crossed. I'm surprised that we/they were singing about the Egyptians. I think I would have been exclaiming over the amazing splitting of the sea into 12 lanes, with walls of water holding up the fish, etc., and that all had crossed safely. I think that, for me, the suspension of the laws of physics, etc. would have been awe-inspiring and the reason for 'shir.' Reply

Eliezer Zalmanov for Chabad.org November 2, 2015

Re: The First jew The Jewish people weren't officially a nation until they received the Torah at Mt. Sinai, at which point the matrilineal rule went into effect. Before that, as family, this was passed down via the father. Reply

Gary Europe October 30, 2015

The First jew You called Abraham "The First Jew", which gives me a chance to ask a question I always ask: If all Jews are descendants of Abraham, then why isn't being born to a Jewish father enough to be considered Jewish? Reply

Rachel Baltimore July 20, 2022

in response to Gary:

Avraham Avinu's children had two mothers: (1) Haggar/Ketorah who was not Jewish, therefore her children were not Jewish; and Sarah Emanu, who was Jewish. Sarah's one child, Yitzchak, was the only Jewish child of Avraham. He is the only son who inherited the Jewish legacy.

Therefore the model of "who is Jewish" is set by this. The mother of a Jewish mother is a Jew. Other children, in order to be Jewish, need to convert. Reply

Anonymous Missouri May 15, 2015

Excellent Teacher! Reply

The Song of the Sea: Discussions on Prayer, Lesson 25

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