About SONG

Hebrew Name

שִׁירָה

English Name

SONG

Phonetic Spelling

SHEER-AH

What does SONG mean?

Shirah, Hebrew for “song,” is a critical tool for drawing closer to God.

אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃
Then Moshe and the Israelites sang this song to Hashem. They said: I will sing to Hashem, for He has triumphed gloriously; Horse and driver He has hurled into the sea.
az ya-SHEER mo-SHEH u-ve-NAY yis-ra-AYL et ha-SHEE-RA ha-ZOT la-a-do-NAI va-YO-meru lay-MOR: a-SHEE-ra la-a-do-NAI kee-ga-OH ga-AH, SUS v'-ro-KH'-vo ra-MAH ba-YAM.
Exodus 15:1

וְעַתָּ֗ה כִּתְב֤וּ לָכֶם֙ אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וְלַמְּדָ֥הּ אֶת־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שִׂימָ֣הּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם לְמַ֨עַן תִּהְיֶה־לִּ֜י הַשִּׁירָ֥ה הַזֹּ֛את לְעֵ֖ד בִּבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Therefore, write down this poem and teach it to the people of Yisrael; put it in their mouths, in order that this poem may be My witness against the people of Yisrael.
v'-a-TAH kit-VU la-KHEM et ha-shi-RA ha-ZOT v'-la-m'-DAH et b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL si-MAH b'-fi-HEM l'-ma-an ti-HE-yeh-LI ha-shi-RA ha-ZOT l'-ED b'-vi-NAY yis-ra-AYL
Deuteronomy 31:19

Description about SONG

Shirah, Hebrew for “song,” is a critical tool for drawing closer to God. The numerical equivalent of shira, song, is the same as that for tefillah, prayer, for a song that comes from the heart is a form of prayer to God. When God saved the people of Israel and drowned the terrifying Egyptian army at the Reed Sea, the people sang to God. “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God. They said: I will sing to God, for He triumphed gloriously; horse and driver He has hurled into the sea” (Exodus 15:1). After the awesome miracle of the splitting of the seat, mere words of thanks to God could not capture their emotions, and so Moses and the people burst into song. The great Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Hasidic movement in 18th-century Russia, used the power of song to inspire the downtrodden Jewish masses to feel the joy of God’s love, despite their intense poverty and suffering at the hands of antisemites. He knew that the song of the soul would give the people strength to bear and overcome their suffering. Many students of the Baal Shem Tov went on to become Hasidic leaders in their own communities and composed their own songs of longing for God. The Bible is also referred to as a song, as the verse says, “Therefore, write down this song and teach it to the people of Israel” (Deuteronomy 31:19). When read publicly in synagogues, the Bible is always chanted with ancient melodies that have been passed down for generations, melodies that help the congregation absorb the powerful words of the Bible.

Attribute of SONG

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