On that day, Hashem saved Israel from the Egyptians, and the Bnai Yisroel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea....At that time ["Az Yashir"] Moshe and the Bnai Yisroel sang the following song to Hashem....

(Sh'mot 14:30, 15:1)

The Sh'lah (c. 1550) offers an interesting approach to explain why the Torah emphasizes that it was only *at_that_time* that the Bnai Yisroel sang their song of praise. In Divrei HaYamim II 20:15-21 we read that the Jewish King Yehoshaphat is promised victory in his battle against his enemies, by a prophet named Yachzi'el. Following this prophecy of victory, the king appointed singers to go out before the army's front lines and sing praises to Hashem for His salvation. From here, the Sh'lah points out, it is evident that when victory and salvation are assured through the prophecy of a prophet, it is appropriate to praise Hashem for His salvation immediately, even before the predicted triumph actually takes place.

(We may add an observation to that of the Sh'lah. Although a guarantee of victory is enough to elicit praises to Hashem even before a salvation actually occurs, the praises are not to be sung immediately upon hearing the prophecy. It is when the salvation itself actually begins that we are to sing praises to Hashem for saving us. This can be concluded from the fact that even Yehoshaphat only had the singers sing as they marched out to the battlefield. Or, based on D. H. II 20:19, perhaps it is appropriate to sing the praise of Hashem twice: once immediately, and another time at the start of the salvation -MK)

The Bnai Yisroel, the Sh'lah continues, were already told of their impending liberation from the Egyptians on Rosh Chodesh Nissan, several weeks before the events at the Red Sea occurred (see Sh'mot 12:17-18). It would thus have been proper for them to break out in song before the drowning of the Egyptians. (As I noted above, it may not have been necessary to praise Hashem immediately upon hearing the prophecy on Rosh Chodesh. Nevertheless, on the 15th of Nissan -- the night of the Exodus from Egypt -- they should have already started to sing to Hashem, for at that point Hashem's promise actually began to come to fruition. -MK)

This, then, is the reason that the Torah stresses that the people did not sing to Hashem until after seeing the Egyptians dead on the shore. The Torah is admonishing the Bnai Yisroel for not having placed their full faith in Hashem's promise of salvation. They ought to have thanked Hashem immediately on the 15th of Nissan; instead it was only "at that time" -- after the victory was complete -- that the "people believed in Hashem and in Moshe" (14:31) and they sang the song to Hashem.

Based on this insight the Sh'lah explains why the Hallel song is not recited in its entirety during the Pesach prayers except for the first day (or the first two days in the diaspora). On Pesach we attempt to actually relive the Exodus from Egypt, as the Haggadah mentions several times. Perhaps we are trying to counteract the weakness of faith shown by our forefathers, who waited until the seventh day of Pesach, when the sea split. We therefore sing the praises of Hallel to Hashem for the *entire* salvation of Pesach on the first night (and day) of Pesach, which is the time of the *beginning* of Hashem's salvation. It is therefore no longer necessary for us to say Hallel throughout the remainder of Pesach!

This would seem to stand in contradiction to the words of the Vilna Gaon. In commenting on the blessing (in the Sh'moneh Esrei) of Re'eh Be'Onyenu, the son of the Vilna Gaon quotes his father's explanation of the verse in Tehillim 13:6: "I trust in Your kindness; my heart rejoices in Your salvation; I will sing out to Hashem when he deals kindly with me." The Gaon asserts that the three parts of this verse are discussing three different periods:

"I trust in Your kindness" - Before the salvation, King David trusts that Hashem will save him.

"My heart rejoices in Your salvation" -- As the salvation takes place, King David rejoices in it.

"I will sing out to Hashem when he deals kindly with me" -- After the salvation has been completed, King David then sings praise and thanks to Hashem (see Siddur HaGra, Birchat Re'eh Be'Onyenu).

Support can be found for the Gaon's words in the Midrash Shocher Tov. The verse in Tehillim 18:4 states: "I call out praise to Hashem, and I am saved from my enemies." Although on the surface this verse seems to imply that praises of Hashem are called for in *advance* of His salvation, the Midrash Shocher Tov (ad loc.) insists that this verse must be understood as if it were written in inverted order: "After I am saved from my enemies I call out praises to Hashem." (It is not infrequent for a Vav which introduces a second clause of a sentence to indicate a *cause* for the first clause, rather than an effect -Ed.). This Midrash is clearly in agreement with the Gaon's understanding. Only after being saved does King David sing praise to Hashem. (See Emek B'rachah, ibid., who did not see this Midrash and found in necessary to offer another interpretation of the verse, instead.)

The Midrash continues, however, and quotes another opinion. According to Rav Huna the verse may be read as it stands, without inverting the order of the words: "I call out praise to Hashem, and (afterwards) I am saved from my enemies." It is a reference, says Rav Huna, to the episode that the Sh'lah had quoted, where Yehoshaphat had sung praises to Hashem *before* the salvation actually came about.

At first it would appear that there are two distinct opinions in the Midrash. According to one opinion, songs of praise are not to be sung until after victory is granted, in accordance with the view of the Gaon; according to the other opinion the songs may be, and should be, sung as soon as the act of salvation is begun. However, it does not seem likely that there are two disparate opinions in this matter. The story of Yehoshaphat in Divrei HaYamim clearly seems to support Rav Huna's opinion. How, then, could there be disagreement on this matter? (See Emek B'rachah, ibid., who offers a solution to the question by differentiating between 'songs' and 'thanks.' For lack of space, we will not discuss that theme here; see Parasha-Page for 5757.)

When salvation is predicted by a prophet, a victory is so assured that there is no doubt whatsoever as to the outcome of the battle. Since success has been guaranteed by a prophet of Hashem, there is no reason to wait for the entire salvation process to come to its completion. However, when such salvation has not been promised by a prophet, and thus not guaranteed, then Hashem should be thanked only *after* the salvation is complete. Although one must always have faith that Hashem will do what is best for us, we cannot know that He will see fit to save us. Perhaps we are not worthy of His kindness! Therefore, only when full victory has been granted can a person sing out the praises of Hashem for His salvation.

King David, although his faith in Hashem was absolute ("I trust in Your kindness"), and he knew that Hashem would grant him only what was best for him, was nevertheless not *assured* that victory would be his. The Gemara (B'rachot 4a) mentions that although David knew himself to be worthy and righteous, he was always concerned that he may sin at any moment. He was constantly concerned that he would disqualify himself from being deserving of unique Divine protection. Thus, although trusting in Hashem, David was never certain that victory would be his until he actually experienced it. That is why in his case, praises of Hashem were sung only "when He deals kindly with me" -- after the salvation.

Yehoshaphat, on the other hand, when he was guaranteed victory through prophecy -- and prophecies spoken through a prophet are never rescinded (see Parasha Page, Vayishlach 5755) -- was able to sing to Hashem even before the decisive victory occurred. The same applies to the Bnai Yisroel upon their liberation from Egypt. Since the prophet (Moshe Rabbeinu) had promised them salvation in Hashem's name, they ought to have started singing praises to Hashem at the very start of the exodus.

The Midrash is thus not recording two separate viewpoints about which should come first -- salvation or song. If the verse in Tehillim 18:4 is taken to refer to David (which is the simple meaning of the verse) then it must be understood as an inverted sentence. If, however, it can be taken as a reference to the events of Yehoshaphat's battle, it may be interpreted without resorting to inversion!

(After writing this piece, I was proud to find that the conclusion I came to has been attributed to Rav Chaim Soloveitchik himself, according to the Haggadah "MiBeit Levi," p. 186. See also Rav David Goldberg in "Shirat David" to Shemot 15:1, p. 260.)