After the wonderful nissim of kri’as Yam Suf and immediately before the Shiras Hayam, the Torah tells us that Klal Yisroel feared Hashem. In Hallel too, we speak of kri’as Yam Suf and we end that second paragraph with the words “chuli aretz” we tell the earth to fear Hashem. Fear and awe of Hashem is intimately related with kri’as Yam Suf. The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh tells us that this Yir’ah was a Yir’as haromemus, an awe generated from an understanding of the awesome greatness of Hashem.
How does this Yir’ah tie in with the Shiras Hayam? Isn’t song an expression of simcha which doesn’t seem to coincide with yir’ah. How do song and awe go together?
Chazal tell us that “lo bara Hakadosh Baruch Hu es olamo ela kedei sheyir’u milfanav” – “Hashem did not create His world only that people should fear Him” (Shabbos 31b). The end purpose of creation is Yir’as Shamayim. Rabeinu Yonah in Brachos (beginning of 5^th perek) explains that we should rejoice with any yir’ah that we are zoche to experience. Yir’ah should bring to simcha simply because it moves us in the right direction.
Perhaps we can take this a step further. “Ro’asa shifcha al hayam ma she’lo ra’ah Yechezk’el ben Buzi” – a maid-servant saw at yam Suf, what the Navi Yechezk’el did not see (Mechilta quoted by the Ramban). Yechezk’el haNavi saw a vision of the Merkava of Hashem; the grand system that Hashem has in place to move all of creation in the direction He so chooses. This means that Yechezk’el was given an insight into the Malchus of the Ribono Shel Olam; the overall panoramic view of the kingdom of Hashem.
Yet the simple maid-servant saw more of that Malchus, a deeper and more complete view of the kingdom of Hashem. And yir’as haromemus is a product of understanding that we are in the presence of the King of Kings. The more we understand the kingdom of Hashem, the more yir’as haromemus we can hope to have.
But by kri’as Yam Suf, Klal Yisroel understood something else as well. They understood that they themselves; Klal Yisroel, are chosen by Hashem to be the representatives of Hashem’s kingdom here on earth. “Hay’sah Yehuda lekodsho, Yisroel mashelosav” – Yehuda became His holy nation and Yisroel became His maleches kohanim (Hallel). They realized where they stand in the picture of Malchus Shamayim.
Yes, an understanding of the awesome scope of the kingdom of Hashem generates yir’ah, fear and awe of the greatness of Hashem. But the fact that Hashem chose us, His creations, to further the goals of His awesome kingdom brings great joy. What a privilege! What closeness! Every mitzvah we do, every line of Torah we learn, every word of t’filla, every step we take in acquiring good middos, every and any work in a Yid’s serving Hashem is a detail in that awesome totality of Malchus Shamayim. Is there any greater joy than this?
And is there any greater responsibility than this? Let us ask Hashem to hold our hands as we try to walk His path and let us try to appreciate the joy and the responsibility that is inherent in walking that path.