It wasn't just the adults celebrating freedom. According to Legends of the Jews, even babies stopped nursing, compelled to add their voices to the chorus! And unbelievably, the embryos still nestled safely in their mothers' wombs joined in the melody, their tiny voices swelling the song alongside the angels. Can you even fathom the power of that sound?
The text emphasizes that God singled out Israel during this pivotal moment. So much so, it says, that even the children witnessed God's glory in a way that surpassed even the Prophet Ezekiel's visions. Imagine that! Even a simple woman slave, standing on those shores, experienced a more profound glimpse of the divine than one of the greatest prophets. What an incredible testament to the power of that moment.
And what did they sing? It was a hymn praising their Deliverer. "Let us set the crown of glory upon the head of our Deliverer, who suffers all things to perish, but does not Himself decay, who changes all things, but is Himself unchanged." This Deliverer, the text proclaims, holds the "diadem of sovereignty," for He is the King of kings, not just in this world, but also in the world to come. This sovereignty is His, forever and always.
After this powerful song, Moses, ever the teacher, reminds the people that what they’ve witnessed is just a glimpse of what awaits. "Ye have seen all the signs, all miracles and works of glory that the Holy One, blessed be He, hath wrought for you, but even more will He do for you in the world to come." He contrasts this world with the next: "For not like unto this world is the world of the hereafter; for in this world war and suffering, evil inclination, Satan, and the Angel of Death hold sway; but in the future would, there will be neither suffering nor enmity, neither Satan nor the Angel of Death, neither groans nor oppression, nor evil inclination."
It’s a powerful message of hope. A promise that the freedom they experienced at the Red Sea was just the beginning. That a world free from suffering, from Satan (the adversary) and the Malach ha-Mavet (Angel of Death), awaits.
So, what does this ancient story tell us today? Perhaps it's a reminder that even in our darkest moments, moments of seemingly insurmountable obstacles, there is always the potential for transformation, for freedom, and for a glimpse of something beyond our current reality. And maybe, just maybe, if we listen closely enough, we can hear the echoes of that ancient song, the song of the unborn, still resonating within us, urging us towards a future filled with hope and redemption.