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Why does Shiras HaYam open with a commitment to beautify mitzvos rather than simply to perform them? The shiur develops that Kriyas Yam Suf revealed Hashem (ה׳) through an anthropomorphic vision—a virtual reality—that established a relationship. Because we saw Him and recognized our connection, we understood that what is beautiful to us is beautiful to Him, making hiddur mitzvah (מצוה) the natural expression of closeness.
The shiur addresses a fundamental question about the Shiras HaYam at Kriyas Yam Suf: why does Klal Yisrael's first expression of gratitude—"Zeh Keili v'anveihu"—focus on beautifying mitzvos rather than on commitment to perform them or perform them joyfully? Moreover, the Rambam (רמב"ם) gives almost no place to hiddur mitzvah (מצוה) in his halachic corpus, appearing only briefly in Hilchos Beis HaBechirah. Why would something so peripheral become the primary vehicle for expressing joy at the splitting of the sea? A preliminary question challenges the entire concept of hiddur mitzvah: beauty is entirely subjective. What one culture considers beautiful—bound feet in China, neck rings in Africa, body piercings in contemporary Western culture—another finds repulsive. How can there be a mitzvah to beautify if we have no objective standard of beauty? What appears beautiful to us might appear ugly to Hashem (ה׳).
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Beshalach (Shiras HaYam)
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