Shabbat Shirah: The Spiritual Power of Song and Divine Goodness

This Shabbat, known as Shabbat Shirah, carries a profound message in the service of God. The Netivot Shalom explains that song represents a very high spiritual level, symbolizing a deep recognition of divine goodness. Proof of this idea appears in the Midrash, which teaches that King Chizkiyahu was worthy of becoming the Mashiach. However, because he did not sing a song of praise to God after the miraculous downfall of Sancheriv, that potential was lost.

Song as Recognition of Divine Goodness

The Netivot Shalom explains that the essence of song lies in the intensity of one’s inner awareness that God’s governance is entirely good. This is the level the Children of Israel reached at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, when they realized that everything they had experienced, both during the exile in Egypt and at the sea, was ultimately for the good.

According to his teaching, this dimension of song is also present on Shabbat, as it is said: “And the seventh day praises and says: A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbat.” Shabbat contains this illumination of song, because on the holy Shabbat a person receives an additional soul, whose essence is a release from excessive attachment to physicality. At that point, one offers praise and song to the God who rested from creation.

The Purpose of Creation and True Delight

God created the entire world in order to bestow goodness upon His creations. Yet to the eyes of the body, the world appears filled with hardship and suffering. Where then, is this goodness realized in such a world?

The ultimate purpose and highest expression of divine beneficence is that a human being should merit delighting in God and enjoying the radiance of His presence.

As long as a person is confined within the limitations of the physical body, they cannot fully attain this state and instead experience the suffering of a world of hardship. In truth, however, all physical suffering is fleeting and insignificant compared to the supreme goodness for which God created the world: that a Jew should reach the level of “then you shall delight in the Lord.” To reach this level, however, one must experience a release from material attachment.

“A Psalm, a Song for the Day of Shabbat”

This is the deeper meaning of the verse: “A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbat. It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing to Your exalted Name.” On Shabbat, there exists the level of song, through which a Jew can delight in God and enjoy the radiance of His presence by rising above physicality. From this place, one can perceive the immense goodness of divine providence, which is entirely directed toward benefiting His creations.

This level can be reached only on Shabbat, unlike the rest of the week, when a person is bound to physical concerns and finds it difficult to attain the level of song.

The Unique Gift of Shabbat Shirah

The Netivot Shalom concludes that Shabbat grants a unique opportunity to experience the illumination of song: rising above physicality and gaining the ability to see the divine goodness that guides all of creation for the benefit of its creatures. Shabbat is the time when a person can merit the level of “then you shall delight in the Lord,” transcend the struggles of the body and the material world, and enjoy the radiance of God’s presence.

In this way, the song of Shabbat becomes the central tool for creating a deep and meaningful connection between a person and their Creator.