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Family movie time is now a pandemic staple in our home. We introduced our children to the movies of our youth, reliving our childhoods vicariously.

This week, we focused on time machine movies. In “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,” two high school students bring back historical figures to their school for their history project, engaging these individuals in conversation. This entertaining film led us to a simple question, “If you could go back in time, who would you invite?”

Our middle son, without hesitation, said, “I want to meet Moses.”

Tomorrow, we read Shirat Hayam, the song of the sea, the ultimate miracle in our narrative. The first words read az yashir, “Then he sang.” This is in the past. And yet, Rashi explains the true meaning is “then he WILL sing,” that upon seeing the miracle of the sea split before his eyes, his heart told him to sing.

Miracles cause us to sing. We sing at every lifecycle event: as babies are born, as we bless b’nai mitzvah or a bride and a groom, and we even sing at a funeral, moments where we seek God’s presence.

As I asked my son why he wanted to meet Moses, he referenced the parsha, “Because Moses saw the sea split.” Thankfully, we do not need to go back in time to find these miraculous moments. The miracle today is not that the sea split, but that we are reading of that miracle thousands of years later. This Shabbat, go back in time, and ask yourself, “Who would you like at your Shabbat table from the past?” A parent? A sibling? A figure from the Torah?”

What miracle would they bring to your life during these challenging times? When you have that answer, find it in your heart to sing. This is the Shabbat of song. Let’s create that Heavenly choir together.

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