On the fifth day after we left Egypt, Pharaoh and his army began to pursue us. We were in terrible danger, for in front of us was the sea and in back of us was the Egyptian army. On the night of the seventh day after our departure, the sea miraculously split and we began to cross it. The Egyptian army decided, however, to follow us

On the morning of the seventh day, we sang the Song at the Sea - a song of thanksgiving for our deliverance.

into the sea. After we crossed to safety, the sea closed, and the pursing oppressors drowned. On the morning of the seventh day, we sang the Song at the Sea - a song of thanksgiving for our deliverance (commentary of Rashi on Exodus 14:5).


To commemorate this great miracle, the portion from the Torah that we chant on the seventh day of Passover contains the Song at the Sea, which opens with the following words: “Then Moshe and the Children of Israel will sing this song to HaShem....” (Exodus 15:1)
The Hebrew form of the verb “sing” in this verse can be translated as sang, chose to sing or will sing; in fact, the literal translation of the verb is in the future tense. The Talmud therefore cites the teaching of Rabbi Meir who says that the future tense of this verb is an allusion to the resurrection of the dead, when Moshe and the Children of Israel will sing in the future. This teaching of Rabbi Meir is found in Tractate Sanhedrin 91b, and it is cited by the classical Biblical commentator, Rashi, in his commentary on the above verse.
The opening verse of the Song at the Sea, therefore, has an allusion to the era of the ultimate and final redemption. This era will include the resurrection of the dead, when the departed souls will be reunited with their bodies on the redeemed and renewed Earth.
Rashi finds other allusions to the future redemption in the following passage at the end of the Song at the Sea: “You will bring them and implant them on the mount of Your heritage, a foundation for Your dwelling place that You, HaShem, have made - a Sanctuary, O Master of All, that Your hands established. HaShem shall reign for all eternity.” (Exodus 15:17,18)
Rashi points out that the above passage uses the metaphor of two Divine hands for the building of the future Sanctuary; thus, Rashi writes: “When will it (the Sanctuary) be built with two Divine hands? At the time when, as the following verse says, "HaShem shall reign for all eternity" - that is, in the future, when all sovereignty will be His forever.” (Based on the midrashic work known as the Mechilta.)
In this spirit, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, a noted 19th-century sage and Biblical commentator, points out that the concluding verse - “HaShem shall reign for all eternity” - can be understood as a reference to the future age when HaShem will be recognized as the Sovereign of all humankind.
The entire Passover story alludes to the future redemption, and Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil, a noted sage of the 13th century, finds a reference to this idea in the opening verse of the Ten Commandments: “I am HaShem, your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves.” (Exodus 20:2)
 
According to Rabbi Isaac of Corbeil, this verse calls upon us to not only believe that HaShem redeemed us in the past, but to also believe that HaShem will redeem us in the future. In his classical work on the mitzvos, known as Sefer Mitzvos Katan, he states that the obligation to believe in the coming of the Messiah is rooted in the words, “I am HaShem, your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt,” for the Exodus from Egypt is a testimony to the ongoing Divine providence in history that is leading us to the ultimate redemption of the Messianic age.
Regarding the Messianic age, Rabbi Hirsch writes: “When the Father of humankind sends His ‘second Moses,’ ending the persecution of His people upon earth and

The entire Passover story alludes to the future redemption.

wiping away all tears (Isaiah 25:8), then will the Exodus be remembered and acknowledged as the root from which the redemption of Israel and of all humankind has stemmed.” (The Hirsch Haggadah, page 265)
We will conclude this article with a story* about Rabbi Noson Wachtfogel, who served as the Mashgiach - Spiritual Guide - for the students at the famous Lakewood Yeshiva, which was founded by Rabbi Aharon Kotler, a leading Torah sage. Rabbi Wachtfogel passed away in 1998.
This noted sage, educator and counselor was known for the outstanding character traits that he developed; moreover, he was also known for his great yearning for the coming of Moshiach - the Messiah who will inaugurate the age of the complete redemption. He constantly spoke about the yearning of our people for the complete redemption and his teachings expressed the following principle of our heritage: “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Moshiach, and even though he may delay, nevertheless, I anticipate every day that he will come.” (This is one of the thirteen principles of our faith cited by Maimondes.)
Awaiting the coming of Moshiach was Rabbi Wachtfogel’s hallmark, and he fulfilled the statement, “I anticipate every day that he will come.” In fact, when he walked in the room during a festival celebration or a wedding, everyone would form a circle and start to joyously sing, “I anticipate every day that he will come.” Rabbi Wachtfogel would then enter the middle of the circle and dance heart and soul to these words, infecting everyone with his enthusiasm and faith.
His dance expressed the yearning for the redemption of each individual, along with the redemption of the community, and the elevating spirit of his dance is expressed in the following teachings that he gave over to his disciples:
1. It is written, “Then will come those lost in the land of Assyria and those cast away in the land of Egypt.” (Isaiah 27:13) The intent is that these people will come to realize that they were “lost” and “cast away”. Discontent with


We cannot even begin to imagine how great will be our compensation for having endured so much.

the exile is itself a level of anticipating Moshiach. Therefore, they - and all those who awaited the redemption - will merit to “bow to HaShem on the holy mountain in Jerusalem.” (ibid.)
2. Our years in exile have been full of terrible pain and suffering. We cannot even begin to imagine how great will be our compensation for having endured so much. How glorious will be the salvation and light that we will merit, due to the endless afflictions we have undergone in this long and dark exile! All the blood of our people that has been spilled will be transformed into light and joy.
 
3. Those in our generation who have experienced suffering and those who are now undergoing crises should realize that these are the birthpangs of Moshiach. They should take strength in the knowledge that these pains and difficulties will not endure for long, because soon they will all be coming to an end. Every day brings us closer to that wonderful moment when HaShem will heal the brokenhearted, and our sorrows and groans shall vanish.
“Shake off the dust - arise! Don your splendid clothes, My people.” (A welcoming song for Shabbos)


Note:
* The Legacy of Maran Rav Aharon Kotler by Rabbi Yitzchok Dershowitz, published by Feldheim.