The Hebrew month of Shevat is unique and special for many reasons. First amongst them is that in the month of Shevat we read Parshat Beshalach, which contains Shirat Hayam—the Song of “Oz Yashir.” We call this Shabbat by the name Shabbat Shira.
Yet Parshat Beshalach actually contains a great deal more than just the Shira of Oz Yashir. In this parsha we learn of the final Exodus from Egypt, the splitting of the Red Sea, the Laws of Chok Umishpat, the Manna, the Waters of the Well and the eternal war against Amalek.
The question begs, what makes Oz Yashir so unique and deserving of its own Shabbat, given everything else mentioned in the parsha? read more …