[Avodah] Standing for Shirat Hayam

[Richard Wolpoe]

The issue is what are the laws and custsom regarding standing for the
Shirat Hayyam [and by extension the Asseret haDdibrot]

   - Rambam: never stand because no one portion is better than any other
   - Maharam miRothenburg:  Always stand because no one portion is better
     than any other!  :-)
   - Minhag:  Stand for Shira only

Question how does this Minhag work?

Quick answer: Peak at why we stand for Qiddush Levana. Since we receive
the Face of the Shechina whilst saying birkat levana Abbaye rules that we
therefore must recite it standing overrdiing the objections of the Rambam
et. al. is the fact that we stand NOT for the verses being read so much
as the re-enanctment of confronting the Divine Presence as revealed at
the Splitting of the Sea.

A minhag in Medeival Bagda [iirc] developed to call the local Rabbi to
the Torah and stand in HIS honor. This MIGHT be the reason for calling
up an important person to this aliya

Hag Samei'ach
RRW
-- 
Kol Tuv - Best Regards,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
see: http://nishmablog.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nishma-Minhag/