And it is this (v’hee) that sustains us: Literally, v’heeis “And she” is a reference to the Shekhinah, the divine presence. “It is the Shekhinah that has sustained us for more than once enemies plot to destroy…But the Holy One saved us from their hands.” She was with us in exile and was subjected to the forces of impurity – so she is with us in every generation but the Holy One, Praised be He,¹²³ saves us from their hand. The simple explanation of this expression v’hee is that it refers to the promise that God made with Abraham at the Covenant of the Pieces. God keeps His promise.¹²⁴ “It is that promise that has sustained us, for more than once enemies plot to destroy us…But the Holy One saved us from their hands.”God showed Abraham the four Empires which would eventually subjugate his descendents in generations to come and reassured him that none would be able to destroy his descendents. Yet another explanation is that v’hee refers to geulah, redemption. “It is the various redemptions that have sustained us, for more than once enemies plot to destroy us…But the Holy One saved us from their hands.” All of the redemptions until this time were incomplete and therefore we can only sing a shirah, not a shir.¹²⁵ is a song of praise but it is less whole than shir, the masculine form of the word song. V’hee, then, is a reference to the intermittent redemptions which precede the great redemption. V’hee can also be a reference to teshuvah, repentance. “It is repentance that has sustained us for more than once, enemies plot to destroy us…But the Holy One saved us from their hands.” Repentance brings redemption closer to fruition. When Israel cries out in repentance to God, then the Holy One saves them from their enemies.

footnotes: ¹²³ Shekhinah is a reference to the tenth Sephirah – the feminine aspect of the divine and the Holy One, Praised be HE, is a reference to Tiferet, the masculine side of the divine. ¹²⁴ A Promise in Hebrew is Havtachah, which is also a feminine noun. ¹²⁵ Apparently, shirah