Last Shabbat, Dr. Arthur Cederbaum asked a really interesting question. There are two versions of the Mi Kamocha prayer, morning and evening. Why?
Both prayers begin this way: “Who is like You among the gods, Ad-nai! Who is like You adorned in holiness. Revered in praise, worker of wonders!”
But then the versions diverge.
Morning: “At the seashore the redeemed sang a new song to your name. Together they all gave thanks, exalting You with these words: ‘Ad-nai will reign for ever and ever.’”
Evening: “Your children saw Your reign, as You split the sea before Moses. ‘This is my G-d,’” they responded, and said, “’Ad-nai will reign for ever and ever.’”
The morning version emphasizes the ritual reaction to the event of liberation, the “new song” we sang. That song, of course, is “Az yashir,” which we do indeed recite every morning. And it is seen here primarily as a vehicle for giving thanks to G-d. Understood in this light, the claim that G-d will reign for ever and ever is an expression of gratitude.
The evening version takes a different, but no less meaningful approach. Here, the emphasis is on recognition and awareness, referring to what we “saw.” And what did we see? According to a classic midrash, even the simplest Israelite witnessed more of G-d’s power than even the greatest of the Prophets.
Why the different emphases? In the morning, during the shacharit service, we take the time to praise G-d extensively, including the entire section of Peskukei d’zimra, Passages of Song, which dramatically concludes with the Song of the Sea, the origin of Mi kamocha itself.
In the evening, on the other hand, we look at the world with different eyes, more inwardly focused. We can’t valorize what we see, because the dark of night precludes this. Instead, we must use our inner eye, and recall what we have seen: and not just the miraculous visible event of the Red Sea parting; but the deeper, more significant spiritual reality of G-d’s reign over the universe.
This distinction is underscored by the placement of Mi kamocha in the service. In the morning, it comes directly before the Amidah, following the rabbinic principle that geulah, the prayer for redemption, and Amidah, the prayer par excellence, should be linked together.
In the evening, there is a gap between Mi kamocha and the Amidah, which reflects the more attenuated experience of redemption as something remembered, rather than something lived.