One of the repeating themes woven throughout the story of the Exodus of the Jews from Egypt is the great mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) that certain individuals displayed for the sake of the Jewish people, and their great reward for their selfless acts. Eventually, these acts of self-sacrifice would spread to the entire nation.
The story of the Exodus opens up with king Pharaoh ordering the midwives, Yocheved and Miriam, to kill all the Jewish male babies. Surely, the king of Egypt did not need police or advisers to put his wishes into action, for anyone who would dare disobey the king's order would certainly be put to death. Still, Yocheved and Miriam refused to lend a hand to Pharaoh's wickedness, for they feared the L-rd, so they did not do as the king had ordered. Their reward for this very courageous act? The Torah tells us that HaShem made houses for them. What kind of houses? From them would come forth the houses of the kehunah (priesthood) and the houses of malchut (kingship).
Next, we find the great act of Moshe in leaving the palace where he lived a life of luxury, where every request of his was fulfilled, to go out and see the pain of his people. All of it he gave up in an instant when he saw the Egyptian striking a fellow Jew, and killed that Egyptian. He then went into exile, leaving all behind. For this, Moshe was chosen to lead the people out of Egypt.
We find that after the decree went out that the Jews would no longer receive straw to make bricks, but would still be required to produce the same amount as when they were given the straw, they were unable to come up with the daily quota. As the Torah tells us, the Egyptian overseers said to the guards: 'Why did you not complete your requirement to make bricks as yesterday and before?' And the guards of the children of Israel were beaten. So unlike today's Jewish police, who frantically give out the beatings, these Jewish heroes received the beatings from the Egyptians and did not pass it on to their beloved people. They, too, were rewarded for their acts, for later on we find that these same Jewish policemen became the Sanhedrin.
Even Pharaoh's daughter Batya was rewarded for her great act of self-sacrifice for saving baby Moshe. For surely she took great risks to herself when she brought Moshe into the royal palace. Our rabbis teach us that Moshe prayed on her behalf, so that the 10 plagues did not affect her. She would leave Egypt together with the Jewish people and later convert. She also merited to enter the Land of Israel 40 years later.
The nation as a whole was also put to the test, and passed with flying colors, when they were given the commandment to offer the Passover sacrifice. To pass this test, the Jewish people were sent to the limits when G-d ordered them to tie the Egyptian god (the lamb) to their bedposts and, four days later, slaughter the lamb before the eyes of the helpless Egyptians. The Jews suggested to Moshe that maybe they could cook the lamb in a stew, chopping it up in fine pieces so the Egyptians would not take notice of it. No, answered Moshe, it must be whole. Not only that, but it must be roasted, for the smell of the burning lamb should go all over Egypt for all to smell. The Egyptians were still helpless in stopping the Jewish people, and had to watch them destroy their god. This took great self-sacrifice on the part of the Jewish people, and it was in this merit that they were able to cross over the Reed Sea.
In our parsha, Beshalach, we find the Jewish people with their backs to the wall. With the mighty Egyptian army in front of them and their back to the sea with nowhere to run, HaShem commanded them to enter the raging sea. The Jews were hesitant, and they formed a committee and a subcommittee (oh, how we love committees) to see which tribe would be the first to enter. At that moment, Nachshon, from the tribe of Judah, jumped in; only when the water started to enter his mouth did the sea open up for the Jewish people. Once again, the day was saved through the great merit of self-sacrifice on behalf of the Jewish people. Nachshon was justly rewarded, as all before him, for his unselfish act, meriting descendants who would sit on the throne of Israel.
Today, too, we see the great self-sacrifice of our children on behalf of the Jewish people and its land. Last week's events at Amona showed the great love that our youth have for their land and just how far they are willing to go to save it. The unholy and cowardly acts of the Israeli police showed their hatred for the strong and unyielding souls of our youths. Even as the blood flowed from their unprotected heads, as one demonstrator told me, they would be coming back again next time in spite of it all, for there is no other choice but to keep up the struggle. As in the redemption from Egypt, which came about only though acts of mesirut nefesh, so, too, in our day. As the blood of the Passover sacrifice went up to the Almighty and enabled us to pass through the raging waters of the sea, so, too, the blood of our children spilled for the Land of Israel should go up before the Almighty and bring redemption to us all.
The story of the Exodus opens up with king Pharaoh ordering the midwives, Yocheved and Miriam, to kill all the Jewish male babies. Surely, the king of Egypt did not need police or advisers to put his wishes into action, for anyone who would dare disobey the king's order would certainly be put to death. Still, Yocheved and Miriam refused to lend a hand to Pharaoh's wickedness, for they feared the L-rd, so they did not do as the king had ordered. Their reward for this very courageous act? The Torah tells us that HaShem made houses for them. What kind of houses? From them would come forth the houses of the kehunah (priesthood) and the houses of malchut (kingship).
Next, we find the great act of Moshe in leaving the palace where he lived a life of luxury, where every request of his was fulfilled, to go out and see the pain of his people. All of it he gave up in an instant when he saw the Egyptian striking a fellow Jew, and killed that Egyptian. He then went into exile, leaving all behind. For this, Moshe was chosen to lead the people out of Egypt.
We find that after the decree went out that the Jews would no longer receive straw to make bricks, but would still be required to produce the same amount as when they were given the straw, they were unable to come up with the daily quota. As the Torah tells us, the Egyptian overseers said to the guards: 'Why did you not complete your requirement to make bricks as yesterday and before?' And the guards of the children of Israel were beaten. So unlike today's Jewish police, who frantically give out the beatings, these Jewish heroes received the beatings from the Egyptians and did not pass it on to their beloved people. They, too, were rewarded for their acts, for later on we find that these same Jewish policemen became the Sanhedrin.
Even Pharaoh's daughter Batya was rewarded for her great act of self-sacrifice for saving baby Moshe. For surely she took great risks to herself when she brought Moshe into the royal palace. Our rabbis teach us that Moshe prayed on her behalf, so that the 10 plagues did not affect her. She would leave Egypt together with the Jewish people and later convert. She also merited to enter the Land of Israel 40 years later.
The nation as a whole was also put to the test, and passed with flying colors, when they were given the commandment to offer the Passover sacrifice. To pass this test, the Jewish people were sent to the limits when G-d ordered them to tie the Egyptian god (the lamb) to their bedposts and, four days later, slaughter the lamb before the eyes of the helpless Egyptians. The Jews suggested to Moshe that maybe they could cook the lamb in a stew, chopping it up in fine pieces so the Egyptians would not take notice of it. No, answered Moshe, it must be whole. Not only that, but it must be roasted, for the smell of the burning lamb should go all over Egypt for all to smell. The Egyptians were still helpless in stopping the Jewish people, and had to watch them destroy their god. This took great self-sacrifice on the part of the Jewish people, and it was in this merit that they were able to cross over the Reed Sea.
In our parsha, Beshalach, we find the Jewish people with their backs to the wall. With the mighty Egyptian army in front of them and their back to the sea with nowhere to run, HaShem commanded them to enter the raging sea. The Jews were hesitant, and they formed a committee and a subcommittee (oh, how we love committees) to see which tribe would be the first to enter. At that moment, Nachshon, from the tribe of Judah, jumped in; only when the water started to enter his mouth did the sea open up for the Jewish people. Once again, the day was saved through the great merit of self-sacrifice on behalf of the Jewish people. Nachshon was justly rewarded, as all before him, for his unselfish act, meriting descendants who would sit on the throne of Israel.
Today, too, we see the great self-sacrifice of our children on behalf of the Jewish people and its land. Last week's events at Amona showed the great love that our youth have for their land and just how far they are willing to go to save it. The unholy and cowardly acts of the Israeli police showed their hatred for the strong and unyielding souls of our youths. Even as the blood flowed from their unprotected heads, as one demonstrator told me, they would be coming back again next time in spite of it all, for there is no other choice but to keep up the struggle. As in the redemption from Egypt, which came about only though acts of mesirut nefesh, so, too, in our day. As the blood of the Passover sacrifice went up to the Almighty and enabled us to pass through the raging waters of the sea, so, too, the blood of our children spilled for the Land of Israel should go up before the Almighty and bring redemption to us all.