Parshat BeShalach
16 Shevat 5761- Issue #13
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Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
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An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. A Tough Audience
The Parsha opens with the Jews? departure from Egypt. Pharaoh regrets having allowed the Jews to leave, gathers his officers and chariots and leads them in pursuit of the Jews, who have reached the shores of the Red Sea. Upon seeing the approaching Egyptians, the Jews panic, crying out to Moshe. G-d tells Moshe to instruct the Jewish people to journey forward, for He will split the sea and allow the Jews to cross it. G-d sends an angel and a pillar of cloud to separate the two camps and prevent the Egyptians from harming the Jews. Moshe stretches out his hand over the sea, and the water splits for the Jews, standing as a wall on their right and on their left (Chap. 14, verse 22). In the Book of Tehillim (Psalms), King David describes the departure of the Jews from Egypt, adding an additional detail about their behavior by the sea in Psalm 106, verse 7, which says, ?They were rebellious at the sea, at the Red Sea.?
The question: How were the Jews rebellious at the Red Sea?
The answer: The Midrash in Shemot Rabbah says that the seemingly repetitive language of the verse in Psalms (?at the sea, at the Red Sea?) indicates that the Jews rebelled there twice. The first act of rebellion, says the Midrash, was their initial hesitation to plunge into the water as G-d had told them to do. It was not until Nachshon ben Aminadav bravely went in, followed by the tribe of Judah, that the waters parted and the Jews were then able to cross the Red Sea to safety. The second act of rebellion, according to the Midrash, was that once G-d had split the sea and the Jews were able to walk across, they found it muddy and began to complain, for the seabed was still wet from the water that had been there prior to the miracle. One Jew would say to another as they crossed, ?Mud in Egypt, now mud at the sea. Mud and bricks in Egypt, and now the mud of many waters at the sea.? Thus, the Jews? initial hesitation, followed by their complaining, constituted acts of rebellion against G-d at the Red Sea.
The lesson: We see from the Midrash that the Jewish people have not really changed very much over the past three thousand or so years. Imagine the scene: the Jews have witnessed the Ten Plagues, they have been liberated from their taskmasters and marched out of Egypt as a free people, and G-d now miraculously splits the Red Sea so they can proceed through it to safety. At the height of the miracle, with the sea standing to their left and their right, the Jews find nothing better to do than to complain about the mud on their shoes. How petty it seems, how undignified and unappreciative of them. And yet, we too share this same attitude. Miracles are all around us, yet we focus on the mud. The ingathering of the exiles from Russia, Ethiopia and Argentina, the rebirth of Jewish communities in the historical heartland of Israel, the flowering of Torah and Jewish tradition, the resurrection of the Hebrew language, the dynamism of Israel?s economy ? all of these are logic-defying wonders that captivate the imagination. Sure, the daily life in Israel has its frustrations, tensions and even absurdities. But when you are in the middle of crossing the Red Sea, the key is not to look down at your shoes, but to look forward to your destination. Don?t focus on the mud. Look around you, and you will see that you are enveloped by miracles.
2. You?ve Got the Power
After being saved at the Red Sea, the Jews sing a song of praise to G-d. They travel through the desert, and after three days, they arrive at Marah, but the water is bitter, so they complain to Moshe. G-d shows Moshe a tree, which he throws in to the water to make it sweet so that the people will have water to quench their thirst. After traveling to Elim, the Jews move onward into the Wilderness of Sin, where they once again complain, mistakenly looking back on Egypt as a great place with plentiful food. G-d sends Manna from Heaven, providing them with daily nourishment throughout their forty-year long sojourn in the desert. The Jews leave the Wilderness of Sin and camp out at Rephidim, where they complain once again that there is no water to drink. G-d tells Moshe to strike a rock, which he does, and water emerges from it so that the people may drink. Immediately thereafter, the nation of Amalek launches an assault on the Jews. Moshe appoints Joshua to assemble an army, while he takes his brother Aaron and nephew Chur to the top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. The Torah says that ?when Moshe raised his hand, Israel was stronger, and when he lowered his hand, Amalek was stronger? (Chap. 17, verse 11).
The question: What is the connection between Moshe?s raising his hands and Israel?s victory?
The answer: The Talmud in Tractate Rosh HaShanah (see the Mishna on page 29a), asks, ?And did the hands of Moshe wage war or overwhelm the enemy? Rather, so long as Israel turned their thoughts and hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed. But if they did not, they would fall [in defeat].? Thus, according to the Talmud, the raising or lowering of Moshe?s hands was not the cause of the Jews? victory or defeat ? rather, it reflected their state of mind.
The lesson: The Sfat Emet (Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the second Rebbe of Ger, 1847-1905) offers an interesting interpretation of the Talmud here. He says that when the Jews would turn their thoughts toward G-d, Moshe?s hands would stand straight in the air, but when they turned away from G-d, Moshe?s hands would weaken and fall downward. This, says the Sfat Emet, symbolizes that it is the nation that infuses a leader with the power to act on their behalf and bring them salvation. The nation?s repentance and conviction is the source of the leader?s strength, enabling him to accomplish his goals. If the nation is weak, it weakens the leader, but if the nation is strong and united, it will imbue the leader with energy and vigor. This lesson is particularly relevant to Israel today, which has just elected a new Prime Minister. The past two premiers have seen their terms of office cut short, thanks in part to the sharp divisions among the nation. This also exacerbated the instability in the country?s political system. If our new Prime Minister is to succeed, it is incumbent upon the people of Israel to finally unite. For, as the Sefat Emet tells us, this will be a great source of strength to him, and will ultimately benefit us all in the months and years ahead.
3. I Feel Your Pain
As the battle against Amalek continued, Moshe?s hands grew heavy. Aaron and Chur took a stone and placed it under Moshe. While he sat on the rock, each of them supported his hands on either side so that they remained raised in the air (Chap. 17, verse 12). Joshua defeated Amalek, and G-d vows that the memory of Amalek, which symbolizes all that is evil in the world, will eventually be erased from under the heavens.
The question: Why did Moshe sit on a rock? Couldn?t they have brought him something more comfortable, such as a pillow or a cushion?
The answer: The Talmud in Tractate Taanit (11a) says that we can learn an important lesson about Jewish solidarity from Moshe?s choice of seat. The Talmud says, ?At a time when the community is suffering, a man should not say, ?I will go to my house and eat and drink ? and peace will be upon me.?? rather, he should suffer along with the community. We find this with Moshe, as is written, (in this week?s parsha, Chap. 17:12) ?Moshe?s hands felt heavy, so they took a stone and placed it beneath him and he sat upon it.? Didn?t Moshe possess a cushion or pillow upon which to sit? However, Moshe said, ?Since Israel is immersed in suffering, I shall suffer along with them.?? Thus, we see that Moshe chose a rock rather than a pillow or cushion because he wished to identify with the difficulties facing the Jewish people as they went into their first armed confrontation since leaving Egypt.
The lesson: Commenting on this incident, Rabbi Yehudah Zev Segal, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva (cited in Inspiration and Insight), says there are two important aspects to Moshe?s use of a rock. Rav Segal says, ?The first step in sharing in the community?s suffering is that one not be at peace with himself, content with his own comfortable situation. However, this alone falls far short of what is actually required of us?? Rav Segal adds that the second facet of identifying with the community?s distress is that a Jew must also suffer ?in a real sense, imagining himself as one of those who are in fact suffering.? Thus, Moshe was not content with an emotional response to the Jews? predicament, but had to undertake a physical action that would both demonstrate his solidarity and enable him to feel what the Jews were undergoing. We see from this that is not enough to read about a fellow Jew?s suffering, let out an ?Oy, how sad!? and then turn the page. That is only the first, and easiest, part of demonstrating solidarity with the community. The second, and more important, component is to translate that feeling into action, to do something about the situation. For the past five months, the Jews living in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) have been living under siege, with daily shootings, stonings and bombings directed against them. Travel on the roads has become increasingly hazardous, and people in some communities, such as Hebron, Netzarim and Psagot, have spent nights huddled behind sandbags or sleeping in shelters. Whatever one?s views may be on the issue of settlements, it is important to remember that the Jews of Yesha are Jews, and when they are suffering, it is our obligation not only to sympathize with their pain, but to do something to help them. For as Moshe demonstrated, Jewish solidarity means more than just feeling bad ? it requires us to do good.
16 Shevat 5761- Issue #13
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Torah Thoughts Relating To Current Events
----------------------------------------------------------------------
An Occasional Series by Michael Freund of Raanana, Israel
Comments/Feedback: parsha_sheet@hotmail.com
1. A Tough Audience
The Parsha opens with the Jews? departure from Egypt. Pharaoh regrets having allowed the Jews to leave, gathers his officers and chariots and leads them in pursuit of the Jews, who have reached the shores of the Red Sea. Upon seeing the approaching Egyptians, the Jews panic, crying out to Moshe. G-d tells Moshe to instruct the Jewish people to journey forward, for He will split the sea and allow the Jews to cross it. G-d sends an angel and a pillar of cloud to separate the two camps and prevent the Egyptians from harming the Jews. Moshe stretches out his hand over the sea, and the water splits for the Jews, standing as a wall on their right and on their left (Chap. 14, verse 22). In the Book of Tehillim (Psalms), King David describes the departure of the Jews from Egypt, adding an additional detail about their behavior by the sea in Psalm 106, verse 7, which says, ?They were rebellious at the sea, at the Red Sea.?
The question: How were the Jews rebellious at the Red Sea?
The answer: The Midrash in Shemot Rabbah says that the seemingly repetitive language of the verse in Psalms (?at the sea, at the Red Sea?) indicates that the Jews rebelled there twice. The first act of rebellion, says the Midrash, was their initial hesitation to plunge into the water as G-d had told them to do. It was not until Nachshon ben Aminadav bravely went in, followed by the tribe of Judah, that the waters parted and the Jews were then able to cross the Red Sea to safety. The second act of rebellion, according to the Midrash, was that once G-d had split the sea and the Jews were able to walk across, they found it muddy and began to complain, for the seabed was still wet from the water that had been there prior to the miracle. One Jew would say to another as they crossed, ?Mud in Egypt, now mud at the sea. Mud and bricks in Egypt, and now the mud of many waters at the sea.? Thus, the Jews? initial hesitation, followed by their complaining, constituted acts of rebellion against G-d at the Red Sea.
The lesson: We see from the Midrash that the Jewish people have not really changed very much over the past three thousand or so years. Imagine the scene: the Jews have witnessed the Ten Plagues, they have been liberated from their taskmasters and marched out of Egypt as a free people, and G-d now miraculously splits the Red Sea so they can proceed through it to safety. At the height of the miracle, with the sea standing to their left and their right, the Jews find nothing better to do than to complain about the mud on their shoes. How petty it seems, how undignified and unappreciative of them. And yet, we too share this same attitude. Miracles are all around us, yet we focus on the mud. The ingathering of the exiles from Russia, Ethiopia and Argentina, the rebirth of Jewish communities in the historical heartland of Israel, the flowering of Torah and Jewish tradition, the resurrection of the Hebrew language, the dynamism of Israel?s economy ? all of these are logic-defying wonders that captivate the imagination. Sure, the daily life in Israel has its frustrations, tensions and even absurdities. But when you are in the middle of crossing the Red Sea, the key is not to look down at your shoes, but to look forward to your destination. Don?t focus on the mud. Look around you, and you will see that you are enveloped by miracles.
2. You?ve Got the Power
After being saved at the Red Sea, the Jews sing a song of praise to G-d. They travel through the desert, and after three days, they arrive at Marah, but the water is bitter, so they complain to Moshe. G-d shows Moshe a tree, which he throws in to the water to make it sweet so that the people will have water to quench their thirst. After traveling to Elim, the Jews move onward into the Wilderness of Sin, where they once again complain, mistakenly looking back on Egypt as a great place with plentiful food. G-d sends Manna from Heaven, providing them with daily nourishment throughout their forty-year long sojourn in the desert. The Jews leave the Wilderness of Sin and camp out at Rephidim, where they complain once again that there is no water to drink. G-d tells Moshe to strike a rock, which he does, and water emerges from it so that the people may drink. Immediately thereafter, the nation of Amalek launches an assault on the Jews. Moshe appoints Joshua to assemble an army, while he takes his brother Aaron and nephew Chur to the top of a hill overlooking the battlefield. The Torah says that ?when Moshe raised his hand, Israel was stronger, and when he lowered his hand, Amalek was stronger? (Chap. 17, verse 11).
The question: What is the connection between Moshe?s raising his hands and Israel?s victory?
The answer: The Talmud in Tractate Rosh HaShanah (see the Mishna on page 29a), asks, ?And did the hands of Moshe wage war or overwhelm the enemy? Rather, so long as Israel turned their thoughts and hearts to their Father in Heaven, they prevailed. But if they did not, they would fall [in defeat].? Thus, according to the Talmud, the raising or lowering of Moshe?s hands was not the cause of the Jews? victory or defeat ? rather, it reflected their state of mind.
The lesson: The Sfat Emet (Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the second Rebbe of Ger, 1847-1905) offers an interesting interpretation of the Talmud here. He says that when the Jews would turn their thoughts toward G-d, Moshe?s hands would stand straight in the air, but when they turned away from G-d, Moshe?s hands would weaken and fall downward. This, says the Sfat Emet, symbolizes that it is the nation that infuses a leader with the power to act on their behalf and bring them salvation. The nation?s repentance and conviction is the source of the leader?s strength, enabling him to accomplish his goals. If the nation is weak, it weakens the leader, but if the nation is strong and united, it will imbue the leader with energy and vigor. This lesson is particularly relevant to Israel today, which has just elected a new Prime Minister. The past two premiers have seen their terms of office cut short, thanks in part to the sharp divisions among the nation. This also exacerbated the instability in the country?s political system. If our new Prime Minister is to succeed, it is incumbent upon the people of Israel to finally unite. For, as the Sefat Emet tells us, this will be a great source of strength to him, and will ultimately benefit us all in the months and years ahead.
3. I Feel Your Pain
As the battle against Amalek continued, Moshe?s hands grew heavy. Aaron and Chur took a stone and placed it under Moshe. While he sat on the rock, each of them supported his hands on either side so that they remained raised in the air (Chap. 17, verse 12). Joshua defeated Amalek, and G-d vows that the memory of Amalek, which symbolizes all that is evil in the world, will eventually be erased from under the heavens.
The question: Why did Moshe sit on a rock? Couldn?t they have brought him something more comfortable, such as a pillow or a cushion?
The answer: The Talmud in Tractate Taanit (11a) says that we can learn an important lesson about Jewish solidarity from Moshe?s choice of seat. The Talmud says, ?At a time when the community is suffering, a man should not say, ?I will go to my house and eat and drink ? and peace will be upon me.?? rather, he should suffer along with the community. We find this with Moshe, as is written, (in this week?s parsha, Chap. 17:12) ?Moshe?s hands felt heavy, so they took a stone and placed it beneath him and he sat upon it.? Didn?t Moshe possess a cushion or pillow upon which to sit? However, Moshe said, ?Since Israel is immersed in suffering, I shall suffer along with them.?? Thus, we see that Moshe chose a rock rather than a pillow or cushion because he wished to identify with the difficulties facing the Jewish people as they went into their first armed confrontation since leaving Egypt.
The lesson: Commenting on this incident, Rabbi Yehudah Zev Segal, the Manchester Rosh Yeshiva (cited in Inspiration and Insight), says there are two important aspects to Moshe?s use of a rock. Rav Segal says, ?The first step in sharing in the community?s suffering is that one not be at peace with himself, content with his own comfortable situation. However, this alone falls far short of what is actually required of us?? Rav Segal adds that the second facet of identifying with the community?s distress is that a Jew must also suffer ?in a real sense, imagining himself as one of those who are in fact suffering.? Thus, Moshe was not content with an emotional response to the Jews? predicament, but had to undertake a physical action that would both demonstrate his solidarity and enable him to feel what the Jews were undergoing. We see from this that is not enough to read about a fellow Jew?s suffering, let out an ?Oy, how sad!? and then turn the page. That is only the first, and easiest, part of demonstrating solidarity with the community. The second, and more important, component is to translate that feeling into action, to do something about the situation. For the past five months, the Jews living in Yesha (Judea, Samaria and Gaza) have been living under siege, with daily shootings, stonings and bombings directed against them. Travel on the roads has become increasingly hazardous, and people in some communities, such as Hebron, Netzarim and Psagot, have spent nights huddled behind sandbags or sleeping in shelters. Whatever one?s views may be on the issue of settlements, it is important to remember that the Jews of Yesha are Jews, and when they are suffering, it is our obligation not only to sympathize with their pain, but to do something to help them. For as Moshe demonstrated, Jewish solidarity means more than just feeling bad ? it requires us to do good.