Edited by B. Silberstein
This week’s Parasha, Beshalach, describes in gripping detail one of the greatest miracles in history. If I could choose one biblical event I could have been present at, it would be the splitting of the Red Sea.
The sudden transition from imminent disaster to dramatic salvation would produce the greatest emotional high I could imagine. Not to mention my joy at the utter destruction of the Egyptian expeditionary force, which had struck paralyzing fear into the hearts of Bnei Yisrael (the Children of Israel) only a short while before.
From Terror to Faith at the Sea
This aspect of the miracle had a profound spiritual impact. The Pasuk (verse) records that:
“Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore...and the people revered Hashem, and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant." (Shemot 14:31)
Bnei Yisrael had witnessed awesome wonders in Egypt, yet none matched the profound spiritual impact of this one. It engendered the singing of the Shira, the most exalted Song of praise ever recorded. This Song of the Sea describes in fine detail every aspect of the miracle, especially the utter havoc wreaked on the hapless Egyptian warriors.
My sense is that many contemporary Jews, especially those who would identify as “liberal," might not be entirely comfortable with this Song. It is not in sync with a mindset that views war as an evil that “never solves anything." It might be additionally troubling that a sacred hymn seems to be idealizing mortal combat and glorifying Hashem as “a Master of War." (Shemot 15:3)
So what is the Jewish attitude toward war? For the past two thousand years, this was only a matter of abstract theory. With the restoration of Israel’s political independence and her confrontation with a slew of implacable enemies who seek her destruction, resolution of this matter is an existential imperative.
Judaism’s Commitment to Peace and Its Limits
The virtue of peace is at the heart of Judaism. The longing for it is expressed in the final blessing of the Amidah prayer and is the central theme of the Priestly blessings.
However, we do not believe in peace at any price. When Yaakov prepared to confront the more powerful Eisav, his weapon of choice was diplomacy. And Jews love nothing more than negotiating.
But, and this must be constantly emphasized, he also prepared for battle. We are not pacifists, but are fierce defenders of the right, indeed the obligation, of self-defense. Whoever joins the Israeli army and fights against her enemies (and none is exempt) fulfills a great Mitzvah.
It would seem, then, that Judaism prefers peace, but regards war as an evil that sometimes cannot be avoided. If so, how can we justify the great praise heaped on Hashem for the destruction of the Egyptians? This song does not seem to reflect a culture that abhors war?
Why Bnei Yisrael Did Not Fight Egypt
In confronting this issue, we must ask, why didn’t Bnei Yisrael take up arms against the pursuing Egyptians, as Yaakov was prepared to do against Eisav? Only a few weeks later, when Amalek attacked, Yehoshua chose warriors who, inspired by the sight of Moshe’s upraised hands, defeated their antagonists.
It is because the Egyptians evinced an aura of invincibility. These were their former slave masters to whom they had been obedient and upon whom they projected supernatural power. The ultimate idolatry, which persists to this very day, is the worship of human might and the deification of the works of man. The sight of the Egyptian legions roaring down on them in all their fierce magnificence aroused a feeling of utter helplessness in Bnei Yisrael and triggered a complete emotional meltdown.
And when Hashem intervened, they saw the truth that human might is an absolute illusion and that Hashem is the only absolute source of power Who can alter the human condition.
Hashem as Master of War and the Illusion of Human Power
The purpose of the great Song of the Sea is not to exult in the suffering of the Egyptian warriors, but to depict the futility of man’s aspiration to assert a supreme power that he simply doesn’t have. That is the meaning of the refrain, “Hashemis a Master of War." (ibid.) Only He has the power of true dominance over the course of human affairs.
This Shiracontains vital lessons. We must learn from it that we cannot produce lasting change through might, which is illusory. It is only through the voice of reason and the persuasion of clear, calmly articulated ideas, the “still, small voice" (Melachim I 19:12) steadfastly reiterated, that truth and justice will triumph.
The Shira exhorts the entire world to abandon war and engage in the search for truth. When mankind learns and internalizes its message, the messianic era will arrive.
May we merit to see it in our lifetime.