ON THE PARSHA Parshas B'Shalach by Dovid Lipman, Israel Year 2, No. 16 Introduction This parsha, which tells how Hashem transferred the Jews from Egypt to the desert, has six parts: 1) Meeting at the Red Sea [TWOTS] 2) The Sea Splits [ATTL] 3) Egypt is Drowned [DYR] 4) Song of Salvation [WON] 5) Restaurant of Hashem [FTG] 6) Water and Amalek [RAUW] 1. Meeting at the Red Sea -- 13:17 [Beg.] to 14:14 The Jews detour to the Red Sea, and then turn back toward Egypt along the sea, all with Hashem leading them with a cloud by day and fire by night. Par'oh and Co. decide to pursue the Jews, and the entire nation catches up to them, armed with chariots and horses, at the edge of the sea. The Jews panic. The World of the Supernatural (13:17) "...because it's close..." Rashi explains that had they gone the 'fast route' to the land of Israel, they surely would have run back out of fear of the war. But weren't they going to the desert to get the Torah first? We see that really the Torah would be given in Israel, except that the Jews needed to feel "removed from Egypt" (by receiving the Torah) BEFORE they could have the courage to enter Israel. 2. The Sea Splits -- 14:15 to 14:25 [Aliyah 4] At Hashem's command, Moshe tells the people to go into the sea, and he lifts his hand, and the sea splits. The Jews cross, and the Egyptians pursue. A Time to Laugh (14:15) "...'Why are you crying to me?'..." This apparent rebuke from Hashem is translated by the Targum as "I have accepted your prayers." Here we see the principle that a teacher sometimes needs to give approval in a "pushing-off" type of way, as in the Midrash (Shir HaShirim Zuta 2) "The left hand pushes away and the right brings close," which allows the student to grow slowly. 3. Egypt is Drowned -- 14:26 [Aliyah 4] to 14:31 Hashem tells Moshe to lift his hand again, and the Egyptians are drowned in the returning waters. The Jews see the total victory, and their faith grows. Do You Remember? - from the files of On the Parsha 1. Why did Hashem tell Moshe, "Harem es mat'cha"? 2. How did Miriam become a "registered prophetess"? 3. When is "morning" considered to be over? 4. What does the word "va'ed" imply? 5. Why weren't the miracles of entering the land of Israel as great as crossing the Red Sea? 4. Song of Salvation -- 15:1 to 15:21 Moshe and the Jews sing praise to Hashem, describing their miraculous salvation, the punishment of the Egyptians, the fear of the nations, and the glorious future. Miriam leads the women in Song and dancing. Worthy of Note (15:9) "The enemy said, 'I will pursue...' ". Why did Par'oh send Egypt on this suicide mission into the sea? The Vilna Gaon says the previous pasuk, "the depths froze in the heart of the sea", means that Hashem made the split sea seem to Egypt like regular dry land - as though the sea had vanished, not split. So he really thought he'd catch them! 5. Restaurant of Hashem -- 15:22 to 16:36 [Aliyah 7] Leaving the sea for the desert, the Jews cried for needed water, and Moshe used a stick to miraculously convert undrinkable water for them. After further complaints, Hashem promised fowl nightly, and the heavenly bread, Mann, fell daily, with two portions on Friday and none on Shabbos, which was now given to the Jews. A jar of Mann was kept as a memorial. From the Gemara (16:21) Yoma 76a - Why did the Mann have to fall every day? It's like a prince and a King: if the King gives him a yearly allowance, he never sees him; a daily one ensures they'll meet every day. So, too, a Jew in the desert had to learn to put trust constantly in Hashem, and have faith that He would provide for his family's needs daily. 6. Water and Amalek -- Chap. 17 After complaints, Moshe struck a rock at Hashem's command, which gave them a premanent water supply. Then Amalek attacked, and Moshe sent Yehoshua to lead a victorious battle, while Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam's son Chur encouraged the people's faith. Hashem told Moshe that Amalek is eternally marked for destruction, as a result of this attack. Rare and Unusual Words (17:7) "Ayin". Literally 'not'; the Jews asked if Hashem was with them or 'not'. How could they ask this after all the miracles? Rabbeinu Bachya says the Torah started with a "beis" because of the priciple that "wisdom comes from nothing" (homiletical reading of Iyov 28:12, where "Ayin" is the word for 'nothing'). The idea is that Hashem's true nature cannot be comprehended by human wisdom, so "alef", this ultimate nature of Hashem, is not the beginning of our Torah, and it's called "Ayin", something we can't understand. So the Jews asked, is the totality of Hashem with us? Perhaps He's Ayin, incapable of truly connecting with people at the ultimate root level. But the limitations of comprehension do not affect Hashem's unity; if we relate to Him, it's total. So this lack of faith brought Amalek, who denies Hashem's presence in the world, since the Jews had already made a step in that direction.