Bshalach: Shedding light on the Splitting of the Sea
In Sefer Yehoshua in 2:10, Rahav is talking to the two slaves Yehoshua had sent. She is describing how they know the Jews are going to take over the land. Rahav says "for we heard that Hashem dried out the waters of the Yam Suf before you, when you left Egypt".
I wonder - does this statement by Rahav shed any light on to how the actual splitting of the sea went down? Can we rely on her statement to understand the splitting of the sea? Perhaps she heard wrong? Perhaps the news media outlets got the details inaccurately? Or maybe this is how it went down - rather than moving the waters to the side, the water in the middle (on the created paths) dried up leaving a path...
What do you think?
Showing posts with label Bshalah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bshalah. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
B'Shalach: Money makes you insane
Parshat B'Shalach: Money makes you insane
14:5-8.
Pharoah had had enough of the Jews and the trouble they brought with them. He finally agreed to let them go.
Now that they are gone, and he sees they are not coming back, Pharoah decides to chase them down. Not because he wants them back - he doesn't (according to Rashi in 14:5, at least) - all he wants is the valuables they took with them.
In verses 6 and 7, which is still before Hashem hardens his heart, he decides to chase them down. The pasuk says he gathered all the chariots in the country, including 600 top level chariots, and filled them with his officers.
I don't know if this was the whole Egyptian army, or just part of it. It is at least a significant portion. Add to this the fact they they were still licking their wounds form the plagues - a lot of people died in the Plague of the Firstborn, they might be weak from lack of food as crops had been destroyed and cattle had died in plagues. They are in a pretty prone condition and weakened state.
Yet Pharoah decides to go with a strong force to chase down a bunch of slaves for some jewels. I would even dare say that this was not a great amount, relative to what Egypt still had - we see by the splitting of the sea that they had brought tremendous amounts of valuables with them.
Egypt is in an extremely weakened state, and very prone. They had been the leaders of the world. there must have been other countries chomping at the bit waiting for this opportunity to attack and take over control of such a powerful country.
yet Pharoah leaves Egypt largely unprotected and vulnerable. Just to chase down some slaves to retrieve some money? It doesn't make sense.
I would suggest that this shows us how money can drive a person insane and make him think irrationally.
14:5-8.
Pharoah had had enough of the Jews and the trouble they brought with them. He finally agreed to let them go.
Now that they are gone, and he sees they are not coming back, Pharoah decides to chase them down. Not because he wants them back - he doesn't (according to Rashi in 14:5, at least) - all he wants is the valuables they took with them.
In verses 6 and 7, which is still before Hashem hardens his heart, he decides to chase them down. The pasuk says he gathered all the chariots in the country, including 600 top level chariots, and filled them with his officers.
I don't know if this was the whole Egyptian army, or just part of it. It is at least a significant portion. Add to this the fact they they were still licking their wounds form the plagues - a lot of people died in the Plague of the Firstborn, they might be weak from lack of food as crops had been destroyed and cattle had died in plagues. They are in a pretty prone condition and weakened state.
Yet Pharoah decides to go with a strong force to chase down a bunch of slaves for some jewels. I would even dare say that this was not a great amount, relative to what Egypt still had - we see by the splitting of the sea that they had brought tremendous amounts of valuables with them.
Egypt is in an extremely weakened state, and very prone. They had been the leaders of the world. there must have been other countries chomping at the bit waiting for this opportunity to attack and take over control of such a powerful country.
yet Pharoah leaves Egypt largely unprotected and vulnerable. Just to chase down some slaves to retrieve some money? It doesn't make sense.
I would suggest that this shows us how money can drive a person insane and make him think irrationally.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
B'Shalach: from the splitting of the sea to Mara
Parshas B'Shalach
After reading the portion of Az Yashir, we continue to read one more piece - the arrival of the Jews in a place called Mara after they complained they had had no water for a few days, before the aliya is broken down.
The whole piece is about the splitting of the sea, so why do we not just stop the reading at the conclusion of that portion? Why do we continue and read about the events at Mara and not put them in the next aliya?
The splitting of the sea was the height of inspiration. I can try to picture the water rising up into a wall. I can try to picture the water crashing down on the Egyptians behind the fleeing Jews. I can try to imagine the awesomeness of it. I think of Niagra Falls and find that amazing. Think of a sunset or any natural phenomenon that you find inspiring, and the splitting of the sea was that a million times multiplied. It even says a maid servant was more inspired at the splitting of the sea and had a higher level of prophecy that did the greatest of the later prophets, Yehezkal ben Buzi.
But inspiration is not enough. They were so greatly inspired, but right away they started kvetching again as soon as things got uncomfortable.
What happened to the great emunah they had attained and displayed by the splitting of the sea that the passuk even describes ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו? What happened to the great inspiration? They were without water and suddenly forgot the power Hashem has to provide? They forgot all they saw at the splitting of the sea and in the desert leading up to it and in Egypt?
They wasted the experience of the Kriyas Yam Suf. They were inspired, but they let it slip away. Inspiration is nice, but it must be actualized into some sort of concrete improvement. They let the inspiration slip away, so Hashem brought them to Mara. He showed them that they had immediately sunk back to their previous level and that He does have the power to provide, as He performed the miracle with the water and the tree. And he gave them a series of mitzvos. he made it concrete this time.
no more "inspiration". Now you get inspired and you take something with you. You find a way to actually improve yourself and act on it.
That, maybe, is why we read more than the splitting of the sea and add the parsha of Mara. because it completes the splitting.
After reading the portion of Az Yashir, we continue to read one more piece - the arrival of the Jews in a place called Mara after they complained they had had no water for a few days, before the aliya is broken down.
The whole piece is about the splitting of the sea, so why do we not just stop the reading at the conclusion of that portion? Why do we continue and read about the events at Mara and not put them in the next aliya?
The splitting of the sea was the height of inspiration. I can try to picture the water rising up into a wall. I can try to picture the water crashing down on the Egyptians behind the fleeing Jews. I can try to imagine the awesomeness of it. I think of Niagra Falls and find that amazing. Think of a sunset or any natural phenomenon that you find inspiring, and the splitting of the sea was that a million times multiplied. It even says a maid servant was more inspired at the splitting of the sea and had a higher level of prophecy that did the greatest of the later prophets, Yehezkal ben Buzi.
But inspiration is not enough. They were so greatly inspired, but right away they started kvetching again as soon as things got uncomfortable.
What happened to the great emunah they had attained and displayed by the splitting of the sea that the passuk even describes ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו? What happened to the great inspiration? They were without water and suddenly forgot the power Hashem has to provide? They forgot all they saw at the splitting of the sea and in the desert leading up to it and in Egypt?
They wasted the experience of the Kriyas Yam Suf. They were inspired, but they let it slip away. Inspiration is nice, but it must be actualized into some sort of concrete improvement. They let the inspiration slip away, so Hashem brought them to Mara. He showed them that they had immediately sunk back to their previous level and that He does have the power to provide, as He performed the miracle with the water and the tree. And he gave them a series of mitzvos. he made it concrete this time.
no more "inspiration". Now you get inspired and you take something with you. You find a way to actually improve yourself and act on it.
That, maybe, is why we read more than the splitting of the sea and add the parsha of Mara. because it completes the splitting.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
A bitter lesson
Parshat B'Shalah
After the sea split and went back to normal, the Jews move on through the desert and they encounter a place with only bitter water. In 15:22-23 the pessukim tell us, "ויסע משה את ישראל...ויבאו מרתה ולא יכלו לשתת" - Moshe urged the Israelites to travel... and they came to Marah and they were not able to drink...
Rashi tells us that Moshe had to push them to travel from the edge of the sea. He explains that all the jewels and wealth of Egypt washed up on the bansk and the people were busy scavenging the wealth and they did not want to leave. Moshe had to tell them that enough was enough and it was time to move on.
I find the contrast stark. They finish the story of splitting the sea and immediately begin the story of the bitter waters.
I think, maybe, part of the reason hashem took them to Marah right now was specifically because of the greed they displayed at the edge of the sea. They preferred to sit there collecting money and Moshe had to force them to move.
Hashem brought them to Marah to show them that all that money they were so worried about does them no good anyway. All the money in the world could not buy them a drink of water. They needed to improve their emuna and be less concerned about the money.
Thinking about this some more, I developed it a bit further....
After the events at the splitting of the sea and then the bitter waters, the rest of the parsha deals with a number of other stories; the manna, the fowl (slav), the water coming from the rock, the battle with Amalek.
All these are events that are completely dependant on emunah. They were all there to teach Bnei Yisrael emunah in Hashem and that even when they put forth effort it is really Hashem making their efforts successful.
So, they showed their greed by preferring the money. Hashem showed them the money is not the most important. Then hashem taught them multiple lessons in emuna.
After the sea split and went back to normal, the Jews move on through the desert and they encounter a place with only bitter water. In 15:22-23 the pessukim tell us, "ויסע משה את ישראל...ויבאו מרתה ולא יכלו לשתת" - Moshe urged the Israelites to travel... and they came to Marah and they were not able to drink...
Rashi tells us that Moshe had to push them to travel from the edge of the sea. He explains that all the jewels and wealth of Egypt washed up on the bansk and the people were busy scavenging the wealth and they did not want to leave. Moshe had to tell them that enough was enough and it was time to move on.
I find the contrast stark. They finish the story of splitting the sea and immediately begin the story of the bitter waters.
I think, maybe, part of the reason hashem took them to Marah right now was specifically because of the greed they displayed at the edge of the sea. They preferred to sit there collecting money and Moshe had to force them to move.
Hashem brought them to Marah to show them that all that money they were so worried about does them no good anyway. All the money in the world could not buy them a drink of water. They needed to improve their emuna and be less concerned about the money.
Thinking about this some more, I developed it a bit further....
After the events at the splitting of the sea and then the bitter waters, the rest of the parsha deals with a number of other stories; the manna, the fowl (slav), the water coming from the rock, the battle with Amalek.
All these are events that are completely dependant on emunah. They were all there to teach Bnei Yisrael emunah in Hashem and that even when they put forth effort it is really Hashem making their efforts successful.
So, they showed their greed by preferring the money. Hashem showed them the money is not the most important. Then hashem taught them multiple lessons in emuna.
showing compassion
Parshat B'Shalah
After Moshe leads Israel in songs of praise after the splitting of the sea (az yashir), Miriam leads the women in similar song.
The passuk in 15:20 says, "ותקח מרים הנביאה אחות אהרון את התף" - And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aharon, took the drums in her hands, etc..
Why does the Torah relate to us that she is the sister of Aharon? We know who she is.
Rashi explains that she said her prophecy before Moshe was born so it relates her to Aharon, along with a second explanation that Aharon risked his life for her when she had tzoraas, so it relates her to him.
That is very nice, but does not explain why it needs to be said at all. That explains why she is considered Aharon's sister and no mention of Moshe.
But why say anything? We know who she is!
The Ramban says an answer that we already have seen Moshe leading Israel in songs of praise, now we see Miriam doing the same. The only one we do not see is Aharon. So the Torah relates Miriam to Aharon so he would not feel left out.
I find it funny that the Torah would say that just so Aharon does not feel left out. Is this a personal family diary that the author needs to be concerned with hurting one members feeligns over another?
I asked this question to someone and he suggested that it is teaching us a lesson. He said that if the Torah showed concern and compassion for someone who might feel left out when his brother and sister got all the attention, how much more so do we need to show compassion to others and be concerned for their feelings.
After Moshe leads Israel in songs of praise after the splitting of the sea (az yashir), Miriam leads the women in similar song.
The passuk in 15:20 says, "ותקח מרים הנביאה אחות אהרון את התף" - And Miriam the prophetess, sister of Aharon, took the drums in her hands, etc..
Why does the Torah relate to us that she is the sister of Aharon? We know who she is.
Rashi explains that she said her prophecy before Moshe was born so it relates her to Aharon, along with a second explanation that Aharon risked his life for her when she had tzoraas, so it relates her to him.
That is very nice, but does not explain why it needs to be said at all. That explains why she is considered Aharon's sister and no mention of Moshe.
But why say anything? We know who she is!
The Ramban says an answer that we already have seen Moshe leading Israel in songs of praise, now we see Miriam doing the same. The only one we do not see is Aharon. So the Torah relates Miriam to Aharon so he would not feel left out.
I find it funny that the Torah would say that just so Aharon does not feel left out. Is this a personal family diary that the author needs to be concerned with hurting one members feeligns over another?
I asked this question to someone and he suggested that it is teaching us a lesson. He said that if the Torah showed concern and compassion for someone who might feel left out when his brother and sister got all the attention, how much more so do we need to show compassion to others and be concerned for their feelings.
fear and belief
Pasrhat B'Shalah
The sea has been split. The Jews go through while the Egyptians are washed away. The passuk tells us in 14:31, "וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה...וייראו העם את ה' ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו" - Israel saw the great hand that which Hashem had done to Egypt and the nation feared Hashem and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant.
Did they not believe in Hashem prior to this? After all they saw HAshem do to get them out of Egypt, only now do they believe in Him?What is different now that we say they believed in Hashem rather than the blief they had before?
I suspect my rebbe Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch would say that why they did not have emuna before this is not what matters. Rather, he would say, if the Torah says they have emuna now and not before, after everything they have seen and experienced, how much more so would we be considered people without emuna and how much more do we need to work on improving our emuna.
To answer the question though, it must be a different level of emuna based on what they just saw in how Hashem took out His wrath and vengeance on the Egyptians, relative to what they saw before which was much less. This level of emuna is based on their fear of Hashem, as it immediately attributes it to that by saying "They feared Hashem and they believed...".
Prior to this they might have believed based on what they saw, but it seems like they did not have the yirah that they have now.
Any suggestions?
The sea has been split. The Jews go through while the Egyptians are washed away. The passuk tells us in 14:31, "וירא ישראל את היד הגדולה...וייראו העם את ה' ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו" - Israel saw the great hand that which Hashem had done to Egypt and the nation feared Hashem and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant.
Did they not believe in Hashem prior to this? After all they saw HAshem do to get them out of Egypt, only now do they believe in Him?What is different now that we say they believed in Hashem rather than the blief they had before?
I suspect my rebbe Rav Gamliel Rabinovitch would say that why they did not have emuna before this is not what matters. Rather, he would say, if the Torah says they have emuna now and not before, after everything they have seen and experienced, how much more so would we be considered people without emuna and how much more do we need to work on improving our emuna.
To answer the question though, it must be a different level of emuna based on what they just saw in how Hashem took out His wrath and vengeance on the Egyptians, relative to what they saw before which was much less. This level of emuna is based on their fear of Hashem, as it immediately attributes it to that by saying "They feared Hashem and they believed...".
Prior to this they might have believed based on what they saw, but it seems like they did not have the yirah that they have now.
Any suggestions?
Sunday, January 28, 2007
the familiar tzorres
Parshat B'Shalah
The Jews are leaving Egypt. The route seems a bit roundabout, so the passuk describes in 13:17 that Hashem did not lead them through the short route via the land of the Philistines, lest they should see the potential for a war breaking out and that would frighten them to running back to Egypt.
Why would they want to go back to Egypt? After all the suffering they went through, after the beatings, the hard work, the oppression, etc. They have finally broken out and are free, yet we are still concerned that they might want to go back at the slightest threat of violence?
Also, let's say they went via the land of the Philistines. Let's say they would be afraid of battle. Woudl they want to go back and not trust Hashem after all they have seen Hashem do until now? Was it really such a concern that they would want to return to Egypt? Would they not think Hashem could/would help them be victorious?
People prefer what they are familiar with. In Egypt they had their routines. True, it was not pleasant. But they knew what to expect. They had gotten used to it.
To go into the desert and find yourself in a situation of possible war, they very well might prefer the evil with which they were already familiar rather than the new concerns.
Because of that, Hashem had to be concerned they might want to go back, despite all that He had already done for them.
The Jews are leaving Egypt. The route seems a bit roundabout, so the passuk describes in 13:17 that Hashem did not lead them through the short route via the land of the Philistines, lest they should see the potential for a war breaking out and that would frighten them to running back to Egypt.
Why would they want to go back to Egypt? After all the suffering they went through, after the beatings, the hard work, the oppression, etc. They have finally broken out and are free, yet we are still concerned that they might want to go back at the slightest threat of violence?
Also, let's say they went via the land of the Philistines. Let's say they would be afraid of battle. Woudl they want to go back and not trust Hashem after all they have seen Hashem do until now? Was it really such a concern that they would want to return to Egypt? Would they not think Hashem could/would help them be victorious?
People prefer what they are familiar with. In Egypt they had their routines. True, it was not pleasant. But they knew what to expect. They had gotten used to it.
To go into the desert and find yourself in a situation of possible war, they very well might prefer the evil with which they were already familiar rather than the new concerns.
Because of that, Hashem had to be concerned they might want to go back, despite all that He had already done for them.
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