Now Is The Time Past Believing; The Child Has Relinquished The Reign (Robert Hunter & Phil Lesh - "The Eleven")

          Well, Covid arrived at our home. Despite being doubly vaccinated, despite a booster, despite mask-wearing, our son managed to contract Covid. He has remained quarantined in his room all week. Thankfully, no one else has expressed any symptoms and we have tested negative. When our son first complained about feeling congested, a sore throat, and chills, and then tested positive, both his mother and I wondered how did this happen? After a few minutes of wondering “how”; we both quickly realized that “how” no longer mattered. All that mattered was the fact that he is completely vaccinated with a booster and statistics, science, and all the empirical evidence indicated that his symptoms should not worsen, he should not require hospitalization and he should be feeling better shortly. So we monitor his symptoms and we continue to place our faith in science, empirical data, and God. 

          This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Songs) because of the "songs" or poetry in both the Parsha, Beshallach, and in the Haftarah. In Parsha Beshallach, B'nai Yisroel finally left Egypt. Pharaoh sent them out and they hurriedly departed. Three days later, B'nai Yisroel arrived at the Yam Suf, The Reed Sea,  along the Mediterranean coast. With Pharaoh's army behind them and the Sea in front, B'nai Yisroel was trapped. Eventually, the sea opened up, B'nai Yisroel crossed through and arrived safely on the other side. The Egyptian army was caught in the sea as its waters came crashing down. Out of joy and relief, B'nai Yisroel composed Shirat HaYam, The Song of the Sea. No sooner are they finished celebrating than they complained about the lack of water and food. God provided water and Manna. However, B'nai Yisroel still felt safe. Now they were attacked by the indigenous tribe, the Amalekites. Putting aside its hunger and thirst, B'nai Yisroel fought for its life and eventually won. The Parsha ends with God commanding Moshe to blot out the very existence of the Amalekites.

          From the time B’nai Yisroel complains to Moshe about the oncoming Egyptian army and Yam Suf that lies before them, to the lack of water, lack of food, and lack of meat, one could understand the entire Parsha as God testing B’nai Yisroel’s faith. With all the complaining, with the refrain of the people cynically asking Moshe if God brought them out of Egypt to have them die in the wilderness, or die on the banks of the Yam Suf; it is very easy to view these newly released slaves as not at all ready to engage in a covenantal relationship with God since they lack faith. However, the Midrash in Shmot Rabbah teaches us that Nachshon ben Aminadov, from the tribe of Judah, went first into the Reed Sea even before it split open. In fact, the waters didn’t open up until he was completely submerged. Only then did the waters open due to his faith. Only then did the rest of B’nai Yisroel follow.  The sea didn’t part because of Moshe’s praying on behalf of the people; it split because of one man’s Emunah, one man’s faith that taking the next step forward would ultimately prove to be the step that saved a nation.  As a result of Nachshon’s faith, the tribe of Judah would have dominion over Israel.

  Yes, we worried about our son dealing with Covid. As far as a test of faith goes, perhaps our test was the equivalent to Nachshon Ben Aminadov wading into the Reed Sea up to his ankles. I continue to be in awe of those who, like Nachshon Ben Aminadov is fully submerged before their faith is rewarded and their circumstances change. I am always intrigued by those who have the ability to keep faith under the most trying circumstances. Obviously, some circumstances are much more difficult than others. A family that must always contend with poverty, and homelessness, a family member with a terminal disease, anyone who must contend with the daily trauma of abuse, and war, or anyone who has managed to survive such trauma, all of these people have had far more difficult circumstances than I could ever hope to imagine.  I am struck by those who have faith in the decency and goodness of humanity when they themselves carry the scars of those impossibly difficult circumstances. When I speak to Holocaust survivors, I am in awe of those who struggled with and kept their faith in the idea of the fundamental decency of people, despite the pain they have experienced by the murder of a loved one at the hands of those who don’t want to co-exist. Just as we learn from Nachshon who kept his faith in God despite being fully submerged underwater, we can learn from those who kept their faith in spite of experiencing incredibly sad, painful, and gut-wrenching circumstances. Having that sense of perspective, helped us to manage the test in our faith. 

Peace,
Rav Yitz 

You've All Been Asleep, You Would Not Believe Me (John Barlow & Bob Weir- "Estimated Prophet")

           Perhaps it’s nature or maybe it is nurture, but I grew up with an incredibly low threshold for listening to people whine. I recall as a boy hearing my younger sister whine, it drove me crazy. My wife knows I have a low threshold for listening to and tolerating whining. My children always understood that whining about or for something was never a good strategy to illicit my empathy and understanding. As I have grown older, I have very little patience for adults who whine. Rabbi Levi, in the Midrash Tanchuma also talks about a spoiled brat: “A child is riding on his father’s shoulders. When the child sees something he wants, he asks for it. His father gets it for him. This happens again and again. They encounter a person approaching from the opposite direction, and the child asks the stranger, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The father responds incredulously, “You ride on my shoulders, and everything you want I get you, yet you ask, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The father then takes the child down from his shoulders and a dog comes and bites the child.”

          This week’s Parshah, Beshalach, is also known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Song). Bnai Yisroel leaves Egypt. Pharaoh, realizing what he has done, gives chase with the Egyptian army in hot pursuit. Trapped by the Sea, Bnai Yisroel looks to Moshe for an answer. Moshe prays and God tells Moshe to take Israel and start walking through the Yam Suf.  So as they begin walking into the Yam Suf; it splits and Bnai Yisroel arrives safely on the other side. Meanwhile, the Egyptian army is trapped in the water as the sea closes upon them.  B’nai Yisroel sings throughout this Parshah. Upon successfully completing their crossing of the Yam Suf, the headline song begins (Ex. 15:1): Oz Yashir Moshe u’Vnai Yisroel et Ha Shira Ha’zot L’adonai va’Yomru Leimor Then Moses and the Children of Israel chose to sing this song to God and they said the following. In this song, B’nai Yisroel praises God as protector of his people. After the song, Miriam, Moshe’s sister, tells the women Shiru L’adonai Ki Ga’oh Ga’Ah Sus v’Rochvo Ramah Va’Yam Sing to God for he is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse with its rider into the sea. (Ex.15:21) When tradition referred to this Shabbat as Shabbat Shirah, clearly this is what was meant.

          However immediately following these songs of praise, B’nai Yisroel begins another kind of singing. Instead of songs of joy and praise, known as singing, there are songs of discontent and complaint, which always sounded to me as whining. No sooner does B’nai Yisroel cross the Yam Suf and sing Oz Yashir Moshe, then they complain about the lack of good water. Moshe puts a tree into the water and it becomes sweet (15:25-26). They whine about the lack of food. God provides the manna from Heaven (16:6-8,16-36). They complain about the lack of meat. God provides them with quail (16:13). They complained about the lack of water upon their arrival in Rephidim. Moshe strikes a rock as God instructs, and provides water for the people. They wanted it now. So God gave it “now”. The complaining and the lack of patience seem to indicate B’nai Yisroel’s lack of patience. Although liberated from slavery, B’nai Yisroel still has the mentality of slaves. After generations of slavery, B’nai Yisroel has grown used to living passively. As slaves, they ceased struggling for freedom. They performed their tasks and returned to their slaves’ quarters and ate their slave food that the master provided. There is no sense of responsibility for the future. There is no sense that improvement is possible. The slave looked to the master to take care of everything. Upon leaving Egypt and crossing the Yam Suf, B’nai Yisroel looks to God to take care of everything. They have no sense of taking take care of themselves. So they sang or whined, “But Daddy we want the water and meat and we want it now!” God gave them another miracle.

          Like the impudent boy who asked the stranger if he had seen his father, while all the while sitting upon his father’s shoulders; B’nai Yisroel demonstrates the same impudence. Hayeish Adonai B’kirbeinu Im Ayin? “Is God among us or not?” The father put the boy on the ground. God put B’nai Yisroel upon the ground. Just like the dog bit the boy, Amalek attacks. B’nai Yisroel.  B’nai Yisroel stopped whining. They finally do for themselves.  “Moshe said to Joshua, ‘Choose people for us and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand’. Joshua did as Moshe said to him, to do battle with Amalek” (Ex.17:9-10). B’nai Yisroel fought, God gave them strength. This is the first time in the Parshah where we read that B’nai Yisroel acted first. God helped them when they helped themselves.

         Emunah (Faith) in God depends upon faith in ourselves. Before we seek God’s help, we must help ourselves. The spoiled brat is the child who won’t do for his/herself. The spoiled brat expects others to do for him. Instead of trusting in and doing for itself first, B’nai Yisroel relied upon God to do for them. Thank God, we are no longer slaves in Egypt, yet we remain slaves. We are enslaved by our fears, enslaved by our anxieties, and enslaved by our own passivity. At first, it may always seem easier to be passive, do nothing, be uninvolved, and not improve the world around us. The first step in freedom is conquering our own passivity, and doing for ourselves. Only when we take that first step will we feel the support and strength that God offers us. Then we can conquer Amalek. Then we conquer our own fears. Then improvement is possible for both the individual and the community.  Most importantly, we eventually stop whining.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Long Is The Road We Must Travel On Down (John Perry Barlow & Brent Mydland: "I Will Take You Home")

While we watch the Senate vote to acquit and Mitt Romney’s courageous vote to convict, Kirk Douglas, otherwise known as Spartacus to my son passed away at 103. As we watched the news, the first sentences about Kirk Douglas could have been the first sentences about my Grandfather. “Born in 1916 in upstate New York to Russian Jewish Immigrants…”  Both men changed their name, Kirk Douglas changed his name from  Issur Danielovitch, and my grandfather changed the family’s last name from Lifshitz to Lipson.  Yes, my grandfather would have been 103 years old. My grandfather’s parents arrived five years before Kirk’s parents did, but who's counting.  However as I listened to the news about Kirk Douglas’s passing, he was once quoted as saying that the luckiest thing that ever happened to him was the courage his parents had to leave Russia and come to North America. My grandfather (z’l) used to tell me the same thing. While they might not have been the best parents in the world, he always thankful for their courage to leave the miserable life they knew for the unknown possibility of a new life, a life that could be worse or could be better.

                This Shabbat we read from Parsha Beshallach This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Songs) because of the "songs" or poetry in both the Parsha, Beshallach, and in the Haftarah. In Parsha Beshallach, B'nai Yisroel finally leaves Egypt. Pharaoh sends them out and they hurriedly leave. Three days later, B'nai Yisroel arrives at the Yam Suf, the Reed Sea, which is along the Mediterranean coast. With Pharaoh's army behind them, and the Sea in front, B'nai Yisroel is trapped. Then the sea opens up, B'nai Yisroel crosses through and arrives safely on the other side. The Egyptian army drowns in the sea as the waters come crashing down. Out of joy and relief, B'nai Yisroel composes Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. No sooner are they finished celebrating, then they begin complaining about the lack of water and food. God provides water and Manna. However, B'nai Yisroel is still not safe. Now they are attacked by the indigenous tribe, the Amalekites. B'nai Yisroel must put aside its hunger and thirst and fight for their lives. They do, and they are victorious. The Parsha ends with God commanding Moshe to blot out the very existence of the Amalekites.

                Underlying the miracles and wonders of B’nai Yisroel’s departure from Egypt: the cloud by day, the pillar of fire by night, the splitting of the Yam Suf, and the Manna; is the portrayal of B’nai Yisroel and the damage wrought by centuries of slavery. They cry out when stuck between the Egyptian army and the Yam Suf. They cry out after their song of joy for water and food. They are hesitant to move forward and they actually think that life was better in Egypt than whatever they are about to immediately experience and face in the decades to come. Amid the spiritual, psychological, and emotional damage of centuries of slavery; there are the vestiges of something very different.  B’nai Yisroel displays moments of greatness, profound faith, and trust in God. ChaZaL, the Talmudic Sages, consider the very act of leaving and following Moshe to be an act of profound faith and courage: “R’Eliezer said: When Moshe said to them ‘Arise and Go Forth’, they did not say: ‘How can we go forth into the wilderness when we have no sustenance for the way? But they had faith and followed after Moshe.”  Yes, they complained, groused, expressed skepticism and yearned for Egypt, but when push came to shove, they left, they entered into the water, pitched their tents and they packed it all up.

                Perhaps we, the descendants need to be reminded that it is not a straight line from slavery to freedom. It is not a straight line from leaving Europe to arriving in New York or Toronto and suddenly life was simple and terrific. The courage they are ancestors displayed occurred when doubt crept in when they complained but they didn’t stop moving forward. The same holds us as we embark on the paths of our lives. Our lives are not a straight line. The transition from one phase of life to another is full of fits and starts. However perhaps the less we learn, the less we teach our children is to have the courage to face the future, to face the unknown and keep moving towards it with a supreme faith that we have the tools to deal with the future.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Bite The Hand, Bite The Hand That Bakes Your Bread (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Foolish Heart")

One of my most favorite moments as a parent occurs when modern life offers the same self- evident truths that our ancestors understood centuries before. Among the more ignorant comments made recently came from President Trump’s son Don Jr. when compared his father’s border wall to zoo fence that prevents animals from leave their designated areas. Ana Navarro, a Republican strategist appeared and on CNN’s "Cuomo Prime Time" on January 10^th. She proceeded to offer her insight into Don Jr.’s recent troubling and perhaps controversial remark as another attempt to hold on to the fame of his father and have some level of relevancy. “This is an entitled, rich, spoiled little brat whose only call to fame is being his daddy’s son, who hasn’t built anything of his own, who hasn’t done anything of his own,” she said. Rabbi Levi, in the Midrash Tanchuma also talks about a spoiled brat: “A child is riding on his father’s shoulders. When the child sees something he wants, he asks for it. His father gets it for him. This happens again and again. They encounter a person approaching from the opposite direction, and the child asks the stranger, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The father responds incredulously, “You ride on my shoulders and everything you want I get you, yet you ask, ‘Have you seen my father?’ The father then takes the child down from his shoulders and a dog comes and bites the child.”

This week’s Parshah, Beshalach, is also known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Song). Bnai Yisroel leaves Egypt. Pharaoh, realizing what he has done, gives chase with the Egyptian army in hot pursuit. Trapped by the Sea, Bnai Yisroel looks to Moshe for an answer. Moshe prays and God tells Moshe to take Israel and start walking through the Yam Suf.  So as they begin walking into the Yam Suf; it splits and Bnai Yisroel arrives safely on the other side. Meanwhile, the Egyptian army is trapped in the water as the sea closes upon them.  B’nai Yisroel sings throughout this Parshah. Upon successfully completing their crossing of the Yam Suf, the headline song begins (Ex. 15:1): Oz Yashir Moshe u’Vnai Yisroel et Ha Shira Ha’zot L’adonai va’Yomru Leimor Then Moses and the Children of Israel chose to sing this song to God and they said the following. In this song, B’nai Yisroel praises God as protector of his people. After the song, Miriam, Moshe’s sister, tells the women “Shiru L’adonai Ki Ga’oh Ga’Ah Sus v’Rochvo Ramah Va’Yam Sing to God for he is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse with its rider into the sea. Ex.15:21 When tradition referred to this Shabbat as Shabbat Shirah, clearly this is what was meant: singing the praises of God’s awesome power and majesty.

However immediately following these songs of praise, B’nai Yisroel begins another kind of singing. Instead of songs of joy and praise, known as singing, there are songs of discontent and complaint, known as whining. No sooner does B’nai Yisroel cross the Yam Suf and sing Oz Yashir Moshe, then they complain about the lack of good water. Moshe puts a tree into the water and it becomes sweet (15:25-26). They whine about the lack of food. God provides the manna from Heaven (16:6-8,16-36). They complain about the lack of meat. God provides them with quail (16:13). They complained about the lack of water upon their arrival in Rephidim. Moshe strikes a rock as God instructs, and provides water for the people. They wanted it now. So God gave it “now”.

B’nai Yisroel lacks faith. They are still slaves. They live passively. They ceased struggling for freedom. They performed their tasks and returned to their slaves’ quarters and ate their slave food that the master provided. There is no sense of responsibility for the future. There is no sense that improvement is possible. The slave looked to the master to take care of everything. Upon leaving Egypt and crossing the Yam Suf, B’nai Yisroel looks to God to take care of everything. They have no sense of taking take care of themselves. So they sang or whined, “But Daddy we want the water and meat and we want it now!” God gave them another miracle. Like the impudent boy who asked the stranger if he had seen his father, while all the while sitting upon his father’s shoulders; B’nai Yisroel demonstrates the same impudence. Hayeish Adonai B’kirbeinu Im Ayin? “Is God among us or not?” The father put the boy upon the ground. God put B’nai Yisroel upon the ground. Just like the dog bit the boy, Amalek attacks. B’nai Yisroel.  B’nai Yisroel stopped whining. They finally do for themselves.  “Moshe said to Joshua, ‘Choose people for us and go do battle with Amalek; tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand’. Joshua did as Moshe said to him, to do battle with Amalek” (Ex.17:9-10). B’nai Yisroel fought, God gave them strength. This is the first time in the Parshah where we read that B’nai Yisroel acted first. God helped them when they helped themselves.

So what do we learn from B’nai Yisroel’s behavior at the beginning of the Parshah and the end of the Parshah. We learn that in order to have faith in God, we must have faith in ourselves. Before we seek God’s help, we must help ourselves. The spoiled brat is the child who won’t do for his/herself. The spoiled brat expects others to do for him. Instead of trusting in and doing for itself first, B’nai Yisroel relied upon God to do for them. Thank God, we are no longer slaves in Egypt, yet we remain slaves. We are slaves to our fears, we are slaves to our anxieties, and we are slaves to our own passivity. It is always easier to be passive, do nothing, be uninvolved, and not improve the world around us. The first step in freedom is conquering our own passivity, and doing for ourselves. Only when we take that first step will we feel the support and strength that God offers us. Then we can conquer Amalek. Then we conquer our own fears. Then improvement is possible for both the individual and the community.  Most importantly, we eventually stop whining.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Hearts Of Summer Held In Trust, Still Tender Young And Green (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Days Between"

The other night our kids asked me a question that I felt utterly embarrassed to answer.  What question could my kids ask that answering it would be a source of shame and embarrassment? No, it was not answering any questions about my younger years and my youthful indiscretions. I had to offer an appropriate answer for the U.S. governments shut-down from last Shabbat until Monday. I was so embarrassed at having to explain to my children how a system of government established by wise and brilliant leaders of their generation had become broken by leaders of their generation who are not so brilliant, not so wise and don’t seem to have the needs of their country at heart. Even worse, as we discussed recent government shut down, as we watched the news, all three of our children pointed to the fact that it appears that shut-down was caused by a lack of trust, a lack of trust in the President, and a lack of trust in the Senate Majority leader and the Senate Minority leader. When the government shut down ended, my children astutely noted that the three-week solution cobbled together by the Senate is predicated entirely on Trust.  I reminded them that trust is a foundation to a civilized society, trust is a foundation to democracy and trust is a foundation to a strong Jewish community.  

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Songs) because of the "songs" or poetry in both the Parsha, Beshallach, and in the Haftarah. In Parsha Beshallach, B'nai Yisroel finally leaves Egypt. Pharaoh sends them out and they hurriedly leave. Three days later, B'nai Yisroel arrives at the Yam Suf, the Reed Sea, which is along the Mediterranean coast. With Pharaoh's army behind them and the Sea in front, B'nai Yisroel is trapped. Then the sea opens up, B'nai Yisroel crosses through and arrives safely on the other side. The Egyptian army gets caught in the seabed as the waters come crashing down. Out of joy and relief, B'nai Yisroel composes Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. No sooner are they finished celebrating, then they begin complaining about the lack of water and food. God provides water and Manna. However, B'nai Yisroel is still not safe. Now they are attacked by the indigenous tribe, the Amalekites. B'nai Yisroel must put aside its hunger and thirst and fight for their lives. They do, and they are victorious. The Parsha ends with God commanding Moshe to blot out the very existence of the Amalekites.

From the time B’nai Yisroel complains to Moshe about the oncoming Egyptian army and Yam Suf that lies before them, to the lack of water, lack of food and lack of meat, one could understand the entire Parsha as B’nai Yisroel’s lack of trust and God testing B’nai Yisroel’s faith. With all the complaining, with the refrain of the people cynically asking Moshe if God brought them out of Egypt to have them die in the wilderness, or die on the banks of the Yam Suf; it is very easy to view these newly released slaves as not at all ready to engage in a covenantal relationship with God since they do not trust God to help them, provide for them and fulfill his side of the covenant. However, the Midrash in Shmot Rabbah teaches us that Nachshon ben Aminadov from the tribe of Judah went first into the Reed Sea even before it split open. In fact, the waters didn’t open up until he was completely submerged. Only then did the waters open due to his faith and the rest of B’nai Yisroel followed.  The sea didn’t part because of Moshe’s praying on behalf of the people; it split because of one man’s trust in God, one man’s  Emunah, one man’s faith that taking the next step forward would ultimately prove to be the step that saved a nation.  As a result of Nachshon’s faith and his trust in God, the tribe of Judah would have dominion over Israel.

If my children learned anything this past week, they began to understand just the fragile nature of institutions that we take for granted. When the electorate doesn’t trust the government, we have problems. When people don’t trust the press or science or facts, we have problems. When we can’t trust religious institutions because of corrupt behavior, we have problems. Trust seems to be a cornerstone of any free society upon which a covenant exists. Governments are supposed to protect and care for its citizens, and the citizens pay taxes. In the Jewish world, the idea of Kashrut is predicated entirely on trust, trust that the Rabbi or Kosher organization is following and interpreting the rules Kashrut. In the world of human relationships, this past week demonstrated what happens when people do not trust others and when they do trust others. Solutions are found and agreements are followed when there is trust. Problems are intractable and never ending when there is no trust.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

Believe It If You Need It Or Leave It If You Dare (Robert Hunter & Phil Lesh - "Box of Rain")

As many in the West celebrated the return of American prisoners who had been held in Iran, and Iran celebrated its return to the “nations of the world” because it had purportedly fulfilled its first obligation in diminishing its Nuclear program; there are those who are naïve enough to think that the world is a safer place, that our faith in humanity and reason should be restored, and even the most despotic, and evil governments want to live peacefully among the nations.  However despite this “good news” two incidents occurred in Israel that remind us that not only is the world still very dangerous, but left many testing their faith in any kind of peaceful solution in Israel.  Early in the week, two Israeli woman were attacked by Palestinians and stabbed. One woman, Dafna Meir, a mother of six, was slain by a Palestinian in her home in Otniel as she successfully stopped the attacker from murdering her children.  Soon afterwards, and while a police/military dragnet searched for Dafna Meir’s murderer, a pregnant woman was stabbed in Tekoah. For anyone who still thinks a two state solution is the most viable long term solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict; that faith continues to erode. I know my faith in a two state solution continues to erode. At this time of turmoil, this time of questioning and during the erosion of faith in a peaceful outcome in Israel, Hadassah Froman has managed to keep her faith. Hadassah Froman is a frum (Orthodox) Israeli. She is the mother in law of the young pregnant woman who was stabbed in Tekoa. Hadassah’s late husband was the late peace activist Rabbi Menachem Froman.  In an interview with Israel’s Army Radio, Rebbetzin Froman said that “Israel was ‘mishandling’ the delicate fabric of its relations with the Palestinian, and needed to make a greater effort to distinguish between those Palestinian who support terrorism and those who want to live in peace. Rebbetzin Froman continued by explaining that Israel needs to reach out to those Palestinians that wan to “Co-Exist”, to live in peace, and by strengthening those Palestinians, by supporting those Palestinians and keeping those Palestinians safe, it would go a long way in promoting a two state solution.

This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shira (Shabbat of Songs) because of the "songs" or poetry in both the Parsha, Beshallach, and in the Haftarah. In Parsha Beshallach, B'nai Yisroel finally leaves Egypt. Pharaoh sends them out and they hurriedly leave. Three days later, B'nai Yisroel arrives at the Yam Suf, the Reed Sea, which is along the Mediterranean coast. With Pharaoh's army behind them, and the Sea in front, B'nai Yisroel is trapped. Then the sea opens up, B'nai Yisroel crosses through and arrives safely on the other side. The Egyptian army gets caught in the sea - bed as the waters comes crashing down. Out of joy and relief, B'nai Yisroel composes Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. No sooner are they finished celebrating, then they begin complaining about the lack of water and food. God provides water and Manna. However, B'nai Yisroel is still not safe. Now they are attacked by the indigenous tribe, the Amalekites. B'nai Yisroel must put aside its hunger and thirst and fight for their lives. They do, and they are victorious. The Parsha ends with God commanding Moshe to blot out the very existence of the Amalekites.

From the time B’nai Yisroel complains to Moshe about the oncoming Egyptian army and Yam Suf that lies before them, to the lack of water, lack of food and lack of meat, one could understand the entire Parsha as God testing B’nai Yisroel’s faith. With all the complaining, with the refrain of the people cynically asking Moshe if God brought them out of Egypt to have them die in the wilderness, or die on the banks of the Yam Suf; it is very easy to view these newly released slaves as not at all ready to engage in a covenantal relationship with God since they lack faith. However the Midrash in Shmot Rabbah teaches us that Nachshon ben Aminadov from the tribe of Judah went first into the Reed Sea even before it split open. In fact the waters didn’t open up until he was completely submerged. Only then did the waters open due to his faith and the rest of B’nai Yisroel followed.  The sea didn’t part because of Moshe’s praying on behalf of the people; it split because of one man’s Emunah, one man’s faith that taking the next step forward would ultimately prove to be the step that saved a nation.  As a result Nachshon’s faith, the tribe of Judah would have dominion over Israel.

I am always intrigued by those who have the ability to keep faith under the most trying circumstances. I am amazed by the stories of those who questioned yet kept their faith in God during the Holocaust. I am struck by those who have faith in the decency and goodness of humanity when they themselves carry the scars inflicted by those whose souls are infected with darkness of terrorism and extremism. I am amazed by those who have faith in prospect of peace and co-existence despite the pain they have experience by the murder of loved one at the hands of those who don’t want to co-exist. To those people of faith I applaud knowing deep down that I should follow them, fight the terrorist agenda of living in fear.

Peace,

Rav Yitz