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 Torah Thoughts
This week we read the Torah portion BeShalach
(Exodus 13:17-17:16). It contains 116 verses and 1 negative commandment.
This Shabbat is known as Shabbat Shirah (Sabbath
of the Song) since our Torah portion contains the lyrical paean sung by the
Israelites after their erstwhile tormenters drowned in the sea.
Prayer is certainly a fundamental element in a
Jew’s relationship with G-d. Yet in our Torah portion we are confronted with
a paradoxical situation. The Israelites, during the flight from Egypt,
were confronted with the sea. They saw their former captors approaching in
hot pursuit. They were caught in a hopeless vise. The terrified people cried
out to G-d for help. Moses too, after reassuring the people, turned to G-d.
G-d seems to command Moses to stop praying. (Exodus 14:15) “Why do you cry
out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them travel.” It seems
obvious that Moses cried out because the people had nowhere to go! Where was
G-d ordering them to travel? Another anomaly is the fact that only after
the crossing of the Sea did the Israelites sing G-d’s praises. Only at that
point is it said (14:31) that they “revered G-d.” Were they unimpressed by
the plagues? Was the death of the first-born a mere party trick?
My teacher, Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik (of blessed memory)
taught that there are two kinds of salvation. There is hatzalah (rescue)
and yeshuah (salvation). In the former, the one who is rescued is
completely passive during that process. In the latter, the one who is saved
participates in the process.
At that point, the Jews did not have enough merit to be
rescued. They had partaken of pagan Egyptian culture and were not entirely
worthy of a miracle of that magnitude. They thus needed to do something that
would allow them to be saved. When G-d ordered them to travel, He meant for
them to literally walk into the sea. That is what they did. At the moment the
waters reached the nostrils of the forerunners, the sea split. This act of
pure faith and self-sacrifice had changed their spiritual status.
Ultimately, we see that the prerequisite of
performing an act to demonstrate complete faith was not merely a stopgap
measure to allow the Israelites passage through the sea. The fact that they
sang only after that miracle and not earlier, demonstrates that prayer
combined with action is the highest form of relating to G-d. Reaching out to
G-d and becoming His partner in the process of revelation is a profoundly
satisfying experience for a human. Being rescued without deserving it, leaves
a taint of shame.
We must be sure to combine the power of prayer with acts
of faith and kindness, and thus merit being G-d’s partner in revealing His
presence in this world.
Haftara
Judges 4:4-5:31. The enemies of Israel attacked. The Prophetess
Deborah exhorted the general, Barak, to gather his forces and confront the
enemy. However, she added that G-d would deliver Sisera, the Canaanite
general, into the hands of a woman. Miraculously, the Israelite forces
managed to rout the better equipped enemy, whose general fled the
battlefield. He was enticed into the tent of a woman, Yael. She gave him milk
to drink and assured him that he could rest safely. Once he slept, Yael took
a tent peg and drove it into his head. The Israelites were then able to
utterly vanquish the enemy. Deborah sang a moving song. She praised those who
participated in the battle and castigated those who shirked their
responsibilities. The song ends with a prayer for the destruction of our
enemies and the success of those who love G-d.
The themes that connect the Haftara with our Torah
portion are the triumph of the Children of Israel over their enemies by
Divine intervention, followed by songs of recognition and thanksgiving. Also,
the role of women in the spiritual life of the Jewish People is highlighted
in both readings. Miriam, who was responsible for saving the infant Moses’
life, led the women in singing the Song of the Sea, while Deborah, the
prophetess and leader sang a song of praise centuries later after another
decisive victory, wrought in part by another woman, Yael.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Baruch Price
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