Category — Bshalach

When did the Jews leave Egypt? Exactly at noon on the fifteenth of Nissan. When did they start counting down the 49 days to the giving of the Torah on Sinai? Just a few hours later on the sixteenth!

Let’s think about it for a moment. The Jews hadn’t even crossed the Red Sea yet, Pharaoh was still bound to chase them and bring them back to slavery, (as he so daringly tried to do, and only by the miraculous miracle of the splitting of the sea, and the drowning of the Egyptians was his evil plan averted.)

If that’s the case, then why were they rushing to begin the countdown to the next milestone – Sinai, immediately after the exodus?

Moreover, we can be sure that the Jews had a pretty decent hint about what would transpire at Sinai. They knew that Sinai would spell the end of doing what they want without accountability, and a whole new way of life with so many limitations and consequences/punishment.

The Jews hadn’t even had the chance to live like free men, and they were already counting down to a new form of slavery and accountability? Is there anything wrong with enjoying the delicious taste of freedom for a few days, without thinking about the next leg in this historic journey?

The answer my friend, can be found in the Declaration of Independence of the USA. Let’s take a peek:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Yup, those magic words “endowed by their Creator” are our answer. For in them lay the difference between the American Revolution which made the country the beacon of freedom and liberty to the whole world until this very day; to so many other revolutions crying the same cry of “democracy” or “all men are created equal” (communism) which did not last.

Freedom without a Creator, or in other words, without the understanding that the freedom is a gift of G-d, and that only when serving and being accountable to G-d is freedom possible, is not freedom. It might sound like freedom, it might even taste for a moment like freedom, but it is not freedom. It isn’t even a democracy. For if there are no divine principals to be accountable for, then there are no principals at all.

Just look at so many countries claiming to be democratic, and how far they really are from earning that title. Democracy without G-d is simply not possible.

Our ancestors 3300 years ago were yearning to live like free men with rights such as Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. So they rushed to Sinai to be given those rights, and to live a life of true freedom – as servants of the Creator.

“I never did you any favors, so why do you hate me so much?”

***

Look at this guy.

He saw sticks turn into snakes. He didn’t budge.

He saw water turn into blood. His heart remained closed.

He felt and smelled the invasion of the frogs. Nothing.

He itched from lice. Barely blinked.

He ran in fright from the wild animals. What an experience!

He saw the corpses of Egyptian livestock strewn all over the city. He laughed at the notion of freeing the slaves.

He rolled on the floor to ease the burning pain of his boils. Who cares?

He watched in awe and fright as balls of fire and water pounded the landscape. Who is this G-d?

HELLO, PHAROAH! WHY DON’T YOU JUST GIVE UP?

He woke up in the morning to find empty drawers, all the food consumed by grasshoppers. “I should let them free? Are you out of your mind?”

He sat in total darkness for three days, then for the next three days was unable to move. That was cool.

He cried as his first-born suddenly dropped dead, and became fearful for his own life: after all he was also a first-born. Umm…

Ok, finally he gave in; he let the Jewish people go. It had surely taken a while, but now his heart softened.

Or so we thought.

Surprisingly, the story continued.

A few days after the Jews had left, when they were already far away near the Red Sea, Pharaoh regretted his decision. He begged for volunteers to join his mission, and, all invigorated, he chased after his former slaves, vying to bring them back.

As he approached the Jewish camp, G-d blocked the Egyptian camp with a cloud, causing all the arrows and spears aimed at the Jews to bounce back.

Think he cared?

He saw the waters split. THE JEWS WERE LEAVING! He panicked and decided to chase after them.

No “miracles shmiracles” were going to change his mind.

This guy just never gave up!

So without skipping a heartbeat, he and his men followed the Jews into the sea. The rest is history…

In Yiddish we would call pharaoh an “akshan” – a stubborn mule. Nothing, absolutely nothing could push him off his (crooked) path.

The Kotzker Rebbe taught, that we should learn a lesson or two from our first tormentor: A lesson in defiance.

A lesson in perseverance.

A lesson in pride.

A boy decided that he wanted to become a rabbi when he grew up. So his father suggested that he go speak to their Shul rabbi to find out what the job entailed.
The boy went to meet the rabbi. “Ask me any question about the rabbinate,” the rabbi declared, “and I’ll give you the answer.”
“Well, besides giving a sermon for about 15 minutes on a Shabbat morning, what else do you do all week?” the boy asked.
“You don’t want to become a rabbi,” the rabbi said. “With questions like that, you want to become the synagogue president!”

* * *

Ever felt you were all alone? Not lonely; alone. Alone, for you have friends, family and acquaintances that you love and spend time with, yet who do not share the same convictions as you. You want to make a difference and want to include all in your vision, your dream – but nobody cares.

Let me tell you a story of such a man.

As the Jews stood with their faces towards the endless sea, Pharaoh with his troops close behind them, the Jews, unsure of what to expect, split into four opinions (yes, more than one actually had the same view…)

Group One stood up and cried. “Guys, it’s all over,” they wept. “We have nowhere to turn and Egypt is out of the question. Let drown ourselves in the sea!”

Group Two said, “Ok, nice try, we all thought we could do the impossible and escape from Mighty Egypt; forget about it let’s just return to slavery.”

Group Three was comprised of men who were proud and firm. They were of the mind that they must fight the Egyptians.

And finally, Group Four, who were the most devout of them all, felt that the best solution was to pray to the Almighty for salvation.

Representatives of all four parties sent delegations before Moses: he would decide. Moses turned to G-d and asked Him to tell the Jews what they should do. And G-d’s answer was clear: they were to walk into the sea. No suicide, no prayer, no war and no surrender. Just move on, go forward and let G-d take care of the Egyptians.

But the Jews just stood there, not ready to advance towards the sea. No one had the courage to actually walk into the fearsome waters; they just stood there waiting for developments. Then one man made a move.

His name was Nachshon, and he was a brother-in-law of Aaron, the brother of Moses. With full trust in G-d, he entered the water, trudging through as it got deeper and deeper. Nothing happened. The water didn’t split. He continued until he was up to his waist in the sea. Yet the water did not budge.

Nachshon moved on. The water reached his chin – a few more steps and he would be submerged in the water. At that precise moment, the water split, to the relief of all the onlookers on the beach.

One man had courage. An entire nation was saved.

Most people would like to feel supported, encouraged, and accepted. Yet, friendships and connections notwithstanding, there are those times when we you have to stand alone. No one will back you; you are left to fight for your own ideals. But you stand strong, and you don’t stand still.

You do this for the cause is right and you believe that righteousness must prevail.

And, because of you, it does.