Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShavua — Parshat Beshalach is being sponsored by Moshe and Marla Braun (Moshe Braun – Fine Judaic Art) of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated in honor of Marla’s Birthday on 14 Sh’vat and dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of the remaining deceased hostage and his return home for Jewish ritual burial, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. . To Mishpochat Braun, many thanks for your sponsorship and continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShavua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShavua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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Our Pashat Beshalach opens with Torah relating:
“It happened when Pharaoh sent out the people thst Hashem did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines [P’lishtim as transliterated from the Hebrew text], because it was near, for Hashem said, ‘Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see a war, and they will return to Egypt.'” (Sefer Shemos, Perek 13, posuk 17 rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash)
Rabbi Herschel Reichman provides commentary on Sefer Shemos, Perek 13, posuk 17 in his Sefer, “Living the Chassidic Legacy, Lessons based on Shem Mishmuel” (Volume 1, pages 228 – 229) which would seem to differ from previous vorts [1], [2] and asks what seems to this author to be very pertinent questions:
This posuk is puzzling. Back in Parsha Shemos, Moshe Rabbeinu had his first encounter with Hashem at the Burning Bush. Hashem said to him… “You are the one who has to do this, because you will be My messenger when the people come to Har Sinai to serve Me.” (Rabbi Reichman rendered to English Sefer Shemos, Perek 3, posuk 12)
Hashem told Moshe that He would take the B’nei Yisrael as His people. Their acceptance of the Torah would be the fulfillment of that promise. Why then, does the Torah say that Hashem considered sending the B’nei Yisrael through the land of the Plishtim? While it might be a faster route to Eretz Yisrael, it would skip Har Sinai where they would receive the Torah and become Hashem’s chosen people.
The Torah says that the B’nei Yisrael did not traverse the land of the Plishtim because they might be afraid when they see war and return to Egypt. But if the whole point of leaving Mitzrayim was to become Hashem’s people by accepting the Torah, wouldn’t the need to go to Har Sinai first be the reason to avoid the shortcut through Eretz Plishtim? Why does the Torah give a different reason? Going to war with the Plishtim would be a moot point if it would mean B’nei Yisrael wouldn’t become Hashem’s people. [Receiving and accepting the Torah and becoming Hashem’s people] is the real reason why Hashem took them on the detour into the desert away from Eretz Yisrael, not because of a concern lest they return to Egypt.
Regarding these questions which Rabbi Reisman asks: “Wouldn’t the need to go to Har Sinai first be the reason to avoid the shortcut through Eretz Plishtim? Why does the Torah give a different reason?”, this author understands that Torah often is not direct in phrasing, such as in the case of Sefer Shemos, Perek 13, posuk 17: “Hashem not leading them by way of Eretz Plishtim.”
The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash cites R’ Chananel, as cited by R’ Bachya whose reason is that Hashem wanted Am Yisrael to see constant miracles so as to “schooled in faith” and to know that Hashem is “all-powerful.” The Artscroll Stone Chumash then cites S’forno who states that “Hashem led the Jews toward the wilderness in order that they would not meet travelers who would tell them that Pharaoh was preparing to give chase,” which if so, “they might be frightened into returning to Egypt.”
The Artscroll Stone Chumash also notes that, although the B’nei Yisrael were armed, the Artscroll Chumash cites the words of R’ Hirsch who notes: “It was not the sword at their side that was lacking, but the heart underneath that failed… they lacked [as yet] the spirit of trustfully putting themselves in Hashem’s hands under any and all circumstances.” (All three of the above citings from The Artscroll Stone Chumash, page 367)
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein provides another perspective, closely related to that of Rabbi Reichman on Shem Mishmuel, in his Sefer, “Kol Dodi” regarding why Hashem led Am Yisrael through the desert (pages 111 – 112) :
This posuk contains two distinct pieces of information: Pharaoh sent the Jews from Egypt, and Hashem decided not to lead them to… Canaan via the most direct route. These two events seem unrelated to each other, yet there must be some connection between [these two pieces of information], since the Torah relates them in the same posuk.
Noone could have doubted that Hashem had the power to protect them from any enemy and Hashem could have led them in the midst of the Plishtim without concern that they would turn timid and want to return to Egypt.
Hashem’s wisdom dictated otherwise, however. He wanted Pharaoh to release the Jews of his own volition [noun: the act of willing, choosing, or resolving; exercise of willing]. He inflicted plague after plague on the Mitzriyim until, finally, Pharaoh gave in and said he wanted them to go. As a result, the Jews could err and imagine that Hashem’s power was sufficient only to cause plagues, but not to overcome an armed enemy… The Jews could easily have panicked in the face of Plishti attack and fled back to Mitzrayim.
To understand why Hashem found it best to do things in this way, …consider the deep spiritual darkness in which the Jews lived at the time and how weak was their appreciation of Hashem’s power in the world. To attain each new level of awareness they had to overcome two centuries of exposure to Mitzri idol worship and denial of Hashem. Each realization was so hard won that they could not be expected to go any further on their own.
….Every step of the way, they doubted that Hashem was capable of doing more than He had shown until then.
Hashem, on His side, chose not to show the Jews too much of His power [all] at once, in order to introduce them gradually to a new way of looking at the world — that every minute detail of everything that happens is under His control. But that learning process would take time and require carefully measured doses. This is why Hashem arranged for them to leave with Pharaoh’s consent. The function of the plagues was to demonstrate conclusively — even to Pharaoh — that Hashem controls every aspect of “nature.” This process came to a climax at the Splitting of the Sea [Y’bahku Hamayim]…
Rabbi Feinstein cited Sefer Shemos, Perek 14, posuk 31 which is rendered to English in the “The Sapirstein Edition, The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary” :
“Israel saw the great hand that Hashem inflicted upon Egypt, and the people revered, and they had faith in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant.”
Rabbi Zelig Pliskin cites Sefer Shemos Perek 14, posuk 30 and comments in his sefer, “Growth Through Torah” (page 173) :
“And on that day, The Almighty saved Israel from the hand of Egypt…”
The Ohr HaChayim comments that the Torah states that on that day they were saved, which was the day that the Egyptians who pursued them perished in the sea. Even though they were already liberated on the day they left Egypt, they were not really considered saved since they did not feel secure in relationship to the Egyptians.
We see from this that even though in actuality a person is free, he is not really considered free unless he personally feels free. To be truly free, one must feel free and that is up the person. A person who worries and feels insecure is a person who is imprisoned even though he is not behind bars and noone will harm him. A person has a great deal of control over their thoughts if he works on it. The greater one’s mastery over their thoughts, the greater freedom one will experience in life.
To bolster Rabbi Feinstein’s perspective of gradually introducing Am Yisrael to the fact that Hashem controls all, we go back to Parshat Va’eira and The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash’s rendering to English of Sefer Shemos, Perek 6, posuk 9 with commentary — two interpretations (page 320 – 321) :
“So Moshe spoke… [Hashem’s promise of imminent Redemption] to the B’nei Yisrael; but they did not heed Moshe, because of the shortness of breath and hard work.” (Sefer Shemos, Perek 6, posuk 9)
“But they did not heed.” The Jews did not respond favorably to Moshe’s new assurances [after Pharaoh increased the workload by ordering the Jews to find their own straw to fulfill their quota of bricks: Sefer Shemos, Perek 5, posuk 18] As understood by most commentators, the verse explains that their negative attitude was due not to lack of faith, but to the difficult physical and emotional circumstances under which they labored.”
Sforno, however, interprets differently. They did not give Moshe’s message the sort of consideration that would have convinced them to have Emunah in Hashem, as Avraham did. [Artscroll Stone Chumash citing Sefer Breish’t, Perek 15, posuk 6] The reason for their failure was insufficiency of spirit [ru’ach].
The B’nei Yisrael needed to recognize Hashem’s control of the world, while learning Emunah, accepting the Torah and feeling the freedom to serve Him, as Hashem led them on the desert route to Har Sinai, Torah and becoming Hashem’s chosen ones. Am Yisrael, in our generations, must collectively learn and internalize the Torah, Emunah as well as attaining the freedom to serve Hashem, be it in the Beit Midrash, in business, in socialization, and yes, in war when need be, in a mutual sense of unity and spirituality, devoid of false political agendas, false conceptions and false, bogus ideologies.
It would seem that Rabbi Reichman’s questions are pertinent in another way; bearing in mind that the whole point of Jews’ redemption from Mitzrayim was to become Hashem’s Chosen by way of receiving and accepting Torah at Har Sinai. Therefore, we could surmise that had Hashem led the Jews by way of the Plishtim, even if there were not a resultant war, the route to Har Sinai to receive the Torah would have taken far longer than the route actually taken through the Reed Sea and the wilderness.
May our government and military bring about the total and complete, Final and Decisive victory over Hamas, their 7 October so-called “civilians(sic)” collaborators and the entire terror cabal, B’Yad Hashem, and become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.”
May we see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May we see our Chayalim totally eradicate Hamas, Islamic Jihad, those so-called “civilians(sic)” who collaborated on 7 October, as well as Hezbollah, the Houthies, the Mullahs of Iran and all their terror accomplices while liberating the remains of the one deceased hostage and his return home for Jewish ritual burial, B’Yad Hashem and mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of, and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his sixth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recoveries of the remains of Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
Good Shabbos and Chodesh Tov!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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