Click here to view/print in PDF Parsha Perspectives
By Ozer Alport
“And the Jewish people believed in Hashem and in His servant Moses”
The verse seems to imply that the Jews believed in Hashem only now, after the splitting of the sea. Why hadn’t they come to this belief after a year of witnessing Hashem’s providence through the ten plagues? The Darkei Mussar, Rav Yaakov Neiman, suggests that there are two types of belief, one based on intellectual proofs and one based on sensory knowledge.
The Alter of Kelm explains the difference between the two types of belief with a parable. A person had never tasted bread. His friend describes to him in great detail exactly what bread is like, including it’s taste, texture, and filling qualities. He accepts the information intellectually, but it’s not as if he actually tasted bread; and if someone argues convincingly that bread is totally different than initially described to him, he might believe that second opinion, instead..
On the other hand, someone who himself tasted bread even once and knows first-hand of its ability to fill won’t be swayed by all of the “rational” arguments in the world to the contrary. Similarly, the faith of one whose belief in Hashem is based on actual experience is rock solid, and will not be called into question even if that person is presented with apparently powerful counter-arguments.
Until they reached the Reed Sea the Jews certainly believed in Hashem, but it was only there that they reached the higher level of faith based on actual sensory knowledge. Our sages teach that the clarity of the revelation there was so great that even the lowest people reached tremendous levels of knowledge of Hashem, resulting in a completely unshakeable faith.
Even prior to the revelation at the sea, Rashi writes ( 15:20) that the Jewish women in Egypt had an extremely high level of trust in Hashem. Throughout the long and bitter exile, they were confident that Hashem would redeem them in an incredible, miraculous way. Determined to thank and praise Him properly, they took musical instruments out with them from Eygpt. Indeed, these instruments were used by the women after the splitting of the sea..
We all experience this sensory faith from time to time, as illustrated in the popularity of the ‘small miracles’ series. There’s that sudden feeling that G-d’s right here, taking care of me. Some people take it one step further, using these experiences to create a deep and total trust. The following story is about one such person.There was once a tremendous draught in Israel which threatened to endanger that year’s entire harvest. This would mean financial ruin for the farmers and imminent starvation for the entire country. Communal fast days and prayers passed unsuccessfully.
Finally, the community leaders ordered all Jews to the Kosel (Western Wall) to pour out their hearts and plead for Divine mercy. After reciting several chapters of Psalms and other appropriate prayers, the clear sky suddenly grew dark and full of clouds, which shortly gave way to much-needed droplets of rain, and soon turned into a full-fledged torrential downpour.
Those present were so overjoyed at the turn of events and the answering of their prayers that they didn’t even care that they were getting soaked to the bone, all except for one elderly, wheelchair-bound Chassidic Rebbe who remained completely dry … for he had brought an umbrella! return to top
Ozer Alpert can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org
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talking points - parshas BESHALACH
Rabbi Elazar Meisels
1. Refusing To Remove The Blinders
“Hashem said to Moshe, 'Stretch your hand over the sea. The waters will come back over the Egyptians, covering their chariot and cavalry.' Toward morning, Moshe extended his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal condition. The waters came back and covered the cavalry and chariots. Of all Pharaoh's army that had followed [the Jews] into the sea, not a single one remained.” 14:26-28
One would have expected that the plagues would have sufficiently convinced the Egyptians to recognize that their cause was a lost one and Hashem was on our side. When even that failed, one would have imagined that watching the entire Jewish nation traverse the Sea of Reeds as the waters parted before them, would have caused them to abandon ship. Once again however, the Egyptians stubbornly refused to reach the inevitable conclusion that Hashem controls the world. Their wickedness surpassed only by their foolishness, they plunged headlong into the waters and sank into oblivion.
2. Salvation and Punishment Presented Simultaneously
“On that day, Hashem rescued Israel from the hand of Egypt and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. The Israelites saw the great power that Hashem had unleashed against Egypt, and the people were in awe of God and they had faith in Hashem and in his servant Moses.” 14:30-31
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And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore - because the sea expelled the Egyptians onto its shore, so that Israel would not say: ‘Just as we are coming up from this side so, too, they’re coming up from the other side, at a distance from us, and they will still pursue us.’ – Rashi
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And they had faith in Hashem and Moshe – Although they’d previously believed in Hashem, from the start of Moshe’s mission, their belief was now strengthened and they recognized that Moshe spoke only in Hashem’s name. – Ibn Ezra
3. Down But Never Out
“The depths covered them, they sank to the bottom like stone.” 15:5
- “Elsewhere it says: ‘They sank like lead’ and elsewhere it says: ‘[the waters] consumed them like straw.’ This is because the severely wicked ones were like straw that was continuously tossed up and down. Those who were of only average wickedness were cast about like stone, and the least wicked drowned like lead and came to their rest immediately.” - Rashi
Even amid the mayhem, Hashem dispensed justice with extraordinary precision. No Egyptian suffered more than was warranted by his misdeeds, and not a single one was let off easier than he deserved, either. This impossible feat is routine for Hashem whom the Torah describes as, “perfect in His work, for all His paths are justice” in recognition of this unique attribute. return to top
Rabbi Elazar Meisels can be reached at rabbimeisels@partnersintorah.org
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Parshas Beshalach
The Jews have finally left Egypt, and they are on their way to the Promised Land. Hashem does not lead the Jews to Isreal using the most direct route, through the land of the Philistines. He doesn’t want them to be able to easily return to Egypt at the first sign of difficulty. Hashem sends a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night to guide and protect the Jews.
Hashem commands Moshe to travel backwards, towards Egypt. This would confuse Pharoah, leading him to think that the Jews are lost. The Jews would look like an easy target for Pharoah’s army. Pharoah indeed hears that the Jews are ‘lost’ and decides to pursue them.
Pharoah and his army overtake the Jews when they were encamped at the Sea of Reeds. The Jews panic; they are trapped between the sea and the Egyptian army. They cry out to Hashem. Hashem performs a miracle. He splits the sea. The Jews walk through the sea on dry land. The Egyptians follow the Jews into the sea, and the second part of the miracle occurs. As the last Jew steps out of the sea the water crashes back, drowning the Egyptians.
The Jews, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the miracle sing a prophetic song of praise and thanks to Hashem. The woman especially distinguish themselves; singing, dancing and playing musical instruments in awe and gratitude to their Creator.
The nation marches on into the wilderness. For three days, they suffer without water but utter no complaint. When they finally do find water, it is undrinkable. Incredibly, their only words are, “What shall we drink?” Hashem provides a way to sweeten the waters, and promises that if Bnai Yisroel will always be loyal, He will protect them. When the supply of bread from Egypt runs out, Bnai Yisroel complain that there is no food. Hashem provides mann, a special product which is to fall from the sky every morning in the amount needed for the day. A double portion will fall each Erev Shabbos so there will be no need to gather it on the holy day. That evening, Slav, succulent birds are also provided. The laws of the mann are explained and importance of Shabbos is underscored. Daily, for 40 years, Bnai Yisroel eat mann.
The nation travels further, and again there is no water. Hashem shows Moshe how to strike a certain rock, and water flows in abundance. The parsha ends with an attack by Amelek. Moshe, Aharon, and Chur lead Bnai Yisroel in tefilah (prayer) while Yehoshua leads the army in combat. Amalek is weakened, but not defeated. By declaring battle against Bnai Yisroel when all the other nations were frightened by the events of the Exodus, Amalek opened the door for the wicked to challenge Hashem. The war of Hashem against Amalek does not end. return to top
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Kosher Kitchen
Dear Rabbi:
My partner Gail and I have been studying about the importance of keeping kosher for the last two months. Last night she confided in me that she would really like to make her kitchen kosher, but she feels that it’s too daunting a task. How do you recommend I approach this with her?
Channie N.
Dear Channie:
As you know, keeping kosher is a very important mitzvah. In addition to its intrinsic importance, it also provides the Jew with “Torah awareness” throughout the day— as we plan for meals and as we respond to urges for snacks—for we are always called upon to answer the question: “Is what I’m about to put into my mouth sanctioned by the Torah?”
I understand that the thought of changing everything in the kitchen, from utensils to leftover foodstuffs, can be a very overwhelming prospect, However, I think we can make the process very manageable for Gail, and I believe that she will feel reassured when you outline the process for her. Essentially there is a three-step process that unfolds over time:
- flow-in kosher ingredients
- learn kosher kitchen management
- call a Rabbi for “kashering” the kitchen
Flow-in Kosher ingredients
Essentially, we want to make a one-to-one kosher substitution for the ingredients that Gail normally stocks in her kitchen. By far, this is the most important stage in making a kosher kitchen, for if all the ingredients do not start out being kosher, chances are the final product will not turn out kosher either. In this stage we need to go through the following steps: (a) identifying which ingredients need supervision, (b) learning how to look for kosher symbols, (c) finding out which stores are likely to carry kosher items, and finally (d) ingredient substitution.
(a) Many foods are kosher without any type of supervision—e.g. bottled water, fresh carrots, apples, etc. It is very important to generate a full list of these items so that Gail will have the convenience of buying them in whichever store they can be found. (b) There are hundreds of kosher symbols. If you go to: http://www.kosherquest.org/html/Reliable_Kosher_Symbols.htm you can find pictures of many of them. Gail will need to be alerted to the fact that some symbols are tucked away in the ingredient panel and some are placed in full view on the packaging. Furthermore, some symbols are routinely found on food packaging which have no connection to kosher supervision, such as TM or ®. Gail will feel reassured knowing all of this. (c) Fortunately, today the vast majority of kosher ingredients may be found in the standard supermarket. Some specialty and convenience items, however, only appear in the local neighborhood kosher market. (d) After these first three steps, Gail should make the kosher substitutions that are necessary and get used to the purchasing procedure.
Kosher kitchen management
You should arrange for Gail to visit the kitchen of someone who lives in her vicinity so she can see how the dairy, meat, and pareve items are segregated in the kitchen, especially when cooking. If possible, she should be invited for a session when her kosher mentor will be preparing for Shabbos and doing some baking. Instead of being overwhelmed with procedural rules and regulations, Gail will see that with a minimum of effort, we can effectively separate all the foods and utensils that need to remain apart. The sessions should continue through the washing of the utensils and clean up procedures so Gail can learn how this is done in a kosher fashion.
Call in the Rabbi
Locate a rabbi in the area. I will be happy to assist you with this. Generally, synagogue rabbis are very eager to help someone begin a kosher kitchen and their expertise will be extremely important to insure that all the kitchen utensils and cooking equipment are kashered efficiently and correctly. The relationship between the rabbi and Gail will also be important, so that when questions arise, she can consult a friendly authority.
Finally, I think it’s very important to emphasize to Gail that kashrus mistakes happen in everyone’s kitchen, even to the most experienced. There is no need to be embarrassed or worry about a slip up. We routinely refer our questions to a rabbi to find out how to resolve the problem.
Please do me one favor. Send Gail my warmest welcome to the Kosher community.
RD return to top
Rabbi Reuven Drucker can be reached at rabbidrucker@partnersintorah.org
Hey, I never knew that!
Amazing Insights About the Weekly Parsha
By Ozer Alport
1) Q: Our sages teach that the manna was unique in that it was able to taste like whatever the person eating it wanted it to taste like. Was it permitted to think on Shabbos that the manna should have a certain taste (e.g. cholent), or is that considered a forbidden form of “cooking?” If it was forbidden and one nevertheless attempted to change its taste, did it even work?
A: The Chiddushei HaRim and Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank maintain that one was required to “prepare” his Shabbos meals on Friday, as changing the taste of the manna on Shabbos was forbidden. Rav Frank adds that it is likely that one who nevertheless attempted to do so was unsuccessful.
2) Q: Was it permitted, or even possible, to think that the manna should taste like the meat of non-kosher animals, a mixture of cooked milk and meat, or on Pesach that it should taste like chometz?
A: In his commentary on the Medrash Pliah, the Binas Nevonim maintains that it was both possible and permitted to cause the manna to taste like “forbidden” foods. However, the Shaar Bas Rabim writes that it was forbidden to do so, and suggests that refraining from doing so is the “test” of the manna to which the Torah refers (16:4).
3) Q: Regardless of how much manna a person collected, upon returning home each person found himself with precisely one omer, not more and not less. Additionally, the Jews were forbidden to leave over from one day’s manna to the next (16:18-19). As the Torah doesn’t record historical facts unless they are relevant to all future generations, what lessons may be drawn from these laws pertaining to the manna?
A: Rav Yerucham Levovitz suggests that these are coming to teach fundamental concepts regarding trust in Hashem and our efforts to support ourselves. The first point teaches us that a person’s income isn’t dependent or even related to the amount of effort he puts in. We must labor to support ourselves as that was one of the curses received by Adam, but the results of our efforts are completely independent of our our work, as evidenced by the manna. The Gemora in Yoma (76a) explains that the purpose of the 2nd rule was to make the Jews constantly dependent on Hashem for their sustenance. From here we may derive the folly of the American dream of “financial security,” which is essentially the pursuit of a life full of trust in oneself and one’s bank account and free of trust (bitachon) in Hashem. U.S currency states ‘In G-d we trust’- it seems that Americans only trust in G-d when they have money in their wallet. return to top
Ozer Alport can be reached at ozer@partnersintorah.org
Parsha Talk: For discussion around the Shabbos Table
If you or your guests come up with an original answer, please forward it to parsha@partnersintorah.org
1) 1) The Gemora in Megillah (10b) relates that when the Heavenly angels saw the punishment being meted out to the Egyptians as they drowned in the Red Sea, they desired to sing Hashem’s praises. Hashem answered them, “my handiwork and creations are drowning and you wish to sing!?” Yet the Jewish people were permitted to sing the beautiful Shiras HaYam – Song by the Sea – in praise of Hashem and it was recorded in the Torah for all time. Why would the song of angeLs be inappropriate, while the Jews’ song acceptable or even valued?
2)2) The Gemora in Shabbos (75a) relates that for the righteous, the manna fell at their doorsteps, for the wicked it fell far away, and for the average it fell somewhere in-between. One of the reasons that Hashem doesn’t give clear and direct reward and punishment in this world is that doing so would take away our free choice and we therefore wouldn’t deserve any reward for our actions. How did the Jews have free choice during their 40 years in the desert, how were people able to remain wicked?
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