Parsha Perspectives
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PARSHAS BESHALACH | 13 SHEVAT 5769 | 7 FEBRUARY 2009 Parsha Perspectives RABBI LEIBY BURNHAM subjugating the Jews, they would no longer be .like one person והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם This difference is something we see playing itself out in world politics today. The nations of And behold Egypt was traveling after them! (Exodus 14:10) the world are not unified. There is plenty of squabbling, fighting, and anger between them. Yet somehow, when it comes to criticizing the n this week’s parsha, the exodus story culminates with the splitting of the Reed Jews and our tiny Jewish country, they all Sea, the Jews walking through safely, and the Egyptians drowning. However, unite. Cries come forth from every major capi- tal, the UN passes almost unanimous resolu- this only happened after a terrifying ordeal that the Jewish people endured. tions against Israel, and even America issues I statements condemning our “excessive force.” Before the sea split, the Jews found themselves running from the Egyptians who were When they are with one heart, it almost seems chasing them with all their military might. like they have the unity of “one person.” How- ever, as soon as the focus is lifted from Israel, Noting that the verse above describes the Rabbi Hutner answers that there was a funda- the world reverts to its regular disunity. The Egyptians in the singular tense (“Egypt”) in- mental difference between the unity of the Shi’ites kill the Sunnis, Russia cuts off natural stead of the plural (“the Egyptians”), Rashi Jewish people and the Egyptians. The Jewish resources from half of Europe, North Korea comments that the Egyptians were pursuing people are intrinsically unified as one. It is as if makes aggressive moves on South Korea, and the Jews “With one heart, like one person.” the entire Jewish people are one big human genocide continues unfettered in Africa. This comment is interesting because Rashi being, in which each person is a different part makes almost the same exact comment in of that organism. Since we are all one, it goes As Jews, we truly remain “Like one person next week’s parsha, when the Torah describes without saying that our desires should be one, with one heart.” Not only in times of crisis or the Jewish people camping at the foot of Mt in just the same way that my left hand wants shared interest do we unite, but we remain Sinai. There too, the Torah used the singular the same things as my right hand, my kidney, united at all times. There is a constant flow of tense to describe the Jewish people, “and or heart wants. Because of this, the primary support from the Diaspora to Israel. There are Israel encamped there opposite the mountain. connection is that we are “Like one person.” countless organizations looking to help any (Exodus 19:2).” On that verse Rashi describes What happens to follow that is that we all have Jew in need, no matter their affiliation, race, the powerful unity the Jews felt as they were one heart, we all want the same thing. country of origin, or economic strata. Partners about to receive the Torah, that they were in Torah is a perfect example of this, an or- This was not the case with regard to the Egyp- “Like one person with one heart.” ganization whose sole goal is to unite Jews tians. They were intrinsically a collection of from all over the world in furthering our Jewish Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner of blessed memory individual people, who were not truly unified. identity and Jewish knowledge. So let us con- (1906-1980, Warsaw- NYC), the founder of It so happened that when they wanted to get tinue to follow the praise of Rashi, and always one of the largest American yeshivas, Yeshivas their Jewish slaves back, they were able to look at ourselves as a nation, “Like one person Rabbi Chaim Berlin, asks why Rashi reverses unite, but it was not representative of who with one heart!” the order in describing the two phenomena. they were. For that reason Rashi described With regard to the Egyptians, Rashi notes that them as “With one heart, like one person.” In they were “With one heart, like one person,” this particular scenario, they had one heart; Rabbi Burnham can be reached at whereas with regard to the Jews at Mt. Sinai, they all wanted to force the Jewish people [email protected] the description is “Like one person with one back. As a result, they were able to act as one heart?” person. The moment they would have finished Please pray for a full and speedy recovery for Bracha Elisheva bas Chana Kayla & Bracha Chaya Miriam bas Hensha Ralya BESHALACH RABBI ELAZAR MEISELS Talking Points 1. IT’S A NO-GO which had been fixed for them to go and to The level of Divine Revelation experienced by “And it was when Pharaoh sent the people return and they saw that they were not even the common Jew at the time of the returning to Egypt, they came on the fourth parting of the Sea was so great, that, as out, and G-d did not lead them along the Phil- day and told Pharaoh. On the fifth and Mechilta explains, the verse equates the Jew- istine route, although it was the shorter sixth days they pursued them, and on the ish people with Moses, the greatest of proph- route...” 13:17 night of the seventh they went down into ets, and Moses with the Jewish people. Yet, the sea. In the morning they chanted the following the Revelation, Moses ascended to And it was – Anytime the Torah says, Song of Praise and that day was the sev- ever greater heights, whereas the Jewish ‘Vayechi’ – and it was, it connotes hardship. enth day of Passover. It is for this reason people leveled off and at times, even de- – Talmud, Tractate Megillah 10b that we read the Torah portion containing scended into complaints and insubordination. And it was – Why did the Torah use the the Song of Praise on the seventh day of This, explains Rabbi Boruch Sorotzkin (of word, “Vayechi” to describe what could only Passover. – Rashi blessed memory), was because the people have been a wonderfully joyous moment? This verse refers to Pharaoh first as the king hadn’t ascended in the normal manner, be- The key to this lies in the next words of the of Egypt and separately by his name. Why the ginning at the bottom and methodically mak- verse, “when Pharaoh sent the people out.” inconsistency, something often found in re- ing their way to the top. Instead, via the Ten For whatever reason, the Almighty chose gard to Pharaoh? Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, Plagues and a variety of other miracles, they not to release the Jewish people without shlit”a, opines that perhaps the key factor is suddenly were lifted to heights previously Pharaoh’s consent. This caused a problem whether Pharaoh was acting on behalf of his unimaginable. Thrilling as it was for the mo- in that Pharaoh now believed that since he nation, or for his own selfish purposes. When ment, it was unsustainable since they’d never was the one who granted us permission he referring to his “hardened heart,” the name learned what it really takes to achieve such was free to rescind it at will. This false im- used is usually Pharaoh, since his behavior greatness. Moses, on the other hand, grew pression is what caused our problems with not in leaps and bounds, but slowly and him later when he decided to order the was motivated purely out of selfishness and obnoxiousness, not for the good of his na- surely over a period of eighty years before he Jews to return. – Ohr HaChaim (Rabbi stood before the burning bush to converse Chaim ibn Attar, 1696-1743) tion. When instructing the midwives to com- mit infanticide, the Torah refers to him as with the Almighty. The parting of the sea was Rabbi Tzaddok HaKohen offers an alternative king of Egypt, because in that instance he for him, not an anomaly, but another step in view of the problem. The Ten Plagues were was acting out what he believed was the his methodical pursuit of greatness. Thus, its supposed to implant within the hearts and good of his nation. In this verse, the spies effect lasted forever and he continued to minds of the Jewish people that the Almighty reported to him as official emissaries of the build upon it in the days that followed. is in charge of their destiny, and inculcate king of Egypt, but he selfishly decided to act within them a burning desire for the exodus. in his own self-interest and lead his nation in Rabbi Meisels can be reached at Instead, the people found themselves so pursuit, knowing full well that it was nothing [email protected] attached to Egyptian culture that they weren’t short of hazardous to do so. Thus, it begins terribly interested in actually leaving once the by referring to him as king of Egypt and con- enslavement ended. They only left because tinues by calling him by the name Pharaoh. This page is dedicated to and written for the “Pharaoh sent the people out.” This lack of 6,500 Partners in Torah mentors. We welcome enthusiasm was a foreboding of many of the you to join their ranks by calling 800-STUDY-4-2. Please catastrophes that would occur later as a result 3. UNSUSTAINABLE EQUALITY send your comments, questions, and suggestions to of their faulty attitude.