Parsha Perspectivesrabbi Z. SKLAR

PARSHAS BESHALACH 11 SHEVAT 5772 | FEBRUARY 4 2012 Parsha Perspectives RABBI Z. SKLAR We all want to grow, to improve. We set ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא כי אמר... goals — or make resolutions — and then we take concrete steps forward toward פן ינחם העם בראתם מלחמה ושבו מצרימה achieving those goals. It is inevitable that “G-d did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, because it we will face challenges along the way. If we was near. For G-d said, ‘Perhaps the people will reconsider when they see want to avoid automatically falling back into our old habits, we need to put distance war, and they will return to Egypt.’ ” (Exodus 13:17) between ourselves and our past ways; we need to create some kind of barrier that ow many of us have made New Year’s resolutions that have long been keeps us moving in a positive direction. forgotten? We pledged to go on a diet and finally lose those 20 extra Rabbi Sklar can be reached at H [email protected] pounds, or resolved to develop a better relationship with our spouse/child/co- worker/friend. Yet, after only a few short days, weeks, or (if we’re lucky) months, our resolve is gone. Suddenly, we’re back to eating the white flour and fatty foods. WORD of the WEEK We again treat the ones close to us in a manner that is not always ideal. Are we מן .really horrible people who don’t want to change? No, we are the victims of habit To change something intrinsic within ourselves, we need to do something drastic mahn — manna is the name — מן and break free from ingrained practices. the Jews in the desert gave to the When G-d took the Jewish people out Jews would feel that it would be better to miraculous bread that descended of Egypt and brought them to Israel, He return to the hell of Egypt — a torturous, from heaven. The verse states, “And did not take them on the shortest, most but familiar lifestyle — than face new each man said to his friend, ‘It is straightforward route. Instead, He led them challenges thrust at them. This did, in fact, mahn — because they didn’t know מן on a roundabout journey through the transpire later in the parsha, when G-d Sinai Desert, moving east and then north, gave the Jews the manna that sustained what it was’ ” (Exodus 16:15). Targum so that they entered the Land from the them for 40 years in the desert. Then, too, Onkelos translates mahn as manah — what is it?” Rashi understands“ — מנא eastern bank of the Jordan River. A quick the people complained that they had no look at a map shows that traveling from food and stated that they would have been it to mean “a food ingredient or Egypt northeast along the coast of the better off had they remained in Egypt. preparation of food.” Rashbam Mediterranean Sea through what is now Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler explains that the points out that mahn is actually the Gaza would have been the quickest path. Hebrew word for Egypt is Mitzrayim. Egyptian term for “what.” (According G-d knew that because that was the easiest Mitzrayim comes from the word mitzarim to Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, the Egyptian path to leave Egypt, it would also be the — boundaries. G-d understood the is ma nu, which sounds similar to easiest way to return to Egypt. The Jewish importance of creating a barrier behind the verse, “Man hu”). Radak (Sefer people had only recently become a new the Jews during their exodus so that they Hashorashim) relates it to the word nation and they were going to experience, wouldn’t simply fall back to their former ”.which means “a gift ,מנה — as everyone does in life, bumps along position. manah the way. In a moment of weakness, the HEY, I NEVER KNEW THAT FOR DISCUSSION AROUND THE SHABBAT TABLE Table Talk nd the Jewish people came After witnessing the crumbling of his empire and the decimation of his people by A out of Egypt armed — chamushim.” The word — חמושים ,G-d’s plagues, the Torah states that “Pharaoh released the Jews.” Upon leaving Egypt G-d did not direct them in the most direct route to the Promised Land, but rather brought them via a more circuitous route. G-d’s reasoning is clearly spelled out in the chamushim, although usually Torah: the people might see a battle while traveling through the land of the Philistines translated as “armed,” is related and regret their hasty departure from Egypt and seek to return there (Exodus 13:17). to the word chamesh — five. Pharaoh only let the Jews go because of the terrible plagues G-d wrought, not from any altruistic motives. Why might the Torah credit Pharaoh for having Some commentaries say that (א sent the nation out, when clearly it was G-d’s Divine hand that caused Pharaoh to only one in five Jews left Egypt, release the Jews? while the other four-fifths either The reason given for why G-d took the Jews through a circuitous route is to avoid exposing them to the Philistines who were sure to engage them in died or assimilated (Rashi and (ב battle. G-d could certainly have ensured their safe passage through the land of the Midrash). Targum Yonasan ben Philistines. How then can we understand the explanation given for taking them the long way around? Uziel writes that each Jew left G-d’s reasoning is generally not spelled out in the Torah. Why might the Torah with five children. Rabbi Yosef deviate here from the norm and specify why G-d chose the roundabout route? Zundel Misalant combined all the (ג interpretations together to explain A QUESTION FOR THE RABBIS that the four-fifths left behind were all adults, but their children did abbi Menachem Mendel Kasher (Hatekufah Hagedolah), was asked if indeed come out of Egypt. Each there is an obligation to thank G-d for miracles that He performs for us R family of the remaining one-fifth today (e.g. Six-Day War), and if so, what is the source for this obligation? Rabbi Kasher cites the Torah portion this week, when the Jewish people burst into adopted four sets of children, so a song of praise to G-d at the parting of the Red Sea. The verse states, “Then that each family came out not with Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song to G-d, and they said, to say” five children, but with fivesets of (Exodus 15:1). The Jerusalem Talmud (Sotah 5:6) asks, what is the significance children, one of their own, and four of the words “to say”? The Talmud answers that this teaches us that we should adopted. According to Rabbi Yosef sing a song of praise to G-d not just for this miracle, but for every miracle that Zundel, the meaning of armed is G-d performs for the Jews throughout the generations (Korban Haeidah, ad that the Jews were “armed” with loc). He also quotes the Midrash Rabbah (Exodus 23:12): “They said, to say — the tremendous merit of their that we should tell our children, and our children’s children, that they should say before You a song like this, when You do miracles for them.” kindness towards these children. LOOK who made PARTNER! 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