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Learning to Live with Covid-19: Panel Discussion

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Learning to Live with Covid-19: Panel Discussion BS”D January 29, 2021 Potomac Torah Study Center Vol. 8 #16, January 29, 2021; Beshalach 5781 NOTE: Devrei Torah presented weekly in Loving Memory of Rabbi Leonard S. Cahan z”l, Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Har Shalom, who started me on my road to learning almost 50 years ago and was our family Rebbe and close friend until his recent untimely death. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Devrei Torah are now Available for Download (normally by noon on Fridays) from www.PotomacTorah.org. Thanks to Bill Landau for hosting the Devrei Torah. __________________________________________________________________________________ LEARNING TO LIVE WITH COVID-19: PANEL DISCUSSION Should be available soon as rebroadcast from web site of Bikur Cholim of Greater Washington. ________________________________________________________________________________ What is the first thing that comes to your mind when mentioning Beshalach? For me, the main theme of the parsha is emunah, or faith. I consider the events in the parsha to be a university level course in destroying an Egyptian overview and developing faith in God. “As you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them ever again (14:13).” Events in the parsha show a defeated and humiliated Egypt and contrast with a loving God who listens to the concerns and complaints of the Jewish people and cares for each of them. After leaving Egypt, the people arrive at Mara, where there is plenty of water, but it is too bitter to drink. God directs Moshe to put a certain tree in the water, and the water becomes sweet (15L22-26). Their next stop is Midbar Sin, where they run out of food. God has Moshe tell the people that He will deliver food – quail in the afternoon and special food (manna) every night from the sky (16:1-8 ff.). The miracle of the quail and manna was a way to show that God cared for each Jew and took care of the needs of each of them. The people next camped in Rephidim, where again there was no water. They had to travel some distance to Har Sinai, where God told Moshe to strike a certain rock, and it would give water (17:5-6). While the main group went to collect water, Amalek snuck up on the stragglers in Rephidim and attacked them. Moshe had Yehoshua lead a battle against Amalek while he climbed Har Sinai and held up his arms. When the people looked to Moshe’s arms, pointing to Hashem, the Jews were able to repel Amalek. In all these examples, the point of the crisis and solution was to teach the people to look to God as the source of caring, protection, and sustenance. One somewhat hidden story illustrates true faith in Hashem perhaps better than any other. The morning after crossing the Sea of Reeds, the people looked out and saw that the Egyptian army and horses were drowned and the feared chariots were destroyed. The people sang a song to Hashem (15:1-18). Miriam then led the women in a second song, in which they accompanied themselves with drums (15:20-21). Note how the Torah introduces Miriam: “the prophetess, sister of Aharon.” When did Miriam become a prophetess? Look back at 2:1-10, a time when Miriam was the sister only of Aharon, because Moshe was not yet born or was just an unnamed baby. According to Midrash, Moshe’s parents had divorced to avoid giving birth to a son whom Paro would kill. Miriam convinced her parents to re-marry so their yet unborn daughters would live and perhaps their son or sons would survive. (Since Miriam’s father was the most highly respected Jew of the generation, other families followed his example of divorcing and then re-marrying.) According to Midrash, Miriam was a prophetess whose prophecy was that her parents would give birth to a child who would save the Jews. When her family could no longer hide the baby brother, the mother put the baby into a teva (same name as Noah’s ark) and put the teva in the river. Miriam hid herself and watched to see what would happen to her prophecy. Paro’s daughter came, saw the teva, and had her maidens bring it to her. She recognized that it was a Jewish baby. Miriam went and 1 offered to find a wet nurse to care for the baby. Paro’s daughter agreed and later adopted the baby, whom she named Moshe. Miriam had true faith in God, that He would save the Jews, bring a child to her parents to save the Jews, and that God would protect him from danger, despite Paro’s decree of death for all Jewish babies. When it came time to leave Egypt, Miriam had enough faith to have the women bring drums so they could sing a song of thanksgiving to God. Miriam’s emunah mirrors another example of strong faith in Hashem, despite threat of death. When God told Avraham to bring his only son, the son he loved, Yitzhak, and sacrifice him at a spot that He would designate, neither Avraham nor Yitzhak hesitated. Avraham knew that God had promised to make a great nation from his natural child or children. God had also directed Avraham to send away Ishmael, virtually guaranteeing that God’s promised blessings would come through Yitzhak. Neither Avraham nor Yitzhak knew how God would have Avraham go through with sacrificing Yitzhak and keep the promise to Avraham. Despite not knowing what was to come, Avraham and Yitzhak continued up the mountain and binding Yitzhak, with complete faith in Hashem. Miriam’s example mirrors that of Avraham and Yitzhak. Indeed, I would argue that Miriam’s emunah exceeded that of Avraham and Yitzhak – but that is a story for some future time. My beloved Rebbe, Rabbi Leonard Cahan, z”l, taught me to look for signs of Hashem in action when things worked out for me for the best, especially in unexpected ways. For one growing up in a non-religious home, developing emunah is challenging and can take years of study. We sought to teach this lesson to our boys by sending them to Yeshiva, and we hope to help our children bring this message to our grandchildren. To me, Beshalach is perhaps the best parsha in the Torah to illustrate the power of true faith. Shabbat Shalom, Hannah & Alan ________________________________________________________________________________ Much of the inspiration for my weekly Dvar Torah message comes from the insights of Rabbi David Fohrman and his team of scholars at www.alephbeta.org. Please join me in supporting this wonderful organization, which has increased its scholarly work during the pandemic, despite many of its supporters having to cut back on their donations. ________________________________________________________________________________ Please daven for a Refuah Shlemah for Menachem Mendel ben Chana, Eli ben Hanina, Yoram HaKohen ben Shoshana, Gedalya ben Sarah, Mordechai ben Chaya, Baruch Yitzhak ben Perl, David Leib HaKohen ben Sheina Reizel, Zev ben Sara Chaya, Uzi Yehuda ben Mirda Behla, HaRav Dovid Meir ben Chaya Tzippa; Eliav Yerachmiel ben Sara Dina, Amoz ben Tziviah, Reuven ben Masha, Moshe David ben Hannah, Meir ben Sara, Yitzhok Tzvi ben Yehudit Miriam, Yaakov Naphtali ben Michal Leah, Ramesh bat Heshmat, Rivka Chaya bat Leah, Zissel Bat Mazal, Chana Bracha bas Rochel Leah, Leah Fruma bat Musa Devorah, Hinda Behla bat Chaya Leah, Nechama bas Tikva Rachel, Miriam Chava bat Yachid, and Ruth bat Sarah, all of whom greatly need our prayers. _____________________________________________________________________________ Hannah & Alan _____________________________________________________________________________ Drasha: Beshalach: Words of Remembrance by Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky © 1998 [Please remember Mordechai ben Chaya for a Mishebarach!] 2 This week’s portion begins with the event that merits the title of the book – Exodus. The Jews finally are chased from Egypt. Hastily, they gather their meager possessions and with the gold and silver that the Egyptians miraculously gave them they flee. But one of them, their leader no less, does not take gold and silver. He takes Joseph’s bones. The Torah tells us why. Decades prior, Joseph beseeched his children, “pakod yifkod – G-d will surely remember you and you shall bring my bones up with you out of here” (Genesis 50:25). Slavery can make one forget commitments – especially about old bones. However, despite more than a century of servitude, Moshe kept the promise. What baffles me is the wording of the request and its fulfillment. Why did Yoseph juxtapose the words “pakod yifkod” (G-d shall remember) with the petition to re-inter his bones? It is repeated in this week’s portion. “Moshe took the bones because Joseph said that pakod yifkod – G-d will remember you and bring my bones up” (Exodus13: 19). It is wonderful that Joseph assured redemption, but is that the reason Moshe took the bones? Didn’t he take the bones simply to fulfill a commitment to Joseph? What does pakod yifkod have to do with it? Why is it inserted in both the request and response? Twelve years ago, our Yeshiva established an audio Torah tape library. I looked in the Yellow Pages and found a company that sold tape labels. A very knowledgeable representative took my call. Clearly Jewish, she had a Brooklyn accent, and spiced her words with some Yiddish expressions. I felt comfortable dealing with someone who I believed, knew about Jewish institutions. I said I would call her back and asked for her name. She answered proudly, “Esther.” “Last name?” I inquired. After a brief pause, I received an answer that surprised me. “Scatteregio.” ” Scatteregio?” I repeated in amazement. Stepping where perhaps I should not have, I explained my perplexity. “Actually,” I offered, “I was expecting Cohen or Goldberg.” She paused, “you are right, I am Jewish and my first husband was Goldman.” Another pause.
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