Parshas Beshalach
This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Beshalach.
At the end of last week’s Parsha, Pharaoh had eagerly sent the Jewish people out from slavery and out of Egypt all together. At the beginning of this week’s Parsha Pharaoh returned to his previous ways, changing his mind and chasing after the B’nai Yisroel (Jewish people) with his army and chariots. When the Egyptians came within striking range they attacked by shooting arrows but Hashem brought a cloud that shot their arrows right back at the Egyptians. This allowed the B’nai Yisroel put some distance between them and the Egyptians and then Hashem removed the cloud. Suddenly the B’nai Yisroel began to panic because they came to the Yam Suf (dead sea) and had nowhere to go with the sea in front and the armed Egyptians behind them. Hashem told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea, and when Moses did, the sea split. There are many discussions on how the sea split, what took place when it split, etc. I would like to expound on some of those insights.
There are two well known interpretations on how the sea split. One interpretation says that the sea split in half and the B’nai Yisroel all walked through on dry land and the second interpretation is that the sea split into twelve rows, one row for each of the twelve sh’vatim (tribes). The Midrash says when the B’nai Yisroel walked through, the water next to them froze making clear walls so that each tribe could see the others passing through and they did not worry about one another. Others say the water didn’t freeze rather Hashem just suspended the water from falling. As they crossed, the Midrash says that if someone was hungry, he could simply reach his hand into the water next to him and pull out a nice fresh apple, or orange. When the B’nai Yisroel got across the Yam Suf, the Egyptians began charging through the Yam Suf, but when they did Hashem made the ocean floor become very hot which melted their chariots’ wheels causing them to be stuck. Once they were stuck Hashem closed the water in on them and tossed them and turned them this way and that way, just torturing them before taking them.
As a result of their tremendous happiness and gratitude the B’nai Yisroel sang a song called, Az YaShir. Az YaShir is said everyday during Shachris (the morning services) to remember this momentous occasion.
Finally, the B’nai Yisroel traveled through the desert free at last from their Egyptian captors and they started to complain because they thought that they would die if they didn’t have any food. Hashem sent them heavenly food called mann. Moses told the B’nai Yisroel that the mann would fall from Shamayim (heaven) every morning and one would need to go collect his mann for that day. Friday a double portion would fall so nobody would desecrate the Shabbos by gathering on Hashem’s Holy day. If they did, it would become infested with worms and be disgusting. The really cool part of Mann was that it could basically taste like whatever the person eating wanted it to be. If a person wanted chicken it tasted like chicken. If a person wanted ice cream it tasted like ice cream. Whatever they wanted it to taste like that’s how it tasted.
This week’s Parsha should reinforce in each of us to always have faith in Hashem and recognize and really believe that He controls everything at all times ! –Amen!
Limited Edition Question of the Week:
If you were in the desert at that time what would you want you mann to taste like?
At the end of last week’s Parsha, Pharaoh had eagerly sent the Jewish people out from slavery and out of Egypt all together. At the beginning of this week’s Parsha Pharaoh returned to his previous ways, changing his mind and chasing after the B’nai Yisroel (Jewish people) with his army and chariots. When the Egyptians came within striking range they attacked by shooting arrows but Hashem brought a cloud that shot their arrows right back at the Egyptians. This allowed the B’nai Yisroel put some distance between them and the Egyptians and then Hashem removed the cloud. Suddenly the B’nai Yisroel began to panic because they came to the Yam Suf (dead sea) and had nowhere to go with the sea in front and the armed Egyptians behind them. Hashem told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea, and when Moses did, the sea split. There are many discussions on how the sea split, what took place when it split, etc. I would like to expound on some of those insights.
There are two well known interpretations on how the sea split. One interpretation says that the sea split in half and the B’nai Yisroel all walked through on dry land and the second interpretation is that the sea split into twelve rows, one row for each of the twelve sh’vatim (tribes). The Midrash says when the B’nai Yisroel walked through, the water next to them froze making clear walls so that each tribe could see the others passing through and they did not worry about one another. Others say the water didn’t freeze rather Hashem just suspended the water from falling. As they crossed, the Midrash says that if someone was hungry, he could simply reach his hand into the water next to him and pull out a nice fresh apple, or orange. When the B’nai Yisroel got across the Yam Suf, the Egyptians began charging through the Yam Suf, but when they did Hashem made the ocean floor become very hot which melted their chariots’ wheels causing them to be stuck. Once they were stuck Hashem closed the water in on them and tossed them and turned them this way and that way, just torturing them before taking them.
As a result of their tremendous happiness and gratitude the B’nai Yisroel sang a song called, Az YaShir. Az YaShir is said everyday during Shachris (the morning services) to remember this momentous occasion.
Finally, the B’nai Yisroel traveled through the desert free at last from their Egyptian captors and they started to complain because they thought that they would die if they didn’t have any food. Hashem sent them heavenly food called mann. Moses told the B’nai Yisroel that the mann would fall from Shamayim (heaven) every morning and one would need to go collect his mann for that day. Friday a double portion would fall so nobody would desecrate the Shabbos by gathering on Hashem’s Holy day. If they did, it would become infested with worms and be disgusting. The really cool part of Mann was that it could basically taste like whatever the person eating wanted it to be. If a person wanted chicken it tasted like chicken. If a person wanted ice cream it tasted like ice cream. Whatever they wanted it to taste like that’s how it tasted.
This week’s Parsha should reinforce in each of us to always have faith in Hashem and recognize and really believe that He controls everything at all times ! –Amen!
HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!
Stay tuned for next week’s Parsha called, Parshas Yisro.
Limited Edition Question of the Week:
If you were in the desert at that time what would you want you mann to taste like?
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