Parshat Beshalach: Walkthrough
Posted by Jack Kustanowitz on January 11, 2011 | Tags: Beshalach
Loyalty to the literal text, with a modern voice [All editorializing in brackets]
And so it was, when Pharaoh [finally] let the people go, God pointedly did not take them on the Phillistine Highway (which would have been the fastest way into Canaan), because he thought that the minute they had any kind of confrontation, they would hightail it back to Egypt.
So instead, God took them on the Desert Highway towards the Red Sea (and in spite of God’s concerns, the Israelites were in fact armed to the hilt when they left Egypt).
Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, as Joseph had made his sons promise him before he died.
And so they left Sukkot, with God always leading them with a pillar of smoke in the day and a pillar of fire at night.
Now God told Moses to lead the camp to a location right on the Red Sea. He explained that Pharaoh will think that the Israelites were lost in the desert, He would strengthen Pharaoh’s resolve, and Pharaoh would in turn chase after the Israelites with his full army.
And in fact this is what happened – Pharaoh was told that the people had left, as he said to himself, “What were we thinking?” And so he mobilized his army, including 600 chariots, to chase after the Israelites. They caught up with them at their camp by the sea.
As the Egyptians approached, the Israelites took a look and panicked, crying out to God and Moses, “Was they out of space in the Egyptian cemeteries, that you took us to die in the desert? What were you thinking, taking us out of Egypt? Didn’t we tell you in Egypt to back off, that we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than dead in the desert?”
Moses replied, “Don’t worry – stand still and watch what God’s going to do next. Let’s just say that the Egyptian army you see here today will never be the same. God will do all the work, you just shut up.”
Then God said to Moses, “What are you yelling at me for? Go tell the Israelites to get going! Wave your staff over the water and split it – the Israelites will be able to enter the sea on the dry land. For my part, I’ll strengthen Egypt’s resolve and they will go in after you.”
And so the angel of God that had been leading the camp moved to the back, between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp, separating the two all night long.
Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and God blew a strong easterly wind all night long over the sea, turning the sea to dry land, splitting the sea. And the Israelites entered the sea on the dry land, with the water standing as a wall to their right and to their left. The entire Egyptian army then chased after them.
And then, early in the morning, God started causing chaos in the Egyptian camp, causing mechanical problems in the chariots, and the Egyptians started to think that maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, and the same god who brought the plagues in Egypt was now causing them problems here as well.
God then told Moses to stretch out his hand over the water and return the sea to how it was, over the Egyptian army. Moses did so, and the waters closed in over the Egyptians as they frantically tried to flee, until not a single one remained. All the while the Israelites had walked through on dry land, with the water a solid wall on either side.
On that day, God saved Israel from Egypt, as Israel saw Egypt dying on the edge of the sea. Israel saw the great strength that God had demonstrated in Egypt, and the people feared God; they also believed in God and in Moses, His servant.
At this point, Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God:
I sing to God for He is great; he actually drowned the entire Egyptian army!
God is my strength, He has saved me; as my God and my ancestors’ God, I will praise Him.
God is a warrior; now His name is known.
Pharaoh’s entire army was drowned; his best chariots went down in the Red Sea.
The depths overcame him; they went down like stones.
God, Your might was overpowering; Your might crushed our enemy.
And in Your brilliance, you destroyed them; burned them up like so much straw.
And with Your mighty wind, the water stood straight; the depths froze where they were.
Our enemy thought, I’ll come, I’ll see, I’ll conquer,
You blew the wind and covered them with water; they sank like lead.
Who is like you among all the greats, with all the wonders you do?
You stretched out your hand, and the land swallowed them up.
In your kindness, you led the people you just redeemed, leading them mightily to your holy sanctuary.
The other nations heard and were alternately angered and frightened; From the Phillistines to the people of Edom and Moav, all the inhabitants of Canaan were scared.
Let them be angry, let them be scared; once You raise up Your hand they will be silent as stones, until Your people go by.
You will bring them and establish them in the land of Your inheritance, which will be a dwelling place for You, a temple that it’s as if You Yourself built.
God will rule forever.
For Pharaoh’s army rode into the sea, and God brought the sea back over them, as the Israelites walked safely on dry land through the sea.
Miriam the prophetess (Aaron’s sister) took her drum, and she and the women followed suit, with instruments and dances: “Sing to God for He is great, he actually drowned the entire…”
Moses then led Israel from the Red Sea into the Shur Desert, where they walked for three days without finding water. They finally got to Marah, but the water wasn’t drinkable (hence “Marah”, meaning “undrinkable”). The Israelites asked Moses what exactly they were supposed to drink, Moses in turn cried out to God, who showed him a tree. He threw the tree to the water, making it drinkable. This was their first test, and God also [for the first time] started explaining that there were obligations that the people would have: If they followed the rules, God would spare them all the terrible things they witnessed in Egypt.
Next stop was Elim, where there were 12 wells and 70 date trees. They stayed a while.
They then got to the Sin Desert, about a month after they left Egypt, and they started complaining again: “We would rather have died in the plagues in Egypt, but with all the food we needed, than to have come out here to die of hunger in the desert.”
God responded with this: “I will make bread rain down from the sky. The people should go out and collect their daily rations; let’s see if they can follow simple instructions. On the sixth day, they should collect a double portion.”
Moses and Aaron told the Israelites: “Tonight, all you know is that God took you out of Egypt. But tomorrow morning you’ll also see that He has a more personable side, one that heard your complaints and is going to do something about it. And while you’re getting what you asked for, don’t forget that you weren’t complaining to us, but to God Himself."
God continued: “Tell the Israelites that not only will it rain bread in the morning, but in the evening there will be quails flying overhead, so that they can have meat to eat as well.”
And so it was: In the evening, the camp was covered with quail, and in the morning there was a thin layer of dew around the camp. As the dew evaporated, there was a thin layer of, well, something, on the desert floor. The Israelites all looked at each other and said, “What’s that?” as they had no idea what it was [“man”, or “manna” means “what”]. Moses explained, “That’s the bread that God promised you.
“Here’s the deal: Each person should take as much as he needs, no more and no less. Finish it all in one day, no leftovers.”
The people paid him no attention and kept some overnight anyway [remember, they hadn’t eaten in some time and were in a desert]. By morning it had all spoiled, and Moses was mad.
But they got into a rhythm: People took what they needed, and by midday the rest would melt away. On the sixth day people took twice what they needed – the leaders saw this and promptly reported it to Moses. But Moses explained that this was in fact the will of God – the seventh day was going to be a holy day of rest for God – prepare what you want on the sixth day, and leave it for the next day.
And what do you know, the next morning came and the food was not rotten as on previous days. Moses told the people to eat up, since there would be no food to collect today. There were those that didn’t believe this either and went out looking, but there was nothing to be found.
God at this point is frustrated, and he asks Moses, “How long are people not going to do what I tell them to?” [Answer: Quite some time, it doesn’t really get much better.] “I gave them twice as much on the sixth day, and I told them not to collect on the seventh!”
Eventually the people learned to rest on the seventh day.
They called it “man”; it looked like a white seed and tasted like a dough fried in honey.
Moses said, “Fill up this canister with an omer [a measurement] of man, to prove to future generations that God took care of His people after taking them out of Egypt.” And so they did, and they kept it next to the ark [eventually]. In fact, the Israelites ate the manna for 40 years, until they got to the border of Canaan. (An omer, by the way, is 1/10 of an ephah.)
The Israelites then went on to Refidim, where again there was no water [You’d think this would surprise no one, as they were walking in a desert, but somehow it always gets them.]. So the people picked another fight with Moses, saying, “GIVE US WATER!” Moses replied, “What, you’re going to fight with me? You’re going to test God?”
The people were dying of thirst, and they complained to Moses:“Why did you take us out of Egypt to make me, my children, and my cattle all die of thirst?”
Moses in turn cried out to God, saying, “What am I going to do with these people? Any minute they’re going to start throwing rocks at me.”
God: “Go walk among the people with the elders of Israel, and take the stick you used to turn the Nile to blood. I’ll be waiting for you at Horev, and when you strike the rock, water will pour out and the people will be able to drink.” And so it was.
They called the place “Masah Umerivah” [“Trials and Tribulations”] because of the theological crisis that the people went through.
At this point, Amalek attacked. Moses told Joshua to put together a fighting force, while he would go to the hilltop with God’s staff. So Joshua want to fight, and Aaron and Hur went with Moses to the hilltop. When Moses raised his hands, the Israel would win, and when they fell, Amalek would win. His hands were getting very tired, and so they gave him a rock to sit on, and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, which they were able to keep raised throughout the night. And thus Joshua vanquished Amalek.
God told Moses to keep a record of this battle, and tell Joshua that He would wipe every trace of Amalek off the earth. So Moses built an altar to mark God’s perpetual war against Amalek, in every generation.
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Jack KustanowitzJoined: July 15, 2007 Jack is an Internet professional living in Silver Spring, MD. He is a proud alum of the Frisch School in Paramus, NJ as well as Boston University, where he was active at BU Hillel. Divrei Torah (32) |
