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Beit Midrash
- Torah Portion and Tanach
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liberated, with hand raised high, leaving Egypt & all its troubles behind. And then, just as we thought we were in the clear, comes the fearsome sound of Paro’s cavalry & chariots en route to wipe us out. Was this G-d’s plan all along? Why tease us with seeming freedom, only to whisk it all away & drown our hopes & dreams. How could He do this to us?
The answer is in the first 5 words of our Sedra: "Va’y’hi B’Shalach Paro Et Ha’am – And it was when Paro sent out the Jewish nation….." Huh? Are you kidding?! Paro sent Bnei Yisrael on their way? Paro is the one who gets the credit?! When the Almighty hears the Jews say these words, He reacts fiercely: "Looks like My People need another, compelling demonstration that it is not Paro, but the hand of Hashem that protects & saves Am Yisrael."
And that lesson, of course, is the Splitting of the Sea, after which the nation does indeed finally get the message: "Vaya’aminu B’Hashem u’v’Moshe Avdo."’
I suggest that Hashem was not reacting with anger – although the Torah does record in numerous other places that G-d certainly can & does have a temper (where do you think we get ours from?!). No, I think Hashem is trying to cement into our psyches, for all time, the truism that our help, our strength, our salvation comes from one source & one source alone: Shamayim.
Yes, there are clearly times when it appears that the Jewish People are being aided or even rescued by actors of flesh & blood. These people & nations must surely be profusely thanked; we must show our sincere Hakarat HaTov for all they do for us. But at the same time, we must not forget that Harbay Shluchim L’Makom, Hashem appoints many messengers to carry out His will, in the guise of natural events & mortal human beings. They, indeed, are the actors; but Hashem bi’Kvodo u’v’Atzmo is the producer & director.
Perhaps that is why this most famous & stunning of miracles – K’riat Yam Suf – is specifically chosen to deliver this powerful message. The sea is unique, in that its essence is hidden. When you look out at the ocean, you have no idea how deep it is; its depth is concealed beneath the waves. Only when you "dive in" do you have an idea just how mighty & magnificent the sea really is.
This lesson must never be lost on us, particularly in Israel. Yes, we have great, smart people & brave IDF soldiers who guide & protect us. But the REAL power lies beneath the surface; we must never, ever fail to SEA that!
Rabbi Stewart Weiss
Was ordained at the Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Illinois, and led congregations in Chicago and Dallas prior to making Aliyah in 1992. He directs the Jewish Outreach Center in Ra'anana, helping to facilitate the spiritual absorption of new olim.
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Hosha'ana Rabba FLYDUBAI & HOSHANA RABBA- ANI VAHU HOSHIA NA- I & HIM SAVE US
"Ani vaHu Hoshia Na", "I and Him, Save Us". We don't just pray to Him, but we also pray to and for ourselves that we should emulate and educate our children to have that instinctive altruism with which He created the world. President Trump seemed amused about Yaniv Hayon, our PLUMBER who confidently worked with G-d like Superman (he learned from a pilot on a TV show!) to save 174 lives on the Dubai hijacking, but we in Israel are totally accustomed already 78 years to our plumbers, teachers, garbage-men, rabbis, farmers & doctors being Hashem's shlichim! This is what Zionism is about.
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part I
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Our King on Rosh Hashana, Our Father on Yom Kippur.
Based on Aroch Siach, p. 221 (Rav Shaul Yisraeli)
