5757

This week we read the portion of Beshalah. It begins in Sh’mot (Exodus) 13:17, and tells the story of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt. Almost immediately, Pharaoh regrets letting them go, and so he pursues them, leading his chariots and his army. The Israelites cry out to Moshe Rabeinu, "Hamibli eyn kevarim bemitz’ra’yim lekahtanu lamut bamidbar – Weren't there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?" [Ex. 14:11] Yam Soof, the Sea of Reeds (and NOT as it is usually mistranslated as the Red Sea) splits, the Israelites cross over in the dry, the Egyptians pursue them - and the sea returns and drowns them one and all. Moshe and the men, and Miriam and the women, sing praises of thanks to the Almighty. This is the famous "song of the Sea" which gives this Shabbat a special name -- ‘Shabbat Shira’ – the Sabbath of song.

"Then sang Moshe and the people of Israel this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army has He thrown into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom as a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of Your excellency You have overthrown those that rose up against You; You sent forth Your anger, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the plunder; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them..." [Ex. 15:1-12]

This past week we observed another exodus. At ten minutes after six in the morning, on Sunday, January 19, the last Israeli officer left the Hebron Military Compound and handed the keys to his Arab counterpart. This act completed the turn-over of 80% of Hebron to the Palestinian Authority. Arab soldiers (I know they are called "police" -- but they are not! They are soldiers!) were deployed throughout the areas evacuated by the Israeli army. The agreement called for 400 men armed with pistols -- but there were many more than that, and they had sub-machine-guns - not really a weapon for policemen to use to keep peace and order in civilized society. Thousands of Arabs, many of whom spent the night outside the compound, began chanting, "With blood, with fire, we will liberate Palestine."

Hundreds of Arabs milled around outside the entrance to the Jewish neighborhood of Avraham Avinu and on the street leading to M'arat Hamakhpela, the Cave of the Patriarchs. Scores of Israeli border police and soldiers tried to maintain order. At about 1:00 P.M. Arabs began throwing bottles, rocks and fruit at the Israelis in the street. Only after several instances of rock-throwing did the Israeli army disperse the crowd. A little while later a curfew was declared and the Arab shops were closed, but Arabs continued to loiter in the streets.

The Israeli army refused to allow automobiles to use the main road passing by M'arat Hamakhpela, so vehicles had to use the Abu Snenah Road, parallel to the main road. This road is not well protected by Israeli soldiers. One Jewish woman, driving down the road with her small daughter, was attacked by a massive group of Arabs. When she tried to escape, the police stopped her and attempted to arrest her for allegedly trying to run over Arabs in the street.

Israel Radio reported on the morning of January 19 that the Palestinian Authority security chief Jibril Rajoub has warned the Jews of Hebron that he will not be responsible for their security. The Palestinian security services will not protect Jews in the city, he said, and the only way for Hebron's Jews to be safe is if they leave the city. Israeli officials have strongly protested Rajoub's comments, which contradict the provisions of the Hebron accord that allow Jews to continue to live in the City of the Patriarchs in safety. All this is an implementation of a "peace accord?"

The reading from the prophets this Shabbat is also a "song" -- to match and mirror the "Song of the Sea." It comes from the Book of Judges, and reads, "Then sang Devorah and Barak the son of Avinoam on that day, saying, Praise you the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when You went out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Yael, the main roads ceased, and travelers walked through crooked back roads. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until I Devorah arose, a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart goes out toward the rulers of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you the Lord. Speak, you who ride on tawny asses, you who sit on couches, and you who walk on the road. Louder than the voice of the archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they recite the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Israel; when the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Devorah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Avinoam." [Judges 5:1-12]

You know what is amazing about the above passage? How little things have changed in over three thousand years! The situation is the same: the roads are unsafe to travel, the border towns are subject to attack. Even the names are the same: These days Shamgar is a supreme court judge, Yael is a member of Knesset, and Barak is a contender for the top spot, the prime-minister’s office! They wish to make peace these days, even as they wished to make peace that long ago. Compromise a little, trade land for 'tranquility,' give up another tribe’s land, don’t make waves, let all stay calm. I’m not hurting, so why bother? Till the wound of the periphery becomes a gash, and the bleeding threatens the body Israel. Suddenly we recall, "Louder than the voice of the archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they recite the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel; when the people of the Lord go down to the gates." When the suffering becomes too acute we become united by our affliction. By some magic, or by the Grace of God, suddenly we are all one people, responsible for one another, loving and caring for our brothers and willing to lay our lives on the line for them. Thus united, we rise, even as Devorah did of old, and we are victorious. The song of Devorah concludes, "So let all your enemies perish, O Lord; but let those who love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years." [Judges 5:31] May the day soon come when the nation of Israel finds its way to redemption and rededication to God and the eternity of Israel -- and may there be ‘rest for the land’ -- not for forty but for four hundred years. Amen

5758

This week we read in the Torah the portion of Beshalah. It begins in Sh’mot (Exodus) 13:17, and tells the story of the Children of Israel leaving Egypt. In a reference to this event, Psalms 114 tells us: "When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign language; Judah was his sanctuary, and Israel his dominion. The sea saw it, and fled; the Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the hills like lambs." [Psalms 114:1-4] This Psalm is one of the most joyous songs of praise that we use in our holidays liturgy, and why not? It is a boisterous and beautiful expression on faith in God who does miracles of delivery for His people.

However, we don’t need to go to the sweet singer of Israel, King David, and his book of Psalms to hear the lyrics of praise. Indeed, the very passage we read in the Torah this week contains one of the most amazing songs of thanksgiving and praise, "Shirat hayam" -- the Song of the Sea: "Then sang Moshe and the people of Israel this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army has He thrown into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom as a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of Your excellency You have overthrown those that rose up against You; You sent forth Your anger, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the plunder; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid; sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of Your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till Your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, whom You have purchased. You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which You have made for You to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever." [Ex. 15:1-18] This text is so strong and assertive that by itself, as it is read, it transmits the great mood and feeling of release and salvation that the Israelites must have felt as they rested on the eastern shore of the sea at the end of their flight to freedom. However, if we examine the text a little closer, and in the original Hebrew, we see more and more in it!

Consider alliterations. From the very start they abound: "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. - Ashira ladona’y ki Ga’o Ga’a, sus v'Rokhvo Rama vayam." It gets better with multiple ‘aleph’ when we read, "he is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. - Ze Eli ve Anvehu Elohey Avi va Aromamenu." Or this triple ‘nun’ in, "the floods stood upright as a heap - Nitzvu kmo Ned Nozlim" There is a fivefold ‘aleph’ in "The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the plunder - Amar O’yev Erdof Asig Akhalek shallal." The most impressive sound comes towards the end, in verse 16, where the ‘a’yin’ - a gutteral sound of the vowel, is repeated six times, " till your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, whom you have purchased. - Ad ya'Avor Amekha Adona’y Ad y'Avor Am ze kanita..." Wow, what a sound!

We also have one most memorable lines in this Song of the Sea: "Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Mi khamokha ba’elim Adona’y mi kamokha ne’edar bakodesh, nora tehilot, ose fele." This great verse was used by Judah Maccabee as his banner of battle, and from its initials (or the first four, anyhow), the name Maccabee was derived.

The Song of the Sea is augmented and fortified, confirmed and expanded, in our tradition of reading a passage from the prophets, as we read the Song of Devorah: "Then sang Devorah and Barak the son of Avinoam on that day, saying, ‘Praise You the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel. Lord, when You went out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. The mountains melted from before the Lord, that Sinai before the Lord God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Yael, the main roads ceased, and travelers walked through crooked back roads. The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until I Devorah arose, a mother in Israel. They chose new gods; then was war in the gates; was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel? My heart goes out toward the rulers of Israel, who offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless you the Lord. Speak, you who ride on tawny asses, you who sit on couches, and you who walk on the road. Louder than the voice of the archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they recite the righteous acts of the Lord, the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Israel; when the people of the Lord go down to the gates. Awake, awake, Devorah; awake, awake, utter a song; arise, Barak, and lead away your captives, you son of Avinoam. Then He made him who remains have dominion over the nobles among the people; the Lord made me have dominion over the mighty. Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after you, Benjamin with your tribes; from Machir came down leaders, of Zebulun those who handle the marshal’s staff. And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; Issachar, and also Barak; into the valley they rushed forth, at his feet. In the divisions of Reuven, great were the resolves. Why then did you sit among the sheepfolds? To hear the bleating of the flocks? For the divisions of Reuven there were great searchings of heart. Gilead dwells beyond the Jordan; and why did Dan remain by the ships? Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode by his bays. Zebulun was a people who risked their lives to the death, and Naphtali likewise, on the high places of the field. The kings came and fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Ta'anach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver; They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera. The brook of Kishon swept them away, that ancient brook, the brook Kishon. O my soul, march on in strength. Then did the horse hoofs beat, from the frantic galloping of his mighty ones. Curse Meroz, said the angel of the Lord, curse bitterly its inhabitants; because they came not to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty men. Blessed above women shall Yael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. He asked for water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth cream in a lordly dish. She put her hand to the tent peg, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she struck Sisera, she struck through his head; she crushed and pierced his temple. At her feet he bent, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bent, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down, bereft of life. The mother of Sisera looked out the window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why do the hoofbeats of his chariot tarry?   Her wise ladies answered her, she even answered herself, Have they not found booty? Have they not divided the plunder? To every man a maiden or two; to Sisera a booty of diverse colors, a plunder of many colored needlework, dyed double worked garments for the necks of those who take the plunder. So let all your enemies perish, O Lord; but let those who love Him be as the sun when it goes forth in its might." [Judges 5]

Using words from this song, a modern Israeli balladeer created a song of victory and thanksgiving, "Betzetkha miseir, betza’adkha misde edom - Lord, when You went out of Seir, when You marched out of the field of Edom, Eretz ra’asha gam shama’yim natafu, gam avim natfu mayim. - the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water. Tidreki nafshi oz. - O my soul, march on in strength. Ken yovdu kol oyvekha, adona’y - So let all Your enemies perish, O Lord; ve’ohavav ketzet hashemesh bit’hilato! - but let those who love Him be as the sun when it goes forth in its might."

I firmly believe in the power of words, I truly believe that music is enriching to the soul -- and I am led by experience to conclude that our God is a most graceful and protective sovereign.

Amen

5759

This week is one of my favorite Shabbatot – for on this Shabbat we read the "Song of the Sea" – that wonderful outpouring of joy and pride the Israelites felt towards God as they stood on the East side of the Sea of Reeds, their enemies were either still on the other side or drowned in the sea – their punishment for following the Israelites, whom Pharaoh had released only a short time earlier after the death of the first born in all Egypt. The Israelites had been frightened to see the chariots and men of Pharaoh coming after them, and they began to cry to Moshe, fearing that they left Egypt only to be annihilated at the sea. When they were delivered to the other side of the sea and they realized that the enemy had been put down one last time in a most complete and devastating way, their exuberance was without limit and their faith, for the moment without even a shadow of doubt.

"Then sang Moshe and the people of Israel this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his army has He thrown into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom as a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy. And in the greatness of Your excellency You have overthrown those that rose up against You; You sent forth Your anger, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of Your nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the plunder; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; You have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation. The people shall hear, and be afraid; sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of Your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till Your people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, whom You have purchased. You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which You have made for You to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established. The Lord shall reign forever and ever. For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the Lord brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the people of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing. And Miriam answered them, "Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea."" [Ex. 15:1-21]

One of the most wondrous and wonderful (in my opinion, at least) things about the Jewish people is the fact that we have always prided ourselves on our poets and scribes, our builders and teachers – and not on our conquerors and warriors, generals and war heroes. Well, at least historically this is true – for these days we seem to have as many generals and colonels in politics and top management as, let’s say, any south American Banana republic... So, we have gone astray these days, I reasoned to myself. But what of the days of Moshe and the exodus? Did we have a military hero worship way back then? I looked to the text of the Song of the Sea and I read, "The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name." I asked myself, what is this? Is our God the biggest General of them all? Can I worship a God such as this? And how does it sit with the concept of a God of compassion and love, a God of mercy and grace? And, looking even more closely at the text I asked myself, "The Lord is a man of war" – talk about imagery, talk about idol making... A man of war is nothing more than a man who this day has been successful in killing, maiming and devastating ‘the others...’ Is this the God of the "Thirteen Attributes" that we pray to on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur? Or, what about the midrash that tells us that when Miriam and her maidens came out singing with their dancing and tambourines, the angels in heaven joined in the festivities, until God himself came and chastised the angels, saying, "my creation lies dead in the sea, how dare you rejoice?"

Well, I searched and researched, and I found a most interesting commentary on the text. The Hebrew text reads as follows, "Adona’y (YHVH) ish milkhama adona’y (YHVH) shemo - The Lord man of war the Lord his name." There is no verb ‘being’ in the present tense in the Hebrew. Now, much earlier in the unfolding story of the exodus, when Moshe first came to Pharaoh and asked to have the Israelites release, the Pharaoh said to Moshe, "And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, nor will I let Israel go." [Ex. 3:2] Pharaoh asked about this God of Moshe, a new concept to the regent of Egypt, and he said, "who is this Lord (YHVH)" and then he rejects Moshe’s demand saying, "I know not ‘the Lord’ (YHVH)." Pharaoh is the commander in chief of the armies of Egypt, surely a most grand marshal of chariots and men – a "man of War!"

Thus, the commentary suggests to us that in our passage this Shabbat Moshe finally answers Pharaoh "Pharaoh’s chariots and his army has he thrown into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom as a stone. Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power; your right hand, O Lord, has dashed in pieces the enemy." Is there any question, Pharaoh, man of war, just who this Lord (YHVH) which you do not know is? Why, he is the one who "blew with Your wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters." And still, He is the God of mercy and love, the God of pity and kindness, the one who gives life and promises salvation. He is the one who gives courage to the weak and hope to the downtrodden. He is The Lord, who shall reign forever and ever.

Amen!

5760

This Shabbat we read in the Torah the fourth portion in the book of Shemot (Exodus), from 13:17 to 17:16, a portion called Beshalah. The portion is called that because it begins with the words, "Va’yehi beshalah Adona’y et ha’am - when the Lord sent the people out [of Egypt]..." [Ex. 13:17] However, the name ‘Beshalah’ is often forgotten in favor of another name. This Shabbat we read the "Song of the Sea" (Exodus 15:1-21) – that wonderful poetry outpouring of joy and pride that the Israelites felt towards God as they stood on the East side of the Sea of Reeds, while their enemies were either still on the other side or drowned in the sea – their punishment for following the Israelites, whom Pharaoh had released only a short time earlier after the death of the first born in all Egypt. So we call this Shabbat ‘the Sabbath of Song’ – Shabbat Shira. It is one of my favorite Shabbatot: the words of the Song of the Sea are amazing, strong and succinct and have a cadence and a beat to them. To make this experience even better, the Torah song is complemented by the Song of Devorah - another great thanksgiving Hebrew poem, authored and spoken by the Judge Devorah, a great early leader of our people. Because of the length of the Haftarah, fifty one verses, I don’t recall ever having a bar or bat mitzvah on this shabbat, and I must tell you that I absolutely love to chant this long haftarah myself.

The Children of Israel lived from crisis to crisis in the days of the exodus from Egypt. They accepted Moshe when he came out of the desert, and the elders went with him to Pharaoh to demand the freedom to worship. When Pharaoh refused them and (instead) increased their burden, they broke with Moshe and refused to hear him any further. Essentially, Moshe and Aharon performed God’s mission of the ten plagues without the backing of the Israelites. Only when the plagues became more severe, and the Egyptians began to fear Moshe, did the Israelites begin to accept the idea that maybe God will, indeed, take them out of the house of bondage. The sages tell us that when Moshe instructed the Children of Israel to slaughter a lamb and mark the door posts - some of them did not, because they did not believe that Moshe would ‘deliver’ on his promise. Those that committed to leave Egypt departed with pride, by God’s "strong hand." Yet, soon they became frightened to see the chariots and men of Pharaoh coming after them, and they began to cry to Moshe, fearing that they left Egypt only to be annihilated at the sea. When they were delivered to the other side of the sea and they realized that the enemy had been put down one last time in a most complete and devastating way, their exuberance was without limit and their faith, for the moment, without even a shadow of doubt.

Throughout the generations they did not change - showing faith in times of triumph and despair in times of danger. In the days of Devorah, the Galilee was invaded from the north by the rulers of the northern territories – much as it is these days. Devorah called Barak, who agreed to lead as a back-seat driver, as long as Devorah sat behind the wheel. The people who were not directly affected by the enemy’s encroachment did not want to go to war. The roads were unsafe and the border-towns were emptied of faint-hearted inhabitants. Finally the enemy became united against Israel and came to do battle, and Israel fought back, aided by the Lord and His Hosts. This week’s haftarah says, "They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought" [Judges 5:20] I can personally attest to the fact that the same happened in our own days when Israel fought the might of three or five or seven Arab armies. I never stop wondering about the might of the Lord, about His saving powers and about His great love for the People Israel. Where would we be without it? And what a great lesson our survival teaches the world at large. Indeed, only the words of Devorah (in the haftarah read this Shabbat) are a fitting conclusion for all to take to heart: "Ken yovdu kol oyvekha adona’y ve’ohavav ketzet hashemesh bit’hilato. So let all your enemies perish, O Lord; but let those who love him be as the sun when he goes forth in his might." [Judges 5:31] And we can conclude with another verse from Devorah’s song, "Tidrekhi nafshi oz, O my soul, march on in strength." [Judges 5:21]

Amen.

5762

The Torah reading this Shabbat is the portion called Beshalakh, the fourth portion in the book of Shemot (Exodus), from 13:17 to 17:16. The portion is given this name because it begins with the words, "Va'yehi beshalah Adona'y et ha'am - when the Lord sent the people out [of Egypt]..." [Ex. 13:17] The text goes on to tell us of the path taken by Moshe, at God's behest, when first they left bondage. However, the name ‘Beshalakh' is often forgotten in favor of another name. This Shabbat we read the "Song of the Sea" (Exodus 15:1-21) – that wonderful poetic outpouring of joy, wonder and pride that the Israelites felt towards God as they stood on the East side of the Sea of Reeds (misnamed the Red sea), while their enemies were either still on the other side or drowned in the deep – their punishment for following the Israelites, whom Pharaoh had released only a short time before, after the death of the first born of all Egypt. This "Song of the Sea" is one of my favorite passages in the Torah: the words are amazing, inspired, strong and succinct and have a cadence and a beat to them. Even the way the passage is set in print in the scroll is different and unique: the words are fixed in three columns, one on each side of the page, and one in the middle - to pictorially give us an impression of the Israelites going through the sea "in the dry" while the water stands upright on each side.
To make this experience of reading the "Song of the Sea" even better, the Torah reading on Shabbat morning is complemented by the Song of Devorah - another great Scriptural thanksgiving Hebrew poem, authored and spoken by the Judge Devorah, a great early leader of our people. Because of the length of the Haftarah, fifty one verses, I don't recall ever having a bar or bat mitzvah on this Shabbat, and I must tell you that I absolutely love to sing the haftarah myself.
This Shabbat we are celebrating "Sisterhood Shabbat" in our congregation, and we recognize and appreciate the important roll women play in Jewish life. Let's face it, we could not do without them. Even if we could, we would not want to do without them... Of course, we are all aware that we have a basic need for them, as mothers of Jewish children. However, in a much more serious vein, women have been instrumental in the shaping of Judaism as the kind of humanistic, compassionate and loving way of life that it is. The three patriarchs of our people were complemented (if not eclipsed) by the four matriarchs (and two "handmaidens") that were their mates. In this regard it is interesting to note a passage relating to the "Song of the Sea" which is rarely discussed.
After the end of the "song," in the text, we read, "And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines, dancing. And Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea." [Exodus 15:20,21] The song begins with the words, "Then sang Moshe and the people of Israel this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying, I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea." [Exodus 15:1] The traditional interpretation of the passage in verse 20 and 21 says that Miriam repeated the song Moshe had chanted, and God stopped her from going beyond the first verse, saying, "my children are drowning in the sea, and you should not rejoice over their misfortune." This interpretation of the passage teaches us compassion and pity even for our most bitter enemies.
However, there is another interpretation to the passage. This interpretation suggests that the last is first and the first comes later. It looks at the first verse and asks, "why does the verse say, ‘Then sang Moses and the people of Israel' if they are doing something original?" It concludes that maybe "then" suggests that something else came first. Looking at verse 20, it notes that the text says "Miriam answered them, Sing to the Lord" - and recognizes that "sing" (in Hebrew "Shiru") is the imperative form, a command to sing - and that possibly "Then sang" is a reaction to that command.
This is a nice interpretation, one would say - but to attribute the "Song of the Sea" to Miriam requires a major shift in our thinking. Can we do it based on one little "then" and one little imperative form?
Here the choice of Haftarah, the reading from the Nevi'im (Prophets) which complement the Torah reading comes in to help us make our mind. We "wed" one song to another. There are a number of songs in the Nevi'im that would be appropriate. In particular, one that comes to mind is the "Song of David," which begins with words, "And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul; And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; The God of my rock; in him will I trust; he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence." [II Samuel 22:1-3] This song, in the Hebrew text, is also set in the ‘three columns' style of the "Song of the Sea." However, the text that was prescribed was, "Then sang Devorah and Barak the son of Avinoam on that day, saying, Praise you the Lord for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves. Hear, O you kings; give ear, O you princes; I will sing to the Lord; I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel." [Judges 5:1-3] This "song of Devorah" is also set in a special way - but in two columns and not in three!
I believe that the choice of the "song of Devorah" over the "Song of David" was done for the specific purpose of reminding us of the fact that Devorah exhorted Barak to sing, just as Miriam exhorted Moshe and the children of Israel. Miriam is called "prophetess" in our text, a title that had only been used once before, in relation to our first patriarch, Avraham. Every indication points to her pivotal role in the shaping of the new covenant people of Israel who came out of Egyptian bondage to form a new civilization, one in which men and women share the responsibilities and the rewards of serving God and humanity.

Amen and Shabbat Shalom

5763

This Shabbat we read in the Torah a portion called Beshalah, in the book of Sh'mot (Exodus), beginning in chapter 13, verse 17. It tells the story of the Children of Israel actually leaving Egypt. You will recall that they were departing from their place of bondage after the death of the first born of all Egypt. You would think that a sigh of relief swept across the land, and a prayer of thanksgiving was heard, "Thank God we are rid of the curse of Israel and its God..."
The facts tell us a different story. Almost immediately, Pharaoh regrets letting them go, and so he assembles his army and prepares to pursues them, leading his chariots in person to retrieve "his slaves." The Israelites, meanwhile, are camped by the Sea of Reeds, Yam Soof, and NOT as it is usually mistranslated as the Red Sea, unwilling to swim to freedom – incapable of going around its huge expanse. Looking back behind them, they spy a tell-tale column of dust raised by the chariots. In near panic they cry out to Moshe Rabeinu, "Hamibli eyn kevarim bemitz'ra'yim lekakhtanu lamut bamidbar – Weren't there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?" [Ex. 14:11]
Moshe calls out to God who insists, "Why do you cry to me? Speak to the people of Israel, that they go forward; And lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it; and the people of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea." [ibid 14:15,16] With faith and daring, one Israelite, the leader of the tribe of Judah, Nahson ben Aminadav, steps into the raging waters. Yam Soof, the Sea of Reeds, splits, the Israelites cross over in the dry, the Egyptians pursue them – and the sea returns and drowns them one and all. Moshe and the men, and Miriam and the women, sing praises of thanks to the Almighty. "I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation; he is my God, and I will praise him; my father's God, and I will exalt him." [ibid. 15:1,2] This is the beginning of the famous "song of the Sea" which gives this Shabbat a special name, ‘Shabbat Shira' – the Sabbath of song.
The daring of one man, who recognizes the challenge of time and space, who understands what is hanging in the balance, becomes the salvation of the entire people. In every age there are men of insight, imagination and integrity who accept the charge to step forward and dare to be first. In antiquity these men included the shepherd who stepped to the challenge of the Philistine giant, to become known as the greatest king of Israel – David. After the fall of Jerusalem is was El'azar ben Ya'ir, who held out against the might of Rome for three years at the mountain-top fortress of Masada. During two thousand years of exile and suffering it was the men who dared to learn and master and keep alive our heritage – and pass it on, with commentary and innovations from one generation to another. They kept the spark glowing, waiting for the right condition to ignite anew Jewish pride and productivity.
Yesterday, not far from us here in our Florida home, one such person stepped into the unknown with courage and humility. Ilan Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force and the son of a Holocaust survivor, joined six American shuttle astronauts for a ride into space. Many people wonder why an Israeli citizen would choose to be an astronaut. In fact, this event marked a significant step in Israel's participation in space research, which has been going on for a long time. The flight of Ilan Ramon has implications for the country's technological progress and its security. The Israel Space Agency was established only in 1982, and Israel is one of only eight countries that have actually launched satellites into space.
Ramon is the first Israeli astronaut but he is not the first Jew in space. Judith Resnick, a Jewish American astronaut who died aboard the Challenger, made her first flight in 1984. Other American Jews have flown since, some making small commemorations of their heritage while in orbit. Mr Ramon is garnering far more attention as an Israeli and the son of a Holocaust survivor.
Although he is not religious, he asked to take the first Kosher food into space - NASA found an Illinois company that vacuum packs Kosher products for hikers and campers - and he will also observe the Jewish Sabbath with ritual prayer, if time permits.
A married father of four, Ramon, 48, is a former fighter pilot and weapons specialist who fought in the 1973 Yom Kippur War and in the 1982 Lebanon War. In 1981, he took part in the Israeli air raid that destroyed Iraq's nuclear reactor at Osirak.
Ramon took with him of his space flight a drawing lent by the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, titled "Lunar landscape." The drawing was made in the Teresienstadt Ghetto by Peter Ginz, a 14-year-old Czech Jew who was a fan of Jules Verne. Yad Vashem officials said the picture connects the dream of one Jewish boy who is a symbol of all the talent lost in the Holocaust, to the journey of one Jewish boy, who as an astronaut is a symbol of our survival, revival and vitality.
Last year, at a meeting in Boca Raton, I had the unexpected pleasure and privilege to hear and meet with Ilan Ramon. I was impressed with his sense of history and universal Jewish identity. He is a modern Israeli man, who grew up is a secular society that adores and even adulates its pilots – the first line in the defense of the homeland. Yet he is humble and considerate. He told us that since coming to the U.S. for his training, he has conducted himself with consideration for Jewish sensibilities, feeling that he is an ambassador for all Jews, in Israel and the diaspora. He is aware that his space experience will be the high point in his experience - that it will not be repeated. Yet he is ready for what is still ahead for him: a return to earth, and a role as teacher to future generations of Israelis, some of whom are yet to be born, who will benefit from what he will have mastered.
Ilan Ramon is a link in the chain that began with the partiarchs, runs through Moshe and Aharon, Nakhshon ben Aminadav and David ben Yisha'y, prophets and seers, rabbis and rebels, statesmen and students who kept faith with the promise of God Allmighty to bless the families of men with the seed of Father Abraham. We thank God for them.

Amen

5764

This Shabbat we read in the Torah the fourth portion in the book of Shemot (Exodus), from 13:17 to 17:16. This portion includes what we call the "Song of the Sea" (Exodus 15:1-21) – that wonderful poetic outpouring of joy and pride that the Israelites felt towards God as they stood on the East side of the Sea of Reeds, while their enemies were either still on the other side or drowned in the sea – their punishment for following the Israelites, whom Pharaoh had released only a short time earlier after the death of the first born in all Egypt. This reading gives us the "name" of the Shabbat: "Shabbat Shirah - the Shabbat of The Song." This "song" is so powerful, inspiring and beautiful that we have incorporated it into the daily morning service; it is such a trigger to exultation that we have made the time of reading it into a "season of song-festivals."
Yet, all but forgotten in the "merriment" is the fact that our portion is called "Beshalah." The portion is called that because it begins with the words, "Va'yehi beshalah par'oh et ha'am lo nakham elohim derekh eretz plishtim – And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest perhaps the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt; But God led the people around, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; Vakhamushim alu vney yisrael me'eretz mitzra'yim – and the people of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt." [Ex. 13:17]
I would like to concentrate, for a change, on issues raised by these first couple of verses in our portion. Let us begin with a review of the first verse: Israel is departing Egypt to inherit the land God had promised to Avraham, Yitzkhak and Ya'akov. However, He told Moshe that when the Israelites will leave Egypt, they will come and worship Him at Mount Sinai. The direct route to Canaan is by the north Sinai shore line – but to get to Mount Sinai you need to go to the middle of the peninsula, and you would depart Egypt by a route nearer to the Gulf of Suez. The opening verse tells us that God "led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines" – but why would He, if they had a rendez-vous at the Mountain? O.k. – we'll get back to this issue.
Let's now look at the second verse, which informs us that the Israelites had weapons of war when they left Egypt. Is that so? Did the freed slaves suddenly own the tools of war? Well, if they were going to inherit an inhabited land, they would need weapons to defeat and scatter the old occupants of the land they wish to inherit. So, it does make sense that they had weapons. There is just one problem: where do slaves come by weapons? Further, if they had weapons, how would they wield them? If they had them, and they knew how to put them to good use - why would God not let them go through the land of the Philistines? Surely six hundred thousand males of army age, armed and supported by the Lord of Hosts should have no problem dispatching a bunch of local bullies.
Back to the first verse. God did not lead them by the coast road because He knew that they could not defeat the Philistines. This we know. It says so in the text. God knew, at the time He commissioned Moshe, at the burning bush that was not consumed – He knew with a certainty that the Israelites were not soldiers, that they did not have the strength of character nor the physical prowess to revolt against Pharaoh, or defeat any enemy. The entire redemption was going to have to be God's doing. The Jews were not Spartans! That is why, from the strart, He told Moshe, ‘you'll be coming back this way, taking the long route to Canaan, giving the people enough time to become accustomed to being free. They will have to train for a generation or two to become fighters.
So now we understand the character of the Israelites who left the slave battalions of Pharaoh, we can look again at the second verse, and ask, why and how were the Israelites armed? If they had swords, they would have picked fights with one another, or cut themselves to pieces. We know they were not ready for war, and had no knowledge, as slaves, on how to use weapons. So why does the text tell us that they were armed?
Well, let's look at the text and its circumstances again. The Israelites lived in Egypt, the great civilization of antiquity. They were noted by the pharaoh and his ministers, who saw a threat in them. How many were there? According to the numbers of those who left, six hundred thousand able bodies men, their wives and children and elderly – would make up no less than two million. Not a very sizable number for all of the land of the Nile. Unless you recognize that not all the Israelites that lived in Egypt left to worship God at Sinai. How many stayed behind? Could it have been four out of five?
Our text says, "But God led the people around, through the way of the wilderness of the Reed Sea; and the people of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt." Only in Hebrew the text reads "Vahamushim alu vney yisrael me'eretz mitzra'yim " and there is no question that "alu vney yisrael me'eretz mitzra'yim " means "came .out of the land of Egypt" – but what is this "Vahamushim?" There is one interpretation that suggest that the root of the word is not "armed" but the same as the word "humash" which is the five books [of the Torah]. So, what if the text says, "and of five" and not "armed?"
Now the text would say, something along the line of "Only a fifth of Bnai-Yisrael came out of the land of Egypt." The Israelites had become spoiled in Egypt, used to senseless work without thought or purpose. The king says build, and they build – spending twenty or more years to create a huge grave-site for a single man to occupy for all eternity. Is this the seed of Abraham in which all mankind will be blessed. Or did God separate the wheat from the chaff? Four fifths remained in Egypt, to live on as Egyptians, but to be cut off from the House of Israel.
That was the case at the time of the exodus, and it continued throughout our history. God kept removing the dross, refining His people, His showcase, His sample-tool. Time and again we were attacked, and many did not survive – and still more did not survive as Jews. I find the loss of those who died a terrible price to pay for being His messengers upon this earth. However, I am forever unconsolable, and I cannot understand the rational of those who, when given the chance to survive as a Jew or become something else – choose to let go of the heritage of Abraham, of Sinai, of Jerusalem, and of two thousand years of brilliant suffering and survival, interdiction and insurrection.
Those who stayed behind missed the chance to be among those who stood at the eastern shore of the sea, observing the horses and the riders be swallowed by the sea. They missed the spectacle of Miriam and her friends coming out with timbrel and drum, dancing and singing: "Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea." [Ibid 15:21]

5765

This Shabbat we read in the Torah a portion called Beshalah. We begin reading in the book of Sh’mot (Exodus), chapter 13, verse 17, which tells the story of the Children of Israel actually leaving Egypt. They were escaping from their place of bondage as a direct result of the death of the first born of all Egypt. You would think that a sigh of relief swept across the land, and a prayer of thanksgiving was heard, “Thank God we are rid of the curse of Israel and its God...”
The text tell us a different story. Almost immediately, Pharaoh regrets letting them go, and so he assembles his army and prepares to pursues them, leading his chariots in person to retrieve “his slaves.” The Israelites, meanwhile, are camped by the Sea of Reeds, Yam Soof, unwilling to swim to freedom – incapable of going around its huge expanse. Looking back behind them, they spy a column of dust raised by the chariots of Egypt. In near panic they cry out to Moshe Rabeinu, "Hamibli eyn kevarim bemitz’ra’yim lekakhtanu lamut bamidbar – Weren't there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?" [Ex. 14:11] How soon they forgot the great strike of God upon Egypt! Not one Israelite first born died on that fateful night – but the Israelite have a bone to pick with Moshe and his God...
Moshe calls out to God who insists, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the people of Israel, that they go forward; And lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it; and the people of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” [Ibid. 14:15,16] Yam Soof, the Sea of Reeds, splits, the Israelites cross over in the dry, the Egyptians pursue them – and the sea returns and drowns them one and all. Moshe and the men, and Miriam and the women, sing praises of thanks to the Almighty. “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider has he thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song, and he has become my salvation; he is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” [Ibid. 15:1,2] This is the beginning of the famous “song of the Sea” which gives this Shabbat a special name, ‘Shabbat Shira’ – the Sabbath of song.
The “song of the Sea” ends on verse 21 of the fifteenth chapter, and you’d think that the Israelites would have been so thoroughly convinced by now of the benevolent nature of God and His neverending protection of His people that they would learn to “live by faith.” But the text continues immediately with a travel note, followed by, “And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter; therefore its name was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moshe, saying, What shall we drink? And he cried to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a tree, which when he threw into the waters, and made the waters sweet;” [Ibid. 15:23-25] Once again, the Israelites cast doubt upon Moshe, and by so doing show lack of faith in the Almighty. Even after the waters are made potable, the people remain true to form, and we read again, “And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moshe and Aaron in the wilderness; And the people of Israel said to them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for you have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” [Ibid. 16:2,3]
I am spending this special Shabbat in my hometown of Jerusalem. The city has always been a house divided against itself, and I’m not talking about the Arab-Israeli issue, which, of course, is also there, and causes a split in the city. I am talking about the Jewish community, and how it is divided between “religious” and “secular,” and within the religious between the “traditional,” “modern orthodox,” “traditional Sepharadic,” and “ultra orthodox.” Each group believes that it alone has the “true faith.” There is so much confusion and dissension - its almost like it was in the desert...
I asked myself, “how could it be that the Israelites could not maintain their faith after seeing the great miracles that they had witnessed?” And I concluded that it is the nature of man. God, Himself, reached the conclusion, at the time of the Flood, “Ki yetzer lev ha’adam ra mine’urav – that the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” [Gen. 8:21] And He made allowences for that nature, vowing not to judge man too harshly. The Israelite that came out of Egypt were mere flesh and blood, with human failings, with a short memory and an even shrter fuse. They were apt to explode in anger because they feared the unknown. What they saw, after all, was history. What they faced was not history – it was the unknown, it was dangerous, it was perilous, and it was in their hands to go in one direction or another. Freedom is a precarious thing, and it brings with it tension and doubt. No wonder the Israelites looked back fondly on the “fleshpots of Egypt.”
Yet, if we may be so brazen, we must note that every time Israel was faced with the burden of freedom, when they had a hard issue to resolve, when doubt in their choice crept into their hearts, and God seemed distant, the Israelites forgave God for His remoteness, and with a little doubt, with some complaining, continued to believe in Him, and carried on His word to all the future generation. I remembered the old saying,

“how strange of God to choose the Jews.

"Not strange, t’would seem, for they chose him.”

With songs of Praise to the Almighty, on this Shabbat Shira, from Jerusalem, eternal capital of the people and land of Israel - blessings of Shabbat shalom um’vorakh – a blessed Shabbat!

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