The peculiarities characterizing the relationship of a
graceful, sustaining and forgiving Elohim with a people, who are marked by
vacillation and unbelief, are very evident in Parashat B’shalach. This makes the
current Parasha a most suitable introduction to this relationship, foreshadowing
that which will continue to transpire for many generations to come. The opening
words, referring to Par’oh's release of the Israelites, without attributing it
to YHVH, have been called into question. However, since in the process of
negotiating with Par’oh the term "let
go" ("sh.l.ch",
literally to “send or send off") is used time and
again (seven, to be exact) and to no avail, the opening words of this Parasha point
out that (ultimately) the ruling king is compelled, "willy nilly," to
do just that.1. Right after this "sending," we read that "Elohim
did not lead them by the way of the
land of the Philistines" (13:17 emphasis added). "Lead" here
is "nacham," of the root n.ch.h (noon, chet, hey). The same
verb is used again, in verse 21, where it says that, "YHVH was going
before them, in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them ["lan'chotam"] on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night." In Moses’
Song (15:13) he specifies further, saying (literally), "by Your grace you led the people…" (using the same
verb). This root is also used in “satisfaction” or “peace” (e.g.
Pro. 29:9), while the root n.o.ch, which is a related root, means “rest.”
Thus YHVH’s guidance and leading of His people during the entire wilderness
journey, including the events described here, promises to be marked by these
qualities. Interestingly, a potential encounter with the Philistines caused
YHVH to take Yisrael in a round about way, even though they “came up from the
land of Egypt prepared for action [or] in martial array – chamushim”
(14:18b italics added). The root ch.m.sh (chet, mem, shin) also serves the
figure “five” – “chamesh” - which is thought to be the minimal number required for
taking action.
The next phase wherein the Children of Yisrael find themselves
'between a rock and a hard place' (14:2, 3) forms an inseparable part of YHVH's
plan for them. YHVH intends to be "honored – ve’eka’veda’ - through
Pharaoh" (ref. 14:4). "Honor"
(and "glory" too) here, and in most other places, is "kavod," meaning "weightiness"
or "heaviness." In verses 17 and 18, YHVH
repeats the principle, "…then the Egyptians will know that I am YHVH, when
I am honored - ve’eka’veda - through
Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen" (emphasis added). A little
later YHVH "caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive
with difficulty…" literally
"with heaviness" - "bich'vedoot"
(v. 25, emphasis added). This is indeed an intriguing usage of the figurative
and literal manifestation of the "glory" and "honor" of the
Elohim of Yisrael, who is to be honored even through the heaviness of His
enemies’ chariots! But the divine irony does not end there… In the past two
Parashot we encountered quite a few times the term “Pharaoh hardened his heart.”
Occasionally the verb used was “hach’bed” – made heavy
(i.e. harden), such as in Sh’mot (Exodus) 8:28. Thus, it was the very
“heaviness” of Par’oh’s heart (and also, proverbially, of his chariots) which
brought about “high esteem” – kavod – to the Elohim who used the enemy’s ploys
for the sake of His name.
Much of the description of the scene of the mighty deliverance
(chapter 14) is echoed in chapter 15, by what is typically known as the
"Song of Moses," or in Hebrew “Shirat Ha’Yam” – the Song of the Sea,
rendering this Shabbat’s title, the Shabbat of the Song - Shabbat Shira. The
"six hundred select
chariots" and the "officers
in command" of 14:7 become in 15:4 "the choicest of his officers"
(when describing their drowning). "Select" and "choicest"
are denoted by the same word, the root being b.ch.r (bet, chet, resh), and the "officers" (in both
references) are "shalishim," which is of the root "three" – shalosh - making
them (possibly) "third in command." In 14:8 we are told that
"the sons of Israel
When the Israelites saw the Egyptians drawing close, they became
very fearful ("vayir'u",
root y.r.a – yod, resh, alef),
and cried out to YHVH (ref.
14:10). Moshe exhorts them: "Do not
fear ("tir'oo", again y.r.a), stand and watch
(literally: "see," "look at," “observe”)
the salvation of YHVH" (v. 13). Moreover, while it is only the
"midbar" (desert, v. 3) and the Egyptians that their eyes were looking at and seeing (v. 10),
Moshe assured them that they would “never see
the Egyptians again" (v. 13, emphasis added). "YHVH will fight for
you while you keep silent"
(v. 14 italics added) is stated in contradistinction to their "crying out" (v. 10, italics added). And thus YHVH responds to
Moshe: "Why are you crying out to Me?" (v. 15,
italics and emphasis added). Finally, after crossing the sea and walking on dry
land, the "seeing" and the "fear" are transformed -
"Israel saw the great power
which YHVH had used against the Egyptians, and the people feared YHVH, and they believed in YHVH and in His servant
Moses" (14:31, emphases added).
When Moshe addressed the people in 14:13, he referred to
"the salvation – ‘yeshu-ah’ - of
YHVH," whereas in his song YHVH Himself is the (epitome of) salvation, as well as the very strength and
the song itself, while the “song” is called zimrah (15:2). The
latter reference to the song is reminiscent of the word used by Ya'acov in B’resheet
(Genesis) 43:11, where the "produce of the land" was described. Although
"zemer" is “song” and the verb "le'za'mer" is to sing,
another form of this verb is "lizmor," denoting "cutting" or "pruning" (ref. Lev. 25:3). This
led some of the commentators to explain that "zimrah" is used here not as a song, but rather as a "cutting off" (of the enemy).2
The Song does not only employ words which echo and amplify the
narrative that precedes it, some terms are also repeated, or contrasted within
the poem itself, with the purpose of underscoring them, as for example in
"this is my Elohim and I will glorify Him…" (15:2), "I will
glorify" is "an'vehu" of the root n.v.h. (noon, vav, hey), which means
"beautiful" or "adorn." Hence if read literally, it would be: "I will
beautify [or adorn] YHVH," presumably with praises. But since "naveh" also means "an abode and home" (e.g.
Ps. 68:12) or "pasture"
(e.g. Amos 1:2), this verse could also mean "I will become an abode for Him" (emphasis added).
In verse 13 we read "…You guided them [the People] to Your holy abode" - "n'veh kodshecha." This is seen as
either a reference to Mount Sinai, the land
of Yisrael , the future Temple in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem
The enemies of Yisrael, Egypt, as well as Philistia, the
"chiefs of Edom," "heads of Mo'ab," and the “inhabitants of
Canaan” are likened to "lead" and "stone" sinking into the
depths, and also to a "still stone" (15: 5, 10, 16). In verse 10,
“they [sink] like lead in the mighty waters.” “Mighty” is “adirim,”
plural for “adir” of the root a.d.r
(alef, dalet, resh) which also stands for "majestic." It
is repeated two more times here, both of them in connection with YHVH:
"Your right hand YHVH is majestic
in power" (v. 6), and "who is like You, majestic in holiness" (v.11). It is the majesty and might of
YHVH which lends these very properties to the “waters” (of the sea) when used
by Him for His purposes.
In 15:1 Moshe and Yisrael sing, "I will sing to YHVH
because He is exalted… ga'o - ga'a." Verse 7 also mentions "Your exaltedness” - ge'on'cha,” again of the root g.a.h (gimel, alef, hey). Verse 7 continues: "You send forth Your
wrath and it consumes them [the
enemy] like stubble" (emphasis added). YHVH's wrath is compared to a
consuming fire, while the next verse says: "With the blast of your nostrils
the waters were heaped up… the depths froze
up" (emphasis added). According to the Daat Mikrah commentary, this text
may be interpreted as two opposite actions performed by the wind at YHVH’s
command: burning on one hand, and freezing on the other.4
In the course of the brief time covered by our Parasha, the
Children of Yisrael find four occasions to complain. We are told that at Mara
(“mahr” is “bitter”), after the act of causing the water to become sweet
by casting a tree or a stick, which YHVH pointed out to Moshe, "He made a
statute and an ordinance and there He tried
them" (15: 25b). But whereas the Israelites are tried at Mara, in Refidim they "try YHVH" and are also quarreling
with Him, when "there was no water" (17:7). Hence the place is named Masa (of "nisayon" - "to try"), and Meriva (from "riv"
which is "quarrel"). In between these two episodes, they
demand food and thus obtain the quail meat for the evening meal and
"manna" for the morning (ref. chapter 16). Since the shape and
texture of the manna was unfamiliar to them, "they asked each other: 'mah'n hu?'" or "what is it?"
(16:15). Mah'n is the Aramaic form
of the Hebrew "mah," meaning "what."
Although at the beginning of
the Parasha YHVH averts the Israelites from the path of war, by the end of the
narrative they find themselves in a battle with Amalek, a descendant of Esav
(Gen. 36:12). Again, YHVH's miraculous intervention on their behalf is evident,
coupled with faith (ref. Hebrews
4:2), symbolized by Moshe's "steadily"
held arms. The Hebrew word for steady
here is "emuna," literally "faith" (17:12), thus causing
Yehoshua (Joshua) to "weaken Amalek" (v. 13). Moshe’s arms are
denoted by the word “yad” (also “hand”). In the final verse of our
Parasha Moshe makes a proclamation about another “yad,” a “yad” which is “on Yah’s
throne,” pointing to YHVH’s oath, because He is at “war with Amalek from generation to generation”
(17:16).5. We have just encountered the “yad” of YHVH (“hand” as distinct from
“arm” – z’roah – and from “right hand or arm” – yamin) in the process of
emerging from Egypt (e.g. 14:8, “yad ramah” – a lifted up hand; 14:31 – “yad
g’dola” – “great/mighty hand”; 15:17 “kone’nu yade’cha” – “your hands have
established us”). If YHVH places His hand on His throne (as in a gesture of making
an oath), He will surely carry out that which He set out to perform.
Our Parasha is characterized
by the contrast between the manifest Presence and Glory of YHVH and the
Israelites' total focus on their immediate needs and fears, blinding them to
the greatness and might displayed before them - so much so that even at the end
(just before the battle with Amalek) they dare ponder, “Is YHVH among us, or
not?" (17:7b).
1. New
Studies in Shmot Part 1, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner
Library, Department for Torah Education and
Culture in the Diaspora. Hemed
Books Inc., Brooklyn , N.Y.
2. The
Chumash Shmot With The Commentary Daat
Mikrah, Pub. Mossad Harav Kook, Jm.
1991.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
Hebrew Tools for Everyday Use
The act of sending sets off this
Parasha, so let’s look at the verb for “send”. From loftiness, glory, honor (and
heaviness) we will be brought down to earth by a Modern Hebrew usage of rahm
and k.v.d . The “heavenly bread” – mana (or “mahn”) will connect us to the very
common “what”, but not without some “bitter flavoring”.
Elohim sent Moshe
Elohim shalach et Moshe
Noach sent the dove
Noach shalach et ha’yonah
Moshe was the envoy of Elohim
Moshe haya ha-shaly’ach shel Elohim
He lifted the heavy thing (lit. “the
thing heavy”)
Hu herim et ha’davar ha’kaved
She lifted the heavy thing (lit. “the
thing heavy”)
He herima et ha’davar ha’kaved
Well Done!
Kol HaKavod! (lit. “all the honor”)
What is bitter?
Ma mahr?
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