Parshat Beshallach; Exodus 13:1 -17:16; By Rabbi Denise L. Eger
This week we march to freedom! The Israelites upon their escape to freedom encounter the first of many obstacles on their journey to the Promised Land, the Yam Suf—Sea of Reeds. On one side the Egyptians are bearing down upon them. On the other side is the sea. The Israelites are seemingly trapped in the middle. But God comes to our aid and hears the cry of the Israelites again. God explains to Moses exactly what he must do. Moses lifts up his staff and holds it out over the sea and it the sea splits, allowing the Israelites to cross in safety to the opposite shore. The Egyptians chase after them and the sea comes crashing back upon the Egyptians. In this week’s portion, the threat of Egypt is truly thwarted! The sea swallows Pharaoh’s minions. Thus in Parshat Beshallach a cycle is completed. God has rescued the Children of Israel completely from the hands of Egypt and the plagues that began with the Nile River turning blood red ends with the blood of the Egyptians consumed by the Sea. No wonder we often mistake Yam Suf—Sea of Reeds with the Red Sea!
The miracle of the parting of the Yam Suf is surely one of the most important moments in the early formation of the Israelite people. God’s rescuing hand lifts and protects the Children of Israel even when impossible odds and impossible obstacles stand in their way. Moses and Miriam recognize this with the Shirat HaYam—the beautiful victory poem that is sung and danced to in this portion. This miraculous moment is transformed into ritual dance and song. This portion records that both Moses and Israel sing of God’s glory and then Miriam, prophetess and leader and the women of Israel celebrate this victory and the grandeur of God’s deliverance through their singing and dancing with timbrels. This is a moment of pure rejoicing that becomes part of the spiritual transformation of the people from slaves into a nation built on faith in the Holy One.
When we today chant this part of the portion, the special melody of Shirat HaYam-Poem of the Sea helps to convey the unique moment that this is in the life of our people. Traditionally we stand when it is read and chanted acknowledging the power of this miracle just as we re-enact the giving of Torah at Sinai by standing when we get to that portion next week! Shirat HaYam, the song of the Sea is read as part of Parshat Beshallach but also on the Seventh Day of Passover the day tradition teaches that Moses parted the Sea. But this is also a part of the daily service. So great is this miracle that it becomes woven into our daily consciousness. So great is the miracle of deliverance that it becomes a part of the daily promise of redemption.
The spirituality and the power of this section of our story are conveyed also by the unique layout of the text in the Torah. This section of Torah is written with a special brick pattern that looks like the two walls of water and a path in the middle where the people pass through. Even the physical pattern of the text, reinforces the miracle! Thus this miraculous memory is recorded in the Torah and its power is taught to us in many different ways; through the words themselves; through the music; through the visual layout; through the knowledge that both women and men participated in the performance of this song and through the way in which we still stand when it is read; and it is such an important passage and lesson that we visit it daily!
Thus this passage of Torah and indeed our passage to freedom and redemption from servitude is a spiritual lesson that deserves daily meditation and reflection. We must come to understand that even when obstacles stand before us, we must with faith imagine this moment and walk through the walls of water to another shore. Even in our fear, even in our worry, God’s rescuing power can be summoned in our day and time. We don’t have to cross alone. And so Shirat HaYam and Shabbat Shirah becomes an opportunity for each of us to reflect upon the idea that the saving power of God is not only something that happened once long ago but one that might indeed be woven into our lives today. Keep on marching to freedom and sing and dance along the way!
Posted by Aaron at January 17, 2008 09:26 AM
