CHOCHMAS NASHIM: B’SHALACH: #EMUNAHGORERETEMUNAH
By: Suri Davis
This is a consummate Torah of Faith and Trust in G-d, who saves us from enemies, provides us with food, clothing and shelter, and hearkens our prayers. The Jews exit Egypt in last week’s torah portion. They now approach the Red Sea and the Egyptians are chasing after them. Moshe tells them to stand there and see G-d’s miracle, but there was a disconnect, which G-d clarified by saying “Moshe, why are you standing there, move forward towards the water.” This is not the time to stand still, this is the time to act. This is an act of faith. Move forward as commanded. They were reluctant to move forward until Caleb jumped into the water and revealed to the Israelites that the sea would split for them (after Moshe touched it with his staff). Test of faith…
G-d drowns the Egyptians based on how good or evil they treated the Jewish slaves. The men sing G=d’s praise. Miriam and the women were so confident in G-d’s redemption, they brought with them from Egypt, musical instruments so they could dance in praise of G-d’s miracles. G-d creates this miraculous food in the desert, Mon/Manna. The Jews complain about water, they get it.
The nation of Amalek starts war against the Jews, Moshe puts his hands up to remind the battling Jews to look up to heaven, have faith in G-d, so they can win their battle. They do.
The challenges of faith/Emunah are summarized in one word during the battle of Amalek.
וִידֵ֤י מֹשֶׁה֙ כְּבֵדִ֔ים וַיִּקְחוּ־אֶ֛בֶן וַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ תַחְתָּ֖יו וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב עָלֶ֑יהָ וְאַהֲרֹ֨ן וְח֜וּר תָּֽמְכ֣וּ בְיָדָ֗יו מִזֶּ֤ה אֶחָד֙ וּמִזֶּ֣ה אֶחָ֔ד וַיְהִ֥י יָדָ֛יו אֱמוּנָ֖ה עַד־בֹּ֥א הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃
But Moses’ hands grew heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur, one on each side, supported his hands; thus his hands remained steady until the sun set.
The hands of Moshe were Emunah, translated as steady, but we know the word emunah generally is defined as faith. The hands grew heavy, and were supported heavenward to remind the Jews to look to heaven for salvation.
I want to bring you my dear reader back to October, a few days before Sukkoth, when there was over the entire Five Towns a rainbow the likes of which I had never seen, and it was seen by many throughout the community. Remember that this was before Sukkoth and the horrible October 7th day of infamy. This was the dvar torah of the week:
In fact, just this week, I was working on a shiur I am giving for Parshat Noach, when I looked up and saw a magnificent rainbow. As we know, a rainbow is double-edged message. On the one hand, it lets us know that we are wicked and are slated to be destroyed, on the other hand, it reminds us of the promise G-d gave to Noach that He would never destroy the world by flood again.
And I pondered why something as beautiful as a rainbow would be the symbol for a message so ominous as world destruction. I pondered it long and great. In my mind it hearkens to the gemarah Rosh Hashanah 29a:6 Do the hands of Moses wage war? The question in the gemara was on the bible passage which states that when the Jews were waging war with Amalek, when Moses’ hands went up, the Jews would progress in their victory, and when Moses’ hands went down, they would start losing, so what is it about Moses’ hands going up, permitted the Jews to strengthen in war?
The rabbis tell us that when Moses raised his hands upward, it would remind the Jews to look heavenward to G-d, that the key to their victory is to have trust in G-d and pray to G-d for victory, not to their own might.
So too, the rainbow is such a magnificent symbol in the sky, it naturally draws one’s eyes heavenward towards G-d. When we sin and G-d considers us evil, He is telling us that we need to turn our eyes, faith and davening upward towards HKBH. This is as to man and G-d.
The rainbow has diverse colors, independent and come together. There are times that our evil is based between man and his fellow man. We can retain our independence, respect each other’s thoughts and opinions and when we unite, we make a beautiful symbol of achdut to ourselves and to the world at large, which sanctifies G-d’s name, and has others looking heavenward with faith and trust in G-d. The rainbow too, is a symbol of f-o-r-g-i-v-e-n-e-s-s.
We are at a pivotal time in our war with Hamas, a time when the nations of the world are withdrawing whatever support they thought they gave us, and it is a time that Netanyahu is telling us, we cannot listen to and rely on these nations, for they do not have our best interests at heart. It is time we listened to the words of Hkbh, when you come into the land of Israel and conquer it, destroy all the foreigners in the land, for they will influence and hurt you. This is that day. That day that G-d is challenging us to trust in Him and in His word, and Prime Minister Netanyahu is stepping up to the plate on faith and trust. Hashem yishmor.
This embattled land is the land flowing with milk and honey, which has G-d’s eyes on it from the beginning to the end of the year. The land we celebrate no matter where in the land or diaspora we live, this Thursday, Tu B’shvat/the 15th day of shvat, the new year for trees, when we eat from the seven species for which is especially blessed by G-d: Wheat, barley, wine, date, pomegranate, figs and olives, and we appreciate that our bounty, no matter where we live, is sourced in the blessing of Israel.
Enjoy Tu B’shvat and Shabbat shalom.
-Suri