Parashat Beshalach

Any mother can relate to the story of the Exodus when she gives birth. The difference though is that at the Exodus, a whole nation is birthed. In both cases, as the baby exits the womb, or as Israel exits Egypt, the water breaks and the drama is there with powerful birth pangs, pain, blood, even hanging between life and death. But, in the end, the baby finally comes out and all the suffering is replaced with an abundance of joy! And just as family and close friends gather around in gratefulness to see and celebrate this new creation full of life and potential, so did Moshe and Myriam lead the whole new nation in a song and a dance. And indeed every shabbat, thousands of years later, we still sing this Song of Moshe! 

I, personally, remember as well the great joy my husband and I experienced at the birth of our firstborn son. But that was just the beginning! Immediately following this exhilarating time, came the round the clock care and nurture of our beautiful “little bundle.” Gone were peaceful nights and days were filled with fussing and crying, even screaming every time our precious Joël was hungry, thirsty, poopy, had gas or a burp that would not come out, was teething, or just had growing pains!! And so there soon came a time when it was necessary to put him on a schedule. I embarked on this painful process of training him to nurse at certain times and to get him to sleep through the night! And there were tears and tantrums we had to endure until he learned to trust that Mama and Papa would always be there to take care of him. He didn’t need to throw a fit every time he wanted something! 

In this week’s parasha, we find HaShem, a dutiful parent as well, providing sweet water, rest at an oasis with 12 springs and 70 palm trees, quail in the afternoon, manna in the morning and water from the rock to satisfy the needs of his capricious infant nation. But it doesn’t take long before we see Him beginning His training of Israel! As it is written in Ex chapter 15:25-26, right after He transforms the bitter waters into sweet waters:

“There He established a “choq”(decree) and a “mishpat”(judgment) for them. If you hearken diligently to the voice of HaShem and do what is “yashar” (straight), give ear to His “Mitzvot”(commandments) and guard all His decrees, then all these diseases I placed on Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am Adonai your healer.”

 In other words, G-d was saying that, under His tutelage, they would be retrained to be Israel, His firstborn “nation son” and they would not be subject to any disease he placed on the Egyptians as the consequence of their idolatrous lifestyle. Israel would need to develop different skills and habits so they could grow into their new identity and possess it. As slaves in Egypt, they were told what to do and had no time to choose and be proactive with their lives. They lived as victims of Pharaoh’s whims and wishes. The ability to be creative had been robbed from them. But now this “infant Israel” would need to properly grieve its past life and let go of their slave mentality, develop a childlike trust in HaShem as they grew into His sons and daughters, learning to behave as the children of the most high G-d!

And so they are led to “Rephidim”, I suggest, a place designed by G-d to transition them into this new identity. The name itself gives us a key to understanding what HaShem’s purpose for them was in that place. It means “resting places” but with a different nuance than the word “yanach”. While “yanach” is simply to be rested or placed somewhere that fits comfortably (as in Gen2:15 when G-d placed man in Gan Eden), “raphad” means to spread out a bed, to support, to refresh a wearied person, like for instance a litter would be to transport the wounded. So you could say, that our G-d, as a loving healer, had spread out a national bed for Israel, one where they would be able to rest and recuperate from the trauma of the exodus and properly grieve with Him the past of Egypt, shed their “slave skin” to put on their new one as Sons and Daughters. Learning to trust their Redeemer/Father as He proved Himself again and again willing and able to provide for all their needs, they would then be able to be active participants in life and reflect the values of HaShem who begot them. If they skipped the training of Rephidim, would they find themselves trapped in the mindset of a screaming infant unable to deal with everyday life, looking back with longing on the “leeks and garlic of slavery”? How, in that condition, would they be able to face the giants of Canaan? 

We all have known unruly children who grow up stuck in the folly of their youth.  Refusing to be weaned from the maternal bosom, they expect and demand all their needs and desires to be met at all times. Like a baby or a toddler, they seek to be spoon fed, clothed and taken care of by some parental figure in the world. This attitude is a sure recipe for slavery and tyranny as we see repeated over and over again in history. And the scary part is that it could be you and me unless we allow Hashem to wean us! The list of dictators, who were able to step into this primal need of humanity and deceive whole empires through their shallow promises of caring for the people is endless – from Nimrod, to the Caesars, Hitler, Stalin, Ho chi Min and …., fill in the blank in modern days! 

May it never be so for Israel, G-d’s first born son. Indeed, as long as we chose to follow leaders who rule with the same mindset Moshe and Joshua had at Rephidim, we can overcome this evil inclination! For it is also at Rephidim, while they were transitioning into their new identity, that Amalek, a descendant of Esau, fully aware of the promises and covenant Israel held concerning the land of Canaan, came on the scene. His mission?  Destroy Israel before they could possess their new identity and inherit the land. No wonder HaShem says “He will have war with Amalek from generation to generation and will utterly blot out his remembrance from under heaven!” Thanks be to G-d for the likes of Joshua who, armed with childlike faith in Adonai, was able to lead in battle against Amalek. And as long as Moshe’s arms were held up by Aaron and Hur, a picture of unified faith in G-d, Israel prevailed. 

What a pertinent lesson for us now in these trying days when fear is assaulting us with its Amalek like minions to extinguish our trust in HaShem. May we, unlike the generation of the Exodus, finally learn from our own history and grow out of infancy and childish ways. And like Moshe and Joshua, childlike in our faith in Adonai, but now mature in our deeds, may we hold, defend and possess our inheritance. Yes, we may still be facing some challenging trials or “birth pangs” as history is bound to present to us again. But Avinu Malchenu who has brought us out of the Shoah and caused us to prevail in many a war against all odds, is calling us out of the nations, both physically and in our mindset, to be His light in a world engulfed in darkness. As we face the modern day giants from within and from without, my prayer is that we would all follow king David’s example when he wrote in Ps 131:2-3:

“Surely I have calmed and quieted my nephesh. Like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my nephesh within me. Oh Israel, hope in Adonai from this time forth and forever.”

Who knows, we could even be that generation G-d will use to erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. And like Moshe we will then erect an altar and call its name : “יהוה נסי” (Adonai my miracle)

Shabbat Shalom!