#16 - Parashat Beshalach
Overview
“Beshalach”: “When Pharaoh let Israel go from Egypt,” the L-RD in the person of the Angel of G-d leads and protects them with the pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:9-22). Pharaoh pursues Israel with his entire army, but the L-RD fights for Israel. He makes a way through the sea for Israel but drowns the Egyptian army in its waters (Exodus 14).
Moses and Israel sing a song of victory: The L-RD is highly exalted. He is the Warrior-shepherd, who vanquishes His enemies and who leads His people to His dwelling place (Exodus 14:31-15:21).
In spite of repeated unbelief and grumbling, the L-RD miraculously provides water, heavenly bread and meat in Mara, the wilderness of Sin, and at Massa and Meriba (Exodus 15:22-17:7).
Then Amalek attacks, but G-d gives the victory again when Moses holds up his staff (Exodus 17:8-15).
Reaching the Other Shore of Exile
Is the salvation at the Red Sea a one-off? Thankfully not! Otherwise Israel would never reach its intended destination.
G-d makes a path through the depths of the sea. Pharaoh's army is drowned but Israel sings:
The L-RD is my strength and my song,
and He has become my salvation (Exodus 15:2).
The words of this song echo throughout the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 118:14) and prophets (e.g., Isaiah 12:2). They project them right into the messianic age and that gives hope: the crossing of the red sea is a template for more to come!
An Eluding Destination
In the Song of the Sea, Moses not only reflects on what happened but also looks forward. He also speaks prophetically about Israel’s final destination:
You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain, the place, O L-RD, which You made for Your abode, the sanctuary, O L-rd, which Your hands have established (Exodus 15:17).
This description sounds like re-entering paradise. But, as we continue reading the scriptures, it looks like this goal keeps eluding us.
First, because of Israel’s unbelief, the goal is delayed by forty years of desert wanderings. But even when Israel enters the land, the people still aren't securely planted in G-d’s presence (compare Psalm 92:13).
Instead, because of sin, Israel is uprooted, separated from G-d in exile! “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your G-d” (Isaiah 59:2) is the judgment of the prophets.
Is the L-RD also able to deal with our “Red Sea” of sin – this barrier which keeps us from our final destination? If we remain stuck before the Red Sea of our sins we are more doomed than when Pharaoh once threatened to overtake the people.
A Passionate Plea
At one point in the book of Isaiah, the prophet passionately appeals to the One who took care of the monster which Egypt once was for Israel, and who split the sea to deliver His people. Please, L-RD act once more! Please deal now with the great problem of sin and exile:
Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the L-RD;
awake as in the days of old,
the generations.
Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
Was it not You who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a way
for the redeemed to pass over?
So the ransomed of the L-RD shall return and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain gladness and joy,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 51:9-11).
Seeing the Arm of the L-RD
This prayer didn’t remain unanswered. The L-RD’s arm woke up indeed. He came in the person of Messiah as our ultimate redeeming sacrifice and conquered over sin and death (Isaiah 53). By doing so He “split the Red Sea” of our sins.
See also Isaiah 53, the gate to Shalom.
G-d acted, but not everyone recognized it. The question is: have your eyes been opened for what G-d has worked through the Messiah? This is crucial for crossing over to the shore of safety.
Who has believed what we have heard and to whom has the arm of the L-RD been revealed? (Isaiah 53:1).
Singing at Last
Tragically a large part of Israel has not yet recognized the arm of the L-RD. But that will change. At last Israel will safely arrive at the other side of exile and sing the Song of the Sea again, with some extra lines added:
You will say in that day:
I will give thanks to You, O L-RD,
for though You were angry with me,
Your anger turned away,
that You might comfort me.
Behold G-d is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid;
For the L-RD G-D is my strength and song,
and He has become my salvation (Isaiah 12:1-2).
Literally the Hebrew text states “He has become for me salvation” (Yeshuah, ישועה). When reading this we cannot but think of the name of the Messiah: Yeshua (ישוע). Because in Him the L-RD really became salvation for us. Through Him we join the Song of the Sea at the other side of the exile.
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Salvation belongs to the L-RD
Who Accomplishes Our Salvation?
Who is the crucial Hero of Redemption? Who does the heavy lifting?
In Parashat Beshalach the answer is clear: it is the L-RD Himself who is present in the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. He is present in the person of the Angel of the L-RD (Exodus 13:21-22, 15:19; compare also Exodus 23:20-23).
When the L-RD works His salvation there is not much for us to do, only what Moses says to the people:
Fear not. Stand firm, and see the salvation of the L-RD, which He works for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The L-RD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (Exodus 14:13-14)
When it comes to salvation and redemption, it is the L-RD who does the heavy lifting, not us! We are only called to trust Him and follow in the path He makes for us.
The Crucial Hero
At the crucial moment the Angel of G-d is the hero we need. He intervenes and makes the difference between Israel and Egypt. He stands between them:
Then the Angel of G-d who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel… (Exodus 14:19-20).
Ultimate Redemption
The Angel of the L-RD is also the crucial Hero in the ultimate redemption as He came to us in the person of the Messiah.
“The L-RD will fight for you, and you only have to be silent” applies also to the redemption He brings. Salvation cannot be accomplished by our endeavors. It is His work; we are only called upon to trust in what He does. Salvation belongs to the L-RD (Psalm 3:8).
Did Moses Sing or Will Moses Sing?
Past or Future Tense?
In the Talmud (Sanhedrin 91b), a special conclusion is drawn from the first line of Exodus 15:1. It is usually translated “Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song.”
But if we take the phrase by itself it could also be read as “Then Moses and the sons of Israel will sing this song.” (The Hebrew uses the verb form ישיר which could be read as a future tense.) According to Rabbi Meir in Sanhedrin 91b this “He will sing” in the future tense is a proof for the resurrection of the dead.
Rashi
Rashi correctly points out that in context the simple meaning of the text is not directly indicating a future singing. He explains the verse and the form of the verb as “When he saw the miracle it entered his mind that he should sing.” (Rashi gives additional examples of such usage in the Hebrew Bible.)
Still, Moses Will Sing…
Still, when we consider, as we did above, how the Song of the Sea echoes all the way into the Messianic age we could say that Rabbi Meir was onto something. Because Moses and Israel will sing it again. “And you will say in that day … the L-RD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation” (Isaiah 12:1-2, Exodus 15:2). And yes, His salvation makes a way even through death.