parashat bshalach Panic & Perception
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The Torah portion read around the world in all synagogues this week is parashat beshalach. This portion runs from Exodus 13:17 to 17:16. In parashat beshalach both the enslaver and the slaves regret the fact that the slaves have escaped. Reading Exodus 14:5.
“It was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned regarding the people. And they said, ‘What is this that we have done, that we have sent Israel from serving us?’ So he harnessed his chariot and took his people with him. He took six hundred select chariots, all the chariots of Egypt, with a third-man in each one.”
Pharaoh and his servants say, “What is this that we have done?” The children of Israel also say, “What is this that you have done?” The Torah employs similar expression to convey similar attitudes. For all the many differences between Pharaoh’s servants and the children of Israel, they have a common regret. Look at our parasha in Exodus 14:9-12.
“The Egyptians pursued after them, and caught up with them camping by the sea, every horse and chariot of Pharaoh and his cavalry and his army, beside Pi HaChirot, before Baal Tzafon. And Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel raised their eyes, and behold, Egypt riding after them, and they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried to HaShem. And they said to Moshe, ‘Was it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness, what is this that you have done to us, to bring us out from Egypt? Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt, saying, leave us alone and we will serve Egypt, for it is better for us to serve Egypt than that we should die in the wilderness?’”
Lack of confidence in God is a matter of perception. Exodus 14:9 tells us that the Egyptians were pursuing after them, but when they came into view, verse 10 tells us the children of Israel raised their eyes, and behold Egypt was riding after them. The Torah goes from the plural to the singular. In the eyes of the children of Israel, the Egyptians have suddenly turned into Egypt! As far as the children of Israel are concerned, and whole country is bearing down on top of them!
Several persons in a supermarket parking lot noticed Linda Burnett, age 23, sitting in her car with the windows rolled up, eyes closed, and both hands behind the back of her head. One customer who had been in the store became concerned and walked over to the car to check out if something was wrong. He noticed that Linda’s eyes were now open, and she looked very strange. He asked if she was okay, and she replied that she’d been shot in the head.
The man called the paramedics, who broke into the car, because the doors were locked, and Linda refused to remove her hands from her head. When they finally got in, they found that Linda had a wad of bread dough stuck on the back of her head. A Pillsbury biscuit tube had exploded with a bang from the heat in the back seat, and a wad of dough had hit her in the back of the head. When she reached back to find out what hit her, she felt the dough, and thought it was her brains coming out. She’d been trying to hold her brains in for over an hour until somebody came to her rescue.
Our perception always affects our response to reality. The way in which we process what goes on around us will always influence how we respond to events. Linda Burnett lives in an environment where gunshots are more common than popping biscuit tubes. Her perception affected her response.
Getting back to the panic by the seaside. By the way, which side actually has numerical superiority? The text says Pharaoh has six hundred chariots. How many men of fighting age do the children of Israel have? We can turn back in last week’s parasha and check the headcount. Exodus 13:37.
“The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Sukkot, about six hundred thousand infantry, the men alone excluding children.”
Do the arithmetic. Pharaoh has six hundred chariots; Israel has six hundred thousand infantry. What’s the ratio? Israel’s got Pharaoh outnumbered a thousand to one! By all rights who should be chasing who? All the children of Israel have to do is spit in the sand! They can drown the Egyptians on the spot!
You might suppose that the children of Israel were afraid because they lacked weaponry. But our parasha makes it clear that weaponry wasn’t the problem. Exodus 13:18 says,
“God turned the people around by way of the wilderness of the Sea of Reeds. And the children of Israel went up armed chamushim from the land of Egypt.”
In case you’re not sure whether chamushim really means “armed,” and not all the English Bibles translate “armed” here, just check out Joshua 1:14. The usage there demonstrates that chamushim does indeed mean armed.
“Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moshe granted you on this side of the Jordan, but you shall pass before you brothers armed chamushim, all your fighting men shall come to their aid.”
All the English Bibles translate chamushim in Joshua 1:14 as “armed.” Due to quirky inconsistency, the King James Bible doesn’t translate chamushim in Exodus 13:18 as “armed,” and this inconsistency has mislead certain Christian commentators into explaining that the reason the children of Israel panicked at the Sea was because they lacked weaponry. The Christian commentators who offer this explanation don’t only overlook the usage in the Book of Joshua, they also overlook the fact that in Exodus chapter 17 the children of Israel fight a pitched battle against Amaleq. In the words of our Torah “Yhoshua weakened Amaleq and his people by the edge of the sword.” What these well-meaning commentators overlook is where in the middle of the wilderness did the children of Israel suddenly get swords to fight Ameleq if they came up from Egypt unarmed? The Torah tells us here in Exodus chapter 13 that the children of Israel went up armed from the land of Egypt, and we ought to take this information at face value.
At the Sea, the children of Israel are well-armed, and they have the enemy outnumbered a thousand-to-one, but they’re incapable of exploiting their advantage. A-thousand-to-one advantage isn’t any help. They’re badly in need of some miracle to extricate them out of this terrible jam. Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra, remarks in his longer commentary on the Torah:
“One is astounded, how could such a great encampment of six hundred thousand infantry be frightened by their pursuers? Why didn’t they fight for their lives and for the sake of their children? The answer is because the Egyptians had been the masters of Israel. The generation which left Egypt had learned since childhood to suffer the yoke of Egypt. Their soul groveled. How could they suddenly stand up to their former masters?”
That’s Ibn Ezra’s explanation. The children of Israel are carrying the psychological baggage of centuries in bondage. Their slave conditioning has left them pathologically incapable of trust and positive action. They are petty, petulant, and perverse. For them the road to the Promised Land is paved with blaming and complaining. Their mentality is nothing but a long series of objections.
Avot DeRabbi Natan chapter 33 (version A) contains a whimsical story about Israel’s paralysis. The preacher punctuates his version with a string of proof-text.
“The hour our fathers stood at the Sea, Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is hollows and holes.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became hollows and holes. The scriptural proof is Habakkuk 3:13, ‘You made a hollow with his rods the head of his princes.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is a valley in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became a valley in front of them. The scriptural proof is Psalm 78:13, ‘He made a valley of the Sea and caused them to cross over.’ Another proof is Isaiah 63:14, ‘Like livestock go down in the valley, the Spirit of HaShem gave them rest. Thus you led your people.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is cut to smithereens in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It was cut to smithereens in front of them. The scriptural proof is Psalm 136:13, ‘To him who cut the Sea of Reeds to smithereens.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is turned into clay in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became mud. The scriptural proof is Habakkuk 3:15, ‘You trampled the Sea with your horses, the clay of many waters.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is a desert in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became a desert. The scriptural proof is Psalm 106:9, ‘He rebuked the Sea of Reeds and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through the desert.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is itsy-bitsy crumbs in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became itsy-bitsy crumbs. The scriptural proof is Psalm 74:13, ‘You crumbled the Sea in your might.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is small rocks in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became small rocks. The scriptural proof is Psalm 74:14, ‘You smashed the heads of the crocodiles in the water.’ You might object that Psalm 74:14 says nothing about the rocks, but surely the heads of the crocodiles couldn’t have been smashed against a sand bottom. There must have been rocks!
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is dry ground in front of us.’ Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became dry ground. The scriptural proof is Psalm 66:6, ‘He turned the Sea into dry ground.’ Another proof is Exodus 14:29, ‘The children of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the Sea.’
Moshe said to them, ‘Get up, go across!’ ‘We won’t go across’, they said, ‘Until the Sea is solid walls in front of us. Moshe took his rod and hit the Sea. It became solid walls. The scriptural proof is Exodus 14:22, ‘the children of Israel went in the midst of the Sea on dry ground and the water was a wall to them on their right and on their left.’”
Perhaps our ancient preacher in Avot DeRabbi Natan exaggerates how many times Moshe hit the Sea, but his version of the miracle captures Israel’s attitude. No matter what God performed in the way of miracles, it was never quite enough to win his children’s confidence.
The crisis at the Sea is not the only instance where the children of Israel consider returning to slavery in Egypt. Their lack of trust catches up again with them in our parasha in Exodus 16:2, 3.
“And all the assembly of the children of Israel complained against Moshe and against Aaron in the wilderness. The children of Israel said to them, Would that we had died by the hand of HaShem in the land of Egypt where we sat by the pot of meat and ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out to this wilderness to kill this whole congregation by starvation.”
Their lack of trust catches up with them again in our parasha in Exodus 17:3.
“The people were thirsty there for water. The people complained against Moshe and said, ‘Why is it that you have brought us up from Egypt to kill me and my sons and my livestock with thirst?’”
Later on in the Torah narrative the children of Israel are again entertaining thoughts of returning to slavery. Numbers 14:1-11. This is when they prefer the bad news about the Promised Land to the good news. Numbers 14:1-11.
“All the congregation raised and gave their voice, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained to Moshe and to Aaron, and all the congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt!’ or ‘In this wilderness would that we had died! Why does HaShem bring us to this land to fall by the sword, our wives and children will be plunder? Wouldn't it be better to turn back to Egypt?’ And they said to each to his brother, ‘We’ll set a head and we’ll turn back to Egypt.’ And Moshe and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. And Yhoshua bi Nun and Khalev ben Yfuneh from those who spied the land tore their clothes. They said to all the congregation of the children of Israel, ‘The land which we passed through to spy is a very good land. If HaShem delights in us and brings us to this land and gives it to us, it is a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against HaShem nor fear the people of the land, for they are our food, their shadow has departed from them, and HaShem is with us. Do not fear.’ And all the congregation said to stone them with stones, but the glory of HaShem appeared at the tent of appointment to all the children of Israel. And HaShem said to Moshe, ‘How long will this people reject me, and how long will they not believe me with all the signs which I have performed in their midst?’”
What is so amazing about this sad exercise in unbelief is that it all transpires right underneath the cloud by day, the visible manifestation of God’s presence! Yet the children of Israel seem to think there’s nothing left for them to do but to die in the wilderness or return to slavery. They say, “We’ll set a leader and return to Egypt.” As if God hadn’t been leading them all along! Literally they say, “We’ll set a head and return to Egypt.” As if they’d lost their head!
How can people become so oblivious to miracles? How could people forget about the cloud by day and the pillar by night directly overhead? How can people ignore what God is doing? God himself exclaims in utter exasperation,
“How long will they not believe me with all the signs which I‘ve performed in their midst?”
I suppose they ignored the repeated miracles like the cloud by day and the pillar by night, the manna in the desert and the water from the rock, because they had gotten used to them. After a few days, repeated miracles become part of the landscape. Repeated miracles become second nature. Today we’re surrounded by all sorts of evidence of our Creator’s power, which we’ve only begun to understand scientifically, but because they occur repeatedly, we don’t call them miracles. We expect these phenomena. We insist they occur naturally.
I suppose it was like that in the wilderness with the cloud of God’s presence directly overhead: The novelty had worn off. People thought of it like they thought of the sun in the sky: they didn’t quite understand how it worked, but they expected it to be there the next morning! Not a miracle as far as they were concerned.
I’ve often heard people wish, “Why can’t today be more like back in Bible times! If only God performed more miracles these days! If only God would only perform one genuine, indisputable miracle for me, it would be so much easier for me to believe! Why did all the miracles get handed out to the folks back then and there were none left for us? It was so easy for them to trust, and it’s so hard for us.”
People who say such things haven’t read their Bible very carefully. In the Bible the miracles are concentrated in only three generations: the generation of the Exodus from Egypt, the generation during the prophetic ministry of Elijah and Elisha, and the generation when Mashiach went public. Most people in Bible times went without spectacular miracles; no different than most of us. Their walk with God was based on limited evidence, not on incontestable proof.
The initial faith of the children of Israel was based on miraculous signs, and that was its weakness. Let’s return to the Book of Exodus. Exodus 4:29-31. This is the response of the people after Moshe performs the signs that HaShem stands ready to liberate them. Exodus 4:29-31.
“Moshe and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words that HaShem had spoken to Moshe, and he performed the signs in the eyes of the people. And the people believed and they heard that HaShem had visited the children of Israel and that he had seen their affliction and they bowed and prostrated.”
The people believed and they heard. The order is significant. Before you can hear more, you must come to trust what’s already been demonstrated. This is the order in the Torah. “The people believed and heard.” Experience comes before understanding. Practice comes before theory.
This is quite contrary to the Western intellectual tradition, which has shaped the thinking of everyone in this room. We expect to cognitively understand something before we put it into practice. We expect an elaborate explanation before trying it out ourselves. But according to the Torah, confidence in HaShem works the other way around: first you believe, then you can hear.
In next week’s parasha, we learn that God wants our confidence in him to have a more lasting foundation than spectacular miracles. Exodus 19:9. This is God’s offer after Israel has seen his signs and wonders on Pharaoh and have passed through the Sea on dry ground. The children of Israel have had more miracles showered on them in a shorter space of time than any other people in history, but God knows they have a major problem trusting him. No amount of miracles is going to push the children of Israel over this hurdle. Exodus 19:9.
“And HaShem said to Moshe, ‘Behold, I am coming in to you in the thick cloud, in order that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.’ And Moshe told the words of the people to HaShem.”
What did HaShem give his people in order that they might believe forever? What does HaShem give his people in the next chapter, in Exodus 20?
ANSWER The Decalogue. Forever faith does not come by witnessing impressive miracles, but by receiving the Decalogue.
What can implementing HaShem’s precepts do to build confidence that seeing miracles cannot do? The Decalogue safeguards and stabilizes my relationship with God. As our relationship grows and I accrue experience with him, I trust him more. As I cooperate with him and have the benefits of positive feedback, I trust him more. As I internalize HaShem’s commandments, I come to think and act and feel more and more like the Giver of the Torah.
The Torah records that Israel received the Decalogue in precisely the right order. Exodus 24:7.
“And he took the book of the covenant and read in the ears of the people. And they said, ‘All that HaShem has said we will do and we will hear.’”
Israel first committed to do the Torah, and then to understand. There’s a fascinating snippet of Jewish legend recorded in masekhet Shabbat page 98 front side.
“Said Rabbi Elazar, ‘The hour Israel put “We will do” before “We will hear,” a heavenly voice went forth and said, ‘Who disclosed the secret by which the ministering angels operate to the children?’ The scriptural proof is Psalm 103:20, ‘Bless HaShem his angels, heroes of strength, who do his word in order to hear the voice of his word.’ First the Psalm says who do, afterward in order to hear. Said Rabbi Chama in the name of Chanina: Why is it written in Song of Songs 2:3, ‘As an apple tree among the trees of the forest?’ Why should Israel be compared to an apple tree? I’ll tell you why. Just as that apple tree buds its fruit before its leaves appear, so Israel said, ‘We will do’ before ‘We will hear.’”
That’s the end of the quote from the Bavli. Well, contrary to the legend, the principle by which the heavenly angels operate is no secret. Mature faith requires that we put doing before hearing. If we wait around to do what God says until we understand everything in advance, we’ll never learn to cooperate. We’ll be immobilized by our fear of the unknown. We’ll never escape our slave mentality. It’s only by acting on God’s revealed instruction that we gain the necessary experience that enables us to understand. Miracles are all very nice in their place, but you don’t want your confidence to depend on miracles. You want your confidence to be based on experience. Receiving the gift of the commandments is the route to forever faith.
Maybe you’ve never thought of the commandments in quite those terms. Millions of Christians have been taught that faith and obedience to the commandments are diametrical opposites: that you maintain the purity of your faith by studiously ignoring the commandments. Now that you recognize the Torah defines the dynamics somewhat differently, it would be appropriate to recommit yourself to the Giver of the Torah, and receive his gift. You understand that a little cooperation with God isn’t going to turn you into some sort of legalistic heretic. On the contrary, cooperation with God is going to immeasurably strengthen your faith. Observing his commandments is going to enable you to believe forever.
If you’re Jewish, you’ve probably heard the line that Judaism is strictly an ethical religion, and that faith is the Christian thing. A fresh look at the Torah has convinced you that’s an oversimplification. There’s nothing un-Jewish about exercising faith. Faith is just another word for confidence in HaShem. The terminology may not be particularly Jewish, but the concept certainly is. You recognize that God wants you to internalize Jewish values, so that the commandments become second nature. God wants to build up your confidence in him to the point where he can recover the wonderful person he’s always intended you to be. God wants to liberate you from the consequences of bad choices, whether your own or those of others. It would be appropriate for you, silently within the privacy of your heart, to give him your consent. Tell God you’re willing to trust him more. Tell him you wish to believe him and his servant Moshe forever.
Embrace his commandments as your own, and God will bring you completely out of Egypt to love him and serve him forever. God’s alternative for his children is infinitely better than slavery to false gods or death in the wilderness.
This is the lesson of parashat beshalach. More than you need another miracle; you need to make God’s commandments your own. Don’t let disobedience and distrust exclude you from the Promised Land. Thank God for the gift that enables you to trust him.
