This week we are studying Parashat Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16). We left off last week with the 10th plague. Oh the agony and grief. Here are my show notes, Enjoy!
A1 And rather than attending to his people, his family, and his dead, the Pharaoh uses his grief to fuel his rage against the Israelites, and goes out with his army to try and bring them back by force. Oy VEY…LET IT GO MAN. We were having a wonderful discussion this past shabbat about the blessing in our prayer book …"b'tzelem elohim." And what that means. One opinion was that it meant that there is inherent value in all human life, and that prayer is meant to remind us to see ourselves and others in that way.
A2. The Israelites see them coming, and Moses basically tells them to "stuff the cheek" and trust. I was watching Charlotte's Web last night and the scene where Charlotte tells Wilbur she is going to handle things, he just says, "Ok," and decides to trust her." This child-like faith is beautiful. "Ok." Can we just say, "Ok" when G-d asks us to let G-d handle it.
A3 G-d sends an East Ruach/wind to blow all night, and the path becomes clear. Have you ever had a situation where you go round and round in your head and you see closed doors and no options all night, just to wake up one morning and see a clear path forward? Haha, me too. And here G-d keeps G-d’s promise and lays a spirit of heaviness on Pharoah and his army, and removes their wheels (which is symbolic of removing their influence, as well)
A4 In the English it says the people feared G-d. I don't care for that translation, although that is one meaning of the verb yireh. I just think a better word is awe…they were in awe of G-d. Mi Chamocha!!! This is the part of the Torah from which that song was derived. The waters of Marah: such a beautiful invitation…Adonai rofecha. This is the 1st of 2 water issues in this week’s Parsha. This time G-d reveals the aspect of healing their bitterness, 1st.
A5 -The Children of Israel start selling their Narrative of how much -ehem- "better" it was back in Egypt. G-d gives the Manna that will sustain them in the desert, and G-d explains that the Manna will test them, to see if they can follow G-ds teaching. (Midrash about the taste of the manna)
A6- The Children of Israel are told to gather an Omer per day of Manna, and to not store any of it. And the amount they measured was the same, whether they gathered too little or too much. What does this have to teach us about our parenting practice?? And about TRUST? Shabbat, last mentioned in Genesis Chapter 2, is re-introduced here: gather Manna for 6 days and rest on the seventh. And G-d is leading BY EXAMPLE, as well. How would the message have been different if there was Manna on the 7th day?
A7- our 2nd water issue, OY! It IS a desert, and they ARE used to living near the Nile. Moses is like, "G-d, you HAVE to help me …if you wait much longer they will STONE me." And G-d instructs Moses to take the staff, the very same staff he used to strike the NILE (are you seeing the connection??) and pass before the people with it. So here Moses is placing his trust in the people as he asks them to place their trust in G-d. G-d says, "I will stand on the rock while you strike into the rock."
Parenting Touchpoint:
Trust
Respect
Slander
Thanks for tuning in: May the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless you with an accurate narrative of your life and the life of your children, and may you, too, find provisions in unlikely places.
Until next time, Shalom!
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