When Moshe led the Children of Israel out of Egypt they headed due east. But after a few days travel they turned south. Initially the Torah tells us they turned away from the quick coastal route for fear of encountering the Amalekites before they would have had time to train militarily and to cope psychologically with warfare. But then the…
Parsha Beshalah
Song of the Sea
This Shabbat is also called Shabbat Shirah; the Shabbat of the Song, after the Israelites had crossed over and Egypt was finally defeated. Singing plays a vital role in the transmission of tradition and culture. It is the emotional dimension that complements the more rational prose of history and law. The Torah is not just prose. It is called a…
Song of Victory
Finally the Children of Israel can celebrate their freedom. But they do not get far before Pharaoh has once again changed his mind and, with his army of chariots, is pursuing them. Despair, fear, and a collapse of morale ensue. As we know, God intervenes. The Red Sea divides and they cross safely, but the pursuing army gets caught in…
Amalek
This week’s reading from the Torah starts with the Exodus. The Children of Israel leave slavery in Egypt and head out towards Sinai. But then the Egyptians change their minds and pursue them. They are defeated not by the fleeing slaves but by Divine, or Natural forces at the Red Sea. And yet the Egyptians are not regarded by the…
When Things Go Wrong
The Children of Israel come out of Egypt. It is like a rebirth. But almost immediately they are faced with one crisis after another. The Egyptian army pursues them. There is no water, no food. They complain against Moses, Aaron and God. The Amalekites attack them. Yet they come through all these difficulties. There is one word that is repeated…
Deborah
In the Haftarah too we read another song, that of the Prophetess and Judge Deborah. We often seem to forget that in the past we were led by this amazing woman who functioned on several levels. She was a Judge, a moral and just leader and she was a prophet who had a special relationship with God. She was also…