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ולא יכלו לשתות מים ממרה כי מרים הם ... ויצעק אל ד' ויורהו ד' עץ וישלך אל המים וימתקו המים

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

But they could not drink the waters of Marah because they were bitter … He cried out to Hashem, and He showed him a tree, he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. (15:23,25)

Horav Yechezkel Abramsky, zl, related the following homiletic rendering of these pesukim.  (Apparently, he had heard the exposition from a Chassidic Jew.)  On the surface, the pesukim relate that, when Klal Yisrael came to a place which was (later) called Marah, bitter, they found the drinking water to be bitter.  As a result, they were unable to drink, and they questioned the choice of rest area.  Moshe Rabbeinu prayed to Hashem, Who instructed him to throw a certain tree into the water, and it became sweet.  Water is a metaphor for Torah.  Be’er chafaruah sarim, “Well that the princes dug”…

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Home -> 5786 -> Beshalach

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם. וייראו מאד ויצעקו בני ישראל אל ד'

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

And Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them, and they were very frightened. Bnei Yisrael cried out to Hashem. (14:10)

The euphoria connected with the liberation and exodus from Egypt lasted until the nation saw Pharaoh and his army in pursuit.  Some prayed fervently to Hashem for salvation.  Prayer is our key to reaching Hashem and petitioning Him to annul whatever decree hangs over our heads.  Others were frozen in fear. They sadly complained that they would have settled for remaining in Egypt as long as their slavery would have ended.  Hashem responded that this was not a time for prayer, but rather for positive action, for mesiras nefesh, a display of their faith in Him and a willingness to…

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ולא נחם אלקים דרך ארץ פלשתים כי קרוב הוא

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5786

Hashem did not lead them by way of the land of Plishtim, because it was near. (13:17)

Our lives are filled with miracles.  Yet, we do not take the time or make the effort to study them and to employ them as a pathway for deepening our bitachon, trust, in Hashem.  When Klal Yisrael left Egypt, two paths were before them: the short and easy route through the land of Plishtim; the long circuitous route through the wilderness.  Rabbeinu Chananel (quoted by Rabbeinu Bachya) explains that Hashem chose the long way which, albeit took them through the wilderness, provided the opportunity for exposure to additional miracles.  A trip straight through Plishtim would not have availed them the…

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Home -> 5785 -> Beshalach

שם שם לו חק ומשפט ושם נסהו

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5785

There he established for (the nation) a decree and an ordinance, and there He tested it. (15:25)

The nation needed to study Torah.  The Jewish People are unique in that sense; without Torah, we descend spiritually and open ourselves up to spiritual failure, which ultimately leads to spiritual extinction.  It had been a three-day journey from the Red Sea, and the people were already complaining, “What will we drink?”  Hashem transformed the bitter waters, and they became sweet.  Seeing how the lack of Torah study caused disaster, the Almighty gave the nation commandments with which to occupy themselves until Kabbolas HaTorah, at which time they would receive the Luchos, Ten Commandments.  He gave them the laws of…

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ד' ימלך לעולם ועד

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5785

Hashem shall reign for all eternity. (15:18)

Horav Aryeh Leib Heyman, zl, cites a debate in Chazal (Berachos 40B) concerning the necessity to proclaim Malchus Hashem, as Monarch, when reciting a b’rachah.  Rav posits that it is sufficient to vocalize the word Hashem as Adon, Master, G-d; it is not necessary to include the words, Melech Olam.  Rabbi Yochanan contends that any b’rachah that does not include Melech Olam in its text is not a blessing.  The halachah follows Rabbi Yochanan (Orach Chaim 214). In Meseches B’rachos (7B), Chazal teach that Avraham Avinu was the first person to refer to Hashem as Adon; Leah Imeinu was the…

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Home -> 5785 -> Beshalach

וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נסע אחריהם

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5785

Bnei Yisrael raised their eyes and behold! Egypt was journeying after them. (14:10)

Two nations reared their ugly heads against us.  Two nations demonstrated their unmitigated, venomous hatred against our ancestors: Egypt and Amalek.  Yet, a great difference exists between the hatred manifest by Egypt and the animus that has characterized Amalek  throughout the millennia.  Horav Yaakov Shteinhouse, Shlita (Ram, Kol Torah), observes that, concerning Egypt’s incursion against us, the Torah writes, Hashem yilachem lachem v’atem tacharishun, “Hashem shall make war for you, and you shall remain silent” (Shemos 14:14).  On the other hand, concerning the battle with Amalek, Hashem instructed Moshe Rabbeinu to lead the men in battle against Amalek.  Wherein lies…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beshalach

כי יד על כס קה מלחמה לד' עם בעמלק מדר דר

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5784

For a hand is raised on the Throne of Hashem an eternal battle of G-d with Amalek from generation to generation. (17:16)

The last pasuk in this parshah underscores the eternal battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Hashem will not rest until Amalek is eradicated along with its physical and spiritual successors. Wherein lay the evil that Amalek wrought against us? Indeed, in the end of Parashas Ki Seitzei (Devarim 25:18), the Torah exhorts us to remember what Amalek did to us. The immediate question that glares at us upon reading this pasuk is: What did Amalek really do to us? He attacked us and was wiped out by Yehoshua and the Jewish army. For all intents…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beshalach

כי מחה אמחה את זכר עמלק מתחת השמים

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5784

That I shall surely erase the memory of Amalek from under the heavens. (17:14)

The most powerful tool against the yetzer hora, evil-inclination, is pride. When one maintains a sense of pride, when one believes in himself, the yetzer hora will have great difficulty in undermining his self-esteem. While on the surface this may seem counterintuitive to the middah, character trait, of humility, it is anything but. A truly humble person is well aware of who he is and of what he is capable of achieving. He just does not allow it to go to his head. He has been blessed with specific talents as part of his mission on this world. He is…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beshalach

למען אנסנו

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5784

So that I can test them. (16:4)

A prospective teacher usually prepares and gives a sample class in order to showcase his/her style and abilities, so that the employer can discern whether the teacher is a good fit for the class and the school. This is especially important if the school caters to students from diverse backgrounds, difficult family situations, and emotional and physical learning disabilities. The teacher’s ability to engage and motivate the students, generate their interest in the subject and build their trust are his greatest assets. In such a daunting situation the teacher’s skill is crucial. In addition, his ability to tolerate behavior which…

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Home -> 5784 -> Beshalach

ד' ימלך לעולם ועד

Sruly Schnair
In Beshalach, 5784

Hashem shall reign for all eternity. (15:18)

Horav Aryeh Leib Heyman, zl, observes that, from Adam HaRishon to Noach and on to the Avos, Patriarchs and the Shevatim, Tribes, never does the Torah use the term melech, king. The first time we “meet” Hashem as Melech is at the end of Shiras HaYam, when Bnei Yisrael declare: Hashem Yimloch l’olam va’ed, “Hashem shall reign for all eternity.” An unwritten rule is that the first time a term appears in Tanach, it becomes the source that defines that term. We see this idea in a number of places. Chazal (Berachos 7b), “From the time of Creation until Avraham…

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