Summary

The Jewish people left Egypt in great spirits till they suddenly found themselves trapped in the wilderness. The Torah relates the various steps that took place before the water split at the sea. There were actually ten miracles that took place in connection with the splitting of the sea, so what was the need for a staff and a wind? G'd gave man creative powers that have cosmic consequences. The prophet involves himself on three levels with what is going to happen, in his mind, with his speech and finally with his physical act. G'd instructed Moses to raise his staff, just as He instructed him to do some physical act before every plague in Egypt. An objective observer clearly sees the Hand of G'd, not only in the biblical accounts of miracles, but also in the many hidden miracles of our daily lives. "Stand firm and see the salvation of G'd."

Jews were trapped

In this week's parasha, the Torah describes how the Jewish people left Egypt in great spirits till they suddenly found themselves trapped in the wilderness. After they had left, Pharaoh and his subjects again had a change of heart. They decided to pursue the Jewish people with whatever was left of the Egyptian army. The Egyptians caught up with the Jewish people who were trapped at a strategic point that would have put even an experienced army at great disadvantage. The Midrash Rabbah (Shemos 21:5) explains that they could not move ahead because of the sea, at both sides wild beasts of the wilderness were roaming, and from behind the Egyptians were charging towards them. The Jews did not know what to do. Some suggested throwing themselves into the sea. Others said that they had no choice but to return to their old masters. One group tried to mobilize and be ready to face the Egyptians in battle. Finally, there was a group who screamed at the Egyptians to scare them away. Although they could not agree on what action to take, they all united in prayer and cried out to G'd to come to their assistance.

Splitting of the sea

G'd responded to their prayer and said to Moses (Shemos 14:15-16): "Tell the Children of Israel, and they shall travel ahead. And you shall lift your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it." Moses did as G'd instructed him. After that the Torah says (Shemos 14:21): "And G'd moved the sea with a strong eastern wind all night and He made the sea into dry land and He split the water."

Four steps

The Torah here relates four steps that took place before the water split. First, the Jewish people prayed to G'd. In response to their prayers, G'd told Moses to instruct the Jewish people to travel ahead into the sea and that Moses should raise his staff. Finally, G'd brought about a strong wind that blew away the sea. The Midrash Rabbah (Shemos 21:5) explains that G'd orchestrated the peril at the sea in order to bring the Jewish people to pray to Him. Obviously, G'd does not need anyone's prayer but the Jews needed a merit. They had been idol worshippers in Egypt and were not worthy of a miracle to save them from the Egyptians. But even after their prayers, through which they acknowledged their dependence on G'd, they needed to prove their total trust in G'd. They displayed this trust, by following G'd's instruction, and travelled right into the sea, relying upon G'd to split the sea for them once they were inside.

Why the staff and wind?

But why did Moses have to raise his staff, and what was the purpose of the strong wind? Obviously, the splitting of the sea was a Divine miracle. The Mishnah says in Pirkei Avos (5:5) that there were actually ten miracles that took place in connection with the splitting of the sea, so what was the need for a staff and a wind?

Cosmic consequences of our creative powers

In order to understand why Moses had to raise his staff, we must realize the tremendous power G'd entrusted us with, when He created us in His image (see Bereishis 1:27). Rabbi Chaim Valozhiner (Nefesh HaChaim 1:3) explains that this obviously does not refer to any physical resemblance as G'd has absolutely no physicality. Rather, says Rabbi Chaim, it means that G'd gave man creative powers. He explains (ibid 4) that every act that we perform has cosmic consequences as our souls are directly connected to the spiritual worlds above. He emphasizes that this power imposes a tremendous responsibility on us, as our thoughts, speech and acts may effect large groups of people. However, says Rabbi Chaim (ibid 14), no two people are alike, and the effect of a person's deeds depends on the level of his soul and how high it is connected in the spiritual worlds. The Kabbalists explain that a person can elevate his soul, as he becomes more spiritual and gets closer to G'd. In order to become a prophet a person must be close to G'd and conduct himself on a high spiritual level. The Rambam (Laws of Basic Torah Principals 7:1) describes in great detail the greatness of a prophet. He must be a great scholar and exercise complete self-control. Even among prophets, says the Rambam (ibid 2), there are many levels, with Moses in a league of his own, way above any other prophet (see ibid 6).

Prophet involved on three levels

When G'd informs a prophet about something that is going to happen, whether in the immediate or distant future, G'd often instructs the prophet to perform a physical act at the time when he prophesizes. In this way, the prophet involves himself on three levels with what is going to happen, with his mind, his speech and finally with his physical act. These are the very same three ways that we influence the upper worlds, as Rabbi Chaim Valozhiner explains (Nefesh HaChaim 1:12-14). In His infinite wisdom, G'd created man with this power. G'd wants everything that comes from Above to originate from man down here in this world.

Physical staff and wind

We can now well understand why G'd instructed Moses to raise his staff, just as He instructed him to do some physical act before every plague in Egypt. For before G'd enacts anything, it must be initiated somehow by a human being. G'd repeated this same pattern with later prophets as well (see for example Yechezkel 37:17).

Wind miracle

The Ramban (Shemos 14:24) addresses why G'd brought a strong wind. This, says the Ramban, was to enable Pharaoh and his army to fool themselves into believing that the splitting of the sea was a natural phenomenon brought about by the wind. Only a very superficial look at what was happening could bring about such an idea, for, as the Ramban points out, our sages relate that every tribe had their own path with walls of water on each side, something that no wind could have brought about. And this was just one of the ten miracles that the above-mentioned Mishnah in Pirkei Avos enumerates.

Objective observer

The Egyptians were blinded by their eagerness to pursue the Jewish people and they charged into the water of the sea, as it returned to its natural state. Since they had an agenda, they missed to see that the splitting of the waters was obviously an act of G'd. Throughout the generations, and especially in modern times, many other groups also have had an agenda to take the Divine out of the splitting of the sea and explain it as a natural phenomenon. This is only one example of many miracles that G'd has performed for the Jewish people that Bible critics and secular groups distort to fit with their agenda. An objective observer clearly sees the Hand of G'd, not only in the biblical accounts of miracles, but also in the many hidden miracles of our daily lives.

Stand firm

My late father used to point out what Moses said to the Jewish people just prior to the splitting of the sea. As it says (Shemos 14:13): "Stand firm and see the salvation of G'd." Said my father, only if we stand firm and focus will we be objective and see how G'd saves us. If we choose not to focus, we can easily be distracted and find other ways to explain what happens and totally miss the message that G'd is sending us. It is all up to us.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett