This weeks parsha, B’shallah reminds me of the following joke; “Mrs. Friedman, the third grade Hebrew teacher, needed some supplies from a supply cabinet that was seldom used and was secured with a lock. She didnt know the combination, and called Rabbi Weinstein to give it a try. Rabbi Weinstein placed his fingers on the locks dial and raised his eyes heavenward for a moment. Then he confidently spun the dial and opened the lock. Seeing how impressed Mrs. Friedman was with this demonstration of faith, he smiled and confided, ‘the numbers are written on the ceiling.’ The joke implies that, what seemed to be a great miracle wasn’t rather it was an unseen trick There are individuals who believe that the splitting of the Red Sea wasn’t a miracle but rather a natural phenomenon and there are others who claim that the splitting of the Red Sea never occurred but was rather a historical myth. While I am not going to try: and answer that question, I would like to look at an important verse which is central to the actual splitting of the Red Sea. That verse reads, “And the water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left” (Exodus 14:29) My question surrounding this verse being; is there any intrinsic meaning because of it’s mentioning a “wall of water…on their right and on their left” According to a Midrash I once read there is great significance in the mentioning of right and left. From the Midrash we hear not only of right and left but also in front of and behind as well. Accordingly the “Waters in Front”moved aside for the nation that performs Brit Milah. As we know, Brit Milah is covenantal to the Israelites. The “Waters Behind,” moved away before those who wear talit and tzitis over their shoulders. The wearing of a tallis being one of the foundational connectors between an individual and the mitzvoth While the “Waters on the right” moved away and defered to the nation that accepted Torah from God’s right hand, and finally the “Waters on the left” symbolized the nation that puts tefillin on the left arm, just as the Jewish people due every day (except for Shabbat and Holidays) during the morning (Scharait) service. So what do the four directions have in common? They help identify the Jewish people through the building into our daily lives a healthy dose of traditional belief that centers on the relationship of Kavod Ha’Adam and Kvod Ha’Makom (Man and God). I hope, that it is this relationship we embrace in our daily lives, for if so then we like the Israelites will be able to walk through our own Red Sea’s whenever the waters around us become rough.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:35:57 +0000
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