The Parsha |
|
Beshalach
The Exodus culminates in the Splitting of the Sea and the drowning of the Egyptian army.
The Text:
And Israel saw the Mighty Hand that G-d had wrought against Egypt, and the People feared G-d, and they believed in G-d…Then Moses and the Children of Israel sang this song…
[Exodus 15:31]
Question:
Doesn’t belief in G-d come before fear of G-d? You can’t fear G-d until you believe in Him!
Answer:
The Jews already knew G-d existed; the miracles they saw helped them internalize this knowledge, making G-d’s presence a reality in their lives. How did this happen? The Splitting of the Sea generated fear of G-d – a sobering awareness of His greatness – which helped the Jews rise above pettiness and selfishness to a higher level of refinement and spirituality. From this inspired vantage point, the Jews were able to see more clearly, and truly believe in G-d more profoundly than ever before.
Message:
Faith in G-d is not acquired through logical analysis. Our belief is rooted in the bedrock of the soul; we experience confusion and doubt only because passions, emotions and biases cloud our vision and color our judgment. The more we refine our character, elevate our perception and inspire ourselves with Torah’s vision, the more authentically we can live our lives – not only knowing, but truly believing, what we know is fundamentally true.
Click below to open a printable pdf
| beshalach_snapshot_and_closer_look_template_final.pdf |