Parashat BeShalach- The Lesson of the Yam Suf
The Lesson of the Yam Suf
Parashat Beshalach tells the famous story of Keri'at Yam Suf, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. We read that as a result of this miracle, Benei Yisrael reached a level of faith in God that they had not previously achieved: "Va'ya'aminu B'Hashem" ("They believed in God" – 14:31). In fact, the Sages tell us that even the maidservants among the nation beheld a revelation that in some ways surpassed even the prophetic visions of Yechezkel, one of the greatest prophets who ever lived. What specific aspect of this event, the splitting of the Yam Suf, had such an impact upon the people? Why was this miracle capable of inspiring them far more powerfully than the ten supernatural plagues they witnessed in Egypt?
The answer can perhaps be understood by considering Benei Yisrael's situation as they stood at the banks of the Yam Suf. They found themselves trapped between the sea in front of them, the pursuing Egyptian army behind them, and the desert on either side. They had nowhere to turn, no realistic means of escape. Moshe, however, guaranteed them that God would intervene and save them. If we would venture a guess what went through Benei Yisrael's minds after they heard Moshe's reassurances, we would probably speculate that they envisioned an "eleventh plague" of sorts that would now strike the Egyptians. Perhaps God would bring another hailstorm upon the pursuing Egyptian army; or, maybe He would bring some deadly disease that would kill or incapacitate their pursuers. The last thing they could have possibly expected was that the waters in front of them would split and they would cross to safety. This was not an option they considered; many different possibilities likely crossed through their minds at those moments, but the splitting of the sea most certainly was not one of them.
This miracle thus demonstrated to Benei Yisrael more clearly than any other the limitless nature of divine power, the fact that God can intervene in any manner, even in ways that one could not possibly have imagined.
In a very famous pair of verses in Tehillim (121:1-2), King David exclaims, "I raise my eyes to the mountains; from where does My assistance come? My assistance comes from God, Maker of the heavens and earth." Some commentators explain that King David drew inspiration during times of crisis from the mountains. He looked to the mountains and contemplated the fact that God brought forth the mountains from sheer nothingness. Before creation, nothing at all existed; God produced everything from a vacuum. Thus, David exclaims, "I raise my eyes to the mountains – My assistance comes 'Mei'ayin'!" Although "Mei'ayin" is generally understood to mean "from where," it could also mean "from nothingness." David came to the realization that divine assistance can surface "from nothingness," even in dilemmas with no foreseeable solution. Just as the mountains emerged from nothingness, so does God's assistance come in ways that could never have been anticipated.
The Rabbis comment that two areas of life are as "difficult" as the splitting of the Yam Suf: securing a livelihood, and finding a spouse. Particularly in these two areas, a person's "salvation" so often comes in ways and from sources that he could never have previously imagined. Just as God saved Benei Yisrael at Yam Suf in a manner that could not have been foreseen, so does He provide us with our livelihood and bring young men and women together in ways that we would least expect.
For this reason, the Rabbis established the daily recitation of "Az Yashir," the song of praise that Benei Yisrael sung after witnessing the miracle of the Yam Suf. The Zohar comments that this daily recitation is of such importance that one who ensures to recite "Az Yashir" each day is guaranteed that it will continue to be sung even in the World to Come. Each day, we must remind ourselves of this most critical lesson, the lesson of the Yam Suf. We each have difficult areas in our lives, problems and dilemmas for which we can see no realistic solution. We can find considerable comfort and reassurance in the daily recitation of "Az Yashir," by bringing to mind the story of Yam Suf and the lesson of God's unlimited power. By reminding ourselves of God's ability to provide assistance through the most unforeseeable means, we can feel confident in His ability to find solutions to even life's most unsolvable dilemmas, and help us surmount even the most insurmountable obstacles.
