Family Parshah
Beshalach Q & A

"Pharaoh will say to the Jews: 'They are lost in the wilderness.'" (14:3)

Question: All the Jews left Egypt or died during the days of darkness. To which Jews will Pharaoh speak?

Answer: Moses told Pharaoh that the Jews wanted to leave Egypt to serve G-d and that the trip would take only three days. Afterwards, they would return. Prior to their leaving, G-d said to Moses, "Speak into the ears of the people that they should borrow silver vessels and gold vessels" (11:2). This was to be kept secret so that Pharaoh should not find out that the Jews did not intend to return. Datan and Aviram, the infamous troublemakers, were not told that the Jews would be leaving for good, so that they could not inform Pharaoh.

Thus, when it came time to leave Egypt, Datan and Aviram decided not to go because it was not worth the effort to make such a big trip in three days. When the Jewish people do not return, Pharaoh will say to "the Jews" -- Datan and Aviram, "It seems your people are lost in the wilderness."

"G-d made the sea dry land and the water split." (14:21)

Question: Water normally flows, and only G-d can alter the laws of nature and split the sea. The Talmud 1, says, that pairing two people in marriage is as difficult as splitting the sea, and the Talmud2 says that earning a livelihood is as difficult as splitting the sea.

In what way is marriage, and livelihood analogous to the splitting of the sea?

Answer: When the Children of Israel saw Pharaoh pursuing them into the wilderness, they formed a number of plans of action. One group favored a battle with the Egyptians, another group advised leaping into the sea, a third said to surrender and return to Egypt, and a fourth advocated crying to G-d for help. Nobody dreamt of the possibility that the sea would split and that they would march through valiantly on dry land.3

Frequently, young people fantasize about their most suitable match. However, despite their plans, they meet their "match" in a totally unanticipated way, and often one marries someone from a distant place never originally envisioned. Similarly, in earning one's livelihood, an individual may have many plans and calculations, but ultimately G-d often provides him with an unanticipated source of income.

"G-d saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians." (14:30)

Question: It would have been sufficient to state, "G-d saved Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians." What do the words "that day" signify?

Answer: Pharaoh ordered that all the Jewish boys be drowned in the river, but when Moses was born, his mother managed to hide him for three months. Unable to conceal his whereabouts any longer, she was compelled to place him in the river and leave his fate to G-d. That day was the twenty first of Nissan (the seventh day of Pesach). Angels in heaven witnessing this pleaded before G-d, "The one who will be reciting praise to you on this day should be smitten on this day?!" Their plea was accepted: Moses's life was spared.4

Arriving at the shores of the sea on the twenty first of Nissan, the people feared for their lives when they saw the Egyptians pursuing them. G-d came to their rescue and saved them from the hands of the Egyptians. However, in reality it had all started many years earlier when on that day, He accepted the plea of the angels and spared the life of Moses, who ultimately redeemed the Jews from Egypt.

"Moses said to the people, 'Do not fear...G-d will fight for you, and you shall be silent.'" (14:13-14)

Question: Moses should have only said, "Do not fear. G-d will fight for you." Why did he add "You shall be silent"?

Answer: The Midrash writes, Continuously G-d has an argument with Satan. Satan complains to G-d that the Jewish people commit various crimes. G-d tells Satan, "Instead of speaking evil about the Jewish people, let us compare their record with that of the gentile world, and you will see how upright the Jewish people are."

However, G-d has a problem when Satan complains that the Jewish people speak in shul during prayers and the reading of the Torah. It is difficult for Him to defend them because in church the gentiles are very quiet and well behaved.

Alluding to this Moses told the Jews, "Do not worry about any problem Satan tries to create, because G-d will fight him and defend you. However, the condition is that "you should be silent" in synagogue during prayers and the Torah reading. Do not speak any idle talk because G-d finds it difficult to defend us from this complaint of Satan.