Living Torah Archives

The Israelites were exiled in Egypt and forced to engage in slave labor, yet, when their redemption finally came, there were some who didn’t want to leave exile! Life became easy as soon as the slave-labor ceased, so they began complaining, “Why do we need to search for Torah and Judaism in the desert, and follow a wild individual like Moses? We have a competent king, culture and wisdom – let’s remain. But G-d sent a warning through Moses, that Pharaoh will “banish them from his land.” A Jew isn’t given a choice in the matter.

The Torah portion of Beshalach contains both the song of Moses, as well as the song of Miriam. The chosen Haftarah, however, which discusses the Song of Deborah, is chosen specifically in connection to the Song of Miriam.

Two essential lessons from the Exodus for every Jew: Pharaoh, the mightiest king in the world, ruthlessly oppressed the Jewish People. Yet his behavior completely reversed, and, instead of afflicting the Jews, “Pharaoh sent the people away...”. Then the Torah relates: “G-d did not lead the Jews through the Land of the Philistines… lest they see war, reconsider, and return to Egypt.” G-d does not command us to follow a path in which we cannot succeed. “G-d prepares the steps of man” – when G-d leads a person to a certain place, and, through the teachings of the Torah, gives him a mission to accomplish, this, itself, proves that he has all the capabilities he needs to succeed.