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The King and I
How fortunate we are that not only have we been chosen by HaShem to be His people but that He has tied His destiny to us, He waits for us to bring about His goal!
A close reading of our Parsha, B'shalach, will reveal this message.
On the morning of the 15th of Nissan, after Pharaoh and the Egyptians begged the Jewish people to leave the country, we left the land of slavery, the land of Egypt. After traveling several days away from Egypt HaShem instructed Moshe to lead the people back in the direction of Egypt so as to give the impression that they lost their way in the desert. The purpose of this ruse was to lure Pharaoh and his countrymen to chase after the freed slaves to recapture them.
"HaShem spoke to Moshe saying let them turn back ... and Pharaoh will say 'The people are lost in the land' and he will pursue them ... and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and his entire army and Egypt will know that I am HaShem."
The objective of having the Egyptian army engaged in such a chase was to get the army to follow the Jewish people into the Red Sea and then to drown them. The purpose of wiping out the Egyptian power in such a conspicuous manner was to demonstrate HaShem's awesome control over such details as political decisions of whether or not to go to war, whether or not to follow the Jews into the Red Sea. On the surface it appears that these decisions are attributable to the leaders who make them but this demise of the Pharaoh and the Egyptian army demonstrates otherwise. It is HaShem who manipulates the minds of leaders; He is the Director of History.
If we have accurately stated the motivation of why HaShem instructed Moshe to lead the people in the reverse direction, then it would be correct to say that this was done for the sake of HaShem; for the purpose of proclaiming His absolute sovereignty of History. It was not done for the sake of the Jewish people. From the people's perspective this entire show of the drowning of the Egyptians was superfluous. From their concern they were already free from Egypt.
Having established the above we are presented with a problem based on the Midrashic interpretation of this entire ruse.
The Midrash teaches us that HaShem set the stage that His people would be in a hopeless situation in order that they should cry out to Him and He would then save them, as follows. HaShem lured the Egyptians into chasing after the freed slaves so that they would catch up to the Jewish people on the banks of the Red Sea and place the Jewish people in a totally hopeless situation, trapped between the Sea and the powerful Egyptian army. This would inspire the people to cry out to HaShem and then HaShem would respond to their cry and save them from Egypt.
According to this Midrash it appears that the purpose of this ruse was to teach the newly chosen people to cry to HaShem when trouble arises and yet the verse implies that it was for the purpose of HaShem becoming glorified?
Perhaps we can reconcile this apparent conflict. As the Torah states, the purpose was to glorify HaShem through Pharaoh and the Egyptians. However, HaShem wanted to demonstrate that as much as He wanted to accomplish this goal it would nevertheless require the prayers of His newly chosen people. In other words, HaShem was demonstrating in such bold terms that although He had a purpose, namely to glorify His Name, it would be subject to His people's plea that He save them. If they would turn to Him they would be saved and if they would not turn to Him they would not be saved and the goal would not be achieved.
Of course you might ask; why should we need to turn to HaShem if His plan is for His interest not for ours? Does He need our input to do what He needs to do?
The answer is that we, HaShem and His chosen people, are inextricably bound together. We cannot be separated. So that if HaShem wants to accomplish a specific goal and we do not express our need for that, He will not do it, HaShem will not act unilaterally; we too must feel the need for that goal and express it as such and only then will HaShem carry out the goal.
Behold! Within HaShem's very grand goal of being glorified through Egypt we are told that we too must be players in accomplishing this goal. We too, must pray to HaShem that He be glorified by drowning Pharaoh and the Egyptian army!
Let us take this lesson one step further and bring it home to its natural application. If HaShem wishes to bring about a cure to the sick person He will not act unilaterally, He wants and waits for us to express our intense wish that HaShem cure the sick person. It is not enough that we want the sick person to recuperate; we must want that HaShem should be the One who brings the cure to the person.
How fortunate we are that not only have we been chosen by HaShem to be His people but that He has tied His destiny to us, He waits for us to bring about His goal!
Before I sign off I wish to share with you a painful situation that our family is currently in and request that you join us in securing a resolution. Ruthy's brother, Ari, has developed a disease in his mouth that will be operated on next week. In addition to being my brother-in-law Ari has quietly sponsored many activities of Achim. It would be so meaningful if you could include him in your personal prayers that HaShem grant him a speedy recovery.
His Hebrew name is Aharon ben Zisel Rochel, or Aharon Munk.
I very much thank you.
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Paysach Diskind
