Beshalach - Moving Through Mitzrayim - The Narrow Place
In last week's Torah portion, we learned that after centuries of enslavement, our ancestors gained their freedom from the Mitzrayim, also known as the narrow place, the place of constriction, and the place that caused the Israelites so much pain. In this week's Torah portion Beshalach which means to send forth, God sent the Israelites forth into the wilderness. God did not lead the Israelites in a straight line to their destination. Instead, God sends them on a roundabout long way through the wilderness by way of the sea. God was concerned that our ancestors would change their hearts, get scared, and want to return to the place that had enslaved them. God wasn't wrong because when the Israelites found themselves at the edge of the sea, with nowhere to go except into the water, they were frightened, scared, and desperate. They wanted to run and turn back to Mitzrayim, and they cried out for help, and on faith, they stepped forward, and the waters of the sea opened. The Israelites were so happy that they made it through another narrow place that they broke out in song. They sang Ozi v'Zimrat Yah Vayahi li lishuah (God is my strength and song, and God is my salvation), and they sang the words Mi chamocha ba'eilim, Adonai (Who is like You God?) when they crossed the sea.
Ozi v'Zimrat Yah and Mi Chamocha are parts of the Song of the Sea, a song that we still sing today as a reminder of our faith that God will help us through our narrow places. A few moments later, in the Torah, the fear returned, and the Israelites were once again afraid and complained about lack of water and food, and many wanted to turn back and return to Mitzrayim. This time, God's response was to provide food and water and teach the Israelites about Shabbat. Telling the Israelites six days you shall work, gather and seek and on the seventh day, you will stop, rest and simply be. This practice of stopping and resting can help all of us find faith, courage, and strength to move through the narrow places that enter our lives. Shabbat can also help us seek clarity when there are no easy answers, no charted path, and it is unclear where we want to go. Like our ancestors, we often find ourselves at the edge of the sea, with no visible path ahead and no clear answers on where we are to go. But the Divine gift of Shabbat, rest, and the option to just be will give us an opportunity for clarity, and maybe you will hear the Song of the Sea and dance and sing like our ancestors.
Shabbat Shalom