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Growing up I spent 1st and 2nd grade at Oakleigh Elementary School, located right in my old neighborhood in the Bainsville area of Baltimore County, Maryland. Oakleigh Elementary was so close that I could and,
most days did, walk to and from school. It was during my 2nd grade year that my youngest brother was born, and my parents, to help celebrate his birth decided to bring cupcakes for my class to share. As my father was bringing the cupcakes into the school he witnessed two fist-fights between students right in the hallway which housed my classroom. My parents decided they wanted me to get a better education in a more stable and safe setting so at the start of my 3rd grade year, I found myself at Arlington Baptist School on the other side of Baltimore County. Not only was I not able to walk to school anymore, I had to get up at 6am and endure an hour long bus ride just to get to there. I had gotten pretty used to the routine at Oakleigh, I had, after all, just spent two years there. So, on the first day at my new school I found myself, with the infinite wisdom of an 8 year old, assuring another student that we would be able to finish our conversation during recess, right after lunch. Imagine my confusion when we were shuffled back to the classroom, without recess, without even so much as the opportunity for a bathroom run (you see, we were supposed to take care of that during our lunch break, we were, after all 3rd graders, and expected to exercise some responsibility.) It was at that moment that it sank in…everything was different, I was an hour away from home, in a new school where I had to wear a uniform, with no recess after lunch and on top of that I had to go to church during school and all the classes in some way, shape, or form had religion tied into them. I didn't understand why I was there, and was beginning to long for the good olde days. I was determined, after enduring the long, boring bus ride home, to find out why…why did everything have to change, and when could things go back to the way they were? My parents assured me that the decision that had been made was for my own good and that things would get better, most likely sooner than later. They, as they most often were, were right. Things did get better, I made new friends and quickly got used to the new routines of my life and school, and yes, even found a way to make the bus ride more tolerable…I discovered it was a great time to read, when I wasn't cutting up with my friends or trying to do my homework neatly as the bus bounced along the highways and streets of Baltimore County. It was shortly after this adjustment, which did not, as it turned out, take too long…after all, I was only 8; that I found myself at peace with my new life and in that peace during one of those church sessions that I had to attend I met a man who would change my life and excepted the salvation that He offered me. As I read and re-read Beshalach, our Torah Portion for this week, I can't help being struck by the similarities of what I went through and what the fledgling nation of Israel went through as they left Egypt and started on their journey to the Promised Land. Now, I do have them beat on one account, it only took me one day to realize my life had been turned upside down and that I wanted to go back to what I had…but there was only one of me and, by the best estimates, a little over 6 million of them when you count in the women, children, elderly and the members of the mixed multitude that came out with them. But where I beat them on complaining…they beat me on accepting the salvation that was provided for them, they accepted it the very day it was presented, if I remember correctly it took me a couple weeks. In the way of comparisons, I had it pretty easy, I was placed in the midst of buses, having to get up early, and no recess. We learn in verses 1 & 2 of the 14th chapter of Shemot that the B'nai Israel was in a little bit more precarious spot. HaShem spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the B'nai Israel and let them turn back and encamp before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon; you shall encamp opposite it, by the sea. The word in the Hebrew that is translated as "before" is la'pini or "to face of", the nation was to encamp facing Pi-hahiroth on one side and Baal-zephon on the other with Migdol and the sea completing the box. The sea was the Sea of Reeds. Migdol translates into tower. Pi-hahiroth is the "mouth of the gorges." Just to be safe, I looked up the word gorges, a gorge, is a deep valley between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Finally, Baal-zephon is the "god of winter" or "the destroyer". HaShem put the B'nai Israel in a box, a box that I wouldn't want to be in, a box between large, man made items, natural barriers, and representations of spiritual forces. Then, on top of that, He sent Pharaoh and his armies. I don't know about you, but I think I would be wishing for the sweet life of slavery again too, and I would probably be just as vocal about it. Sure, they had witnessed Hashem's hand through the plagues, and even experienced some of them personally. They had seen the death of the first born of those that would not believe even as they watch the first born of the believers spared. They had seen HaShem at work in powerful ways, but they did not have two things that we do: 1.) a long history of family and friends that excepted HaShem without question, and 2.) the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of the Messiah…proof that HaShem will, in fact, provide salvation. Here they are, boxed in between man made obstacles, natural barriers and representations of spiritual forces with an army bearing down on them and what does HaShem tell them to do? Shemot 14:13-14 says: Moses said to the people, "Do not fear! Stand fast and see et Yeshuat Adonai that He will perform for you today; for as you have seen Egypt today, you shall not see them ever again! HaShem shall make war for you, and you shall remain silent." Let's think about this for a minute…we're stuck between four imposing barriers with an army intent on our destruction closing in fast and we are told not to fear…yeah right. But wait, it gets better, we are told to stand fast no problem, we're pretty much stuck…right…wrong, while its speaking in physical terms, more importantly its speaking in terms of the mental and the spiritual, we need to stand fast spiritually to see, to witness first hand, the salvation of HaShem. Finally we are told to remain silent as HaShem makes, or wages, war on our behalf. Its funny, things haven't changed much in 4000 years, to see our salvation today we have to do pretty much the same thing: stop fearing the world and what we think it can do to us, stand still and see our salvation, the Yeshuat Adonai, and be silent as HaShem wages war on our behalf. Something else I noticed, if you read the text very carefully you find that there are exactly three days between when the B'nai Israel left Egypt and they accept their salvation, and, more importantly, their salvation is provided first thing in the morning, on the third day...sound familiar? So, here I am, having just experienced some pretty profound things in my 8 year old life and I have come out on the other side a better person with and because of the Salvation of HaShem. The birds are singing and the moon is low in the horizon glowing over the calm waters lapping on the beautiful breezy beach as I walk off into the night playfully kicking at the surf. Then the credits roll and the house lights come up and all you see in the garish glow is the trash strewn dirty theater with people piling out. You see my life was not all perfect and wonderful; I made bad choices, ran from, hid from, and refused G-d. There were times when I outright complained, and not only complained, but complained bitterly, HaShem had given me a new life and I kept wishing for the old. I wanted what I used to have, because it seemed better, easier, clearer, and you know what He did, He fed me. He fed me talents, He fed me people that cared about me and looked out for me. He fed me opportunity and blessing. Funny, as we continue reading in our Parasha we find the same thing happening to the B'nai Israel, they complained that they had it better in Egypt, saying that at least if they were going to die they would die next to a pot of meat after being satiated with bread. So, what does HaShem do upon hearing this? He feeds them, and not with just anything, He feeds them with Manna, food from Heaven, always in the right amount, and for 40 years, exactly where you needed it. The only stipulation was that you could not horde it. If you did, if you tried to save it over for the next day it would become infested with worms and stink. You had to have faith that it would come every day, you had to live in faith that you would be fed and you were. In that faith you also had to have obedience, for while you were not allowed to carry over a normal day's portion into the next, you were required to carry over the double portion you received on the 6th day over into the 7th. You were required to understand that preparations were made for you to honor the Shabbat and to except not only those preparations but the gift of the Shabbat. We need to do the same thing today, we need to live in faith that we will be fed, we need to put our trust in HaShem, give over our lives to Him and know that He will take care of us. We need to learn from the final lesson of the manna, we need to learn not to horde our blessings, we need to need to understand that we are, not will be, but are provided with what we need and we need to have faith that tomorrow is taken care of. Shabbat Shalom ~ Rabbi Paul
13 Shevat, 5769 / 6 February, 2009 |
