Beshalach - Israel Has Nowhere to Turn But to G-d

you're listening to the weekly partial podcast with Ari goldwag recorded with hhm's never ending assistance in Israel 2024 this week's par par bash the Jewish people are sent out of Egypt the children of Israel are saved from the deep oppression that they experienced in Egypt as slaves and as they leave parro Pharaoh the great leader of Egypt realizes that they are escaping he didn't intend that they would leave permanently but they are escaping so he runs after them with his most powerful uh his most powerful chariots his most powerful man and the great miracle occurs Hashem instructs MOS ra to raise up his hand and the waters split the Jewish people walk in on dry land and ultimately the Egyptians follow after them the Jews are saved and the Egyptians are killed they fall I'd like to share with you a mish which speaks at this point in the in the story in the history of the Jewish people and we're going to compare and contrast the the Egyptian way of being in the world which is we could call a secular way of being in the world which the western civilization espouses and the Jewish way of being in the world the the way that our Torah guides us and encourages us to act after Hashem instructs mosu to have the Jewish people walk through the water and indeed dry land it's on dry land that they walk so Hashem tells Moshe to raise his hand again to allow the water to go back to its normal way of being and that's what happens the Jewish people exit or will see exactly how they get out but the exit the the water and the Egyptians are the Egyptians are are drowned in the water says the med we have a in the song of songs we were grabbed by Foxes little foxes says the verse PK is talking about the Jewish people and it says how we were grabbed by Foxes what does this mean we find that when the Torah wants to give us a mush an analogy for the the different rulerships the different um civilizations under which we would find ourselves beholden so it gives a mus gives an analogy to different animals and Yama very large animals four large animals came out of the sea says the says the navi says the Prophet Daniel 7:3 so the analogy of each of these M of these each of these kingdoms these civilizations that we became subservient to the Jewish people became subservient to they're represented by animals large animals but when we want to give a representation of the Egyptians the Egyptian Exile is a different kind of Exile Egyptians are compared to foxes not large animals what is the idea so the first explanation so it's the first explanation is that there is a description here of the different Exiles that we went through the the ones to whom we were beholden so the later Exiles the malus the the the kingdoms that we we were exiled to or under were greater Egypt was just considered a little fox we find buzz says Ezekiel prophecies that ultimately Egypt will become very lowly in comparison to all the other countries all the other uh great Empires so that's the first explanation okay hold on here hold on to your hats hold on to your seats the son of says the reason that they were uh the analogy is of Egyptians to foxes is because of the fact that a fox is very smart right we when we want to say in English that someone was outsmarted they were out foxed right a fox is a smart animal the Egyptians were also very crafty when we look at a fox as it's escaping from its enemies so it looks behind him and wants to make sure that it's safe it's always looking out for itself the Egyptians also were very crafty they were very worried they worried about their [Music] survival they said about about the Jewish people they said we have to watch out for this very powerful Nation that's growing in our midst we can't allow them to become stronger so the Egyptians hatched a plan they were crafty they were smart they wanted to out Fox the Jewish people and to Al Fox God as it were first of all they said let's wisely cause them to become our slaves but not just are they going to be our slaves as we'll see the M continues but they're going to be we're going to cause them damage we have to we have to kill their babies right that's what the Egyptians did they took the Jewish babies and they threw them into the water they threw them into the Nile the question is why did they choose the Nile why didn't they kill him a different way so this was their this was how how they made a This Is How They uh calculated the issue they were worried that whatever they do to cause damage to the Jewish people to the Israelites it will come back on them right hasem everybody knows God judges people mid measure for measure so they said like this if let's say the way that we kill the children is by using a [Music] sword God can measure for measure bring upon us the sword war will come into our into our country if we burn the children so then he could bring fire upon us they said we know that hem has made an oath that he won't bring a deluge onto the world he did it already in the times of Noah but it's not going to happen again since we know that God made this promise about about water not punishing the world with water so let's throw them into the water this way we'll be protected from God's measure for measure punishment okay so they were very crafty they were very foxik [Music] God says to them you evil Wicked people that's true I promis that I wouldn't bring a deluge to the world you know what I'm going to do for you instead of me bringing the delug to you I'm going to bring you to the delug every single individual first of all I'm going to bring you to the delu I'm going to bring you to the Sea where the Jewish people walk through on dry land and you will be drowned there but I won't have brought the punishment to you you will have been brought to the punishment that's number one number two each and every individual will get what he deserves there will be the measure for measure perhaps we could say it's true Hashem promised that he wouldn't bring a mobble he wouldn't punish with water the whole world but who says that he can't do that for individual Nation or an individual [Music] person so the Egyptians were very smart they were trying to outsmart God but they were the ones who were outsmarted says in Psalms 63:1 they will be the the sword will be they will be threatened by The Sword and they will have the portion of a fox this P refers to the Egyptians who were Wicked hasem dragged them to the sword of the se he used the sea as his sword what is this portion of the foxes that they will [Music] have this final Maka you know if we look at the hierarchy of the Egyptian people so there was the king Pharaoh there were his officers his advisors there were zakum maybe elders and there were different levels it was a cast system now who are the ones that had originally said let's let's get the Jews let's let's uh have this plan with them who are the one that was making this whole calculation it was the higher-ups it was Pharaoh and those who were his advisors so Hashem when he brought the esus says the M when he brought the 10 plagues so he didn't give the plague he didn't bring the plague upon those advisers yet because he was waiting he was waiting to give them you were crafty you were trying to out Fox me as it word God says I will I will show you the craft the my craftiness how I can bring excuse me how I can bring measure for measure exactly what you tried to escape you will have your judgment you will have the final the final verdict will be drawn upon you and you will have that punishment so they didn't get punished meaning they weren't brought down by the first 10 maras by the first 10 plagues but there they died it was saved for them the best was saved for last so to speak points out that the says the word twice it says we were seized by Foxes small foxes so say the word foxes twice and if you look at the word shu is written two different ways one is with a and one is without of so whenever we have whenever you have an extra letter or a missing letter so it's there for us to try to understand why the T left it out says the first one is has an extra V and the second one is missing the extra V because if you read the word sh without a you can also read it as which means the the Del of the of the sea so they acted as foxes and they were deled that's another way to read the word Fox can also be read as a as a mble okay so the M goes on to say how they were trying to save their babies and how the Egyptians would bring another baby in there cause the baby to cry the baby the the baby that was hidden the Jewish baby that was hidden would cry also and they would snatch the baby throw him into the sea so the me just finishes off the tells us at the end of this piece that God judged and this was a powerful uh statement to the world something that yro recognized God judges measure for measure and shows that if you do a certain wrong in the punishment you'll see what it was that was done wrong originally Hashem indeed they acted in a crafty way and they killed the babies in the water brought their punishment upon them in a crafty way and killed them with water so that's Egypt that's how Egypt does things Egypt tries to guarantee its survival guarantee that the Jewish people won't come and rebel against them join their enemies how do they guarantee their survival with a with a trick with a plan kill the babies what does Hashem show the Egyptians it ain't going to work you can't guarantee your survival you can't try to squash the Jewish people because you want to survive because you want something other way around the the result of what you've done the result of your attempted means of survival will be the downfall and the cause of your lack of survival says the next piece in the medish the the PK says the water is going to go back right Hashem made a miracle the water split Jewish people walk through on dry land Egyptians follow after them now we need the water to go back to the way it was and hasem instructs mosha to raise his staff in order to do that says you know the the last straggler of the Jewish people got out of the water and then the Egyptians were still in the water and the water came back rushing back upon the Egyptians and they all died Jews were out Egyptians were still [Music] in hence the result who always argues they were good friends Rish says no that's not what happened if you read theuk carefully it doesn't sound it sounds like the Egyptians are still in there as they're dying and the Jews are also still in the [Music] water the Jews did not get out of the water says they were both locked into the the Jewish people and the Egyptians were both locked into the water from four sides the Jews were in the water the water was about to come cck crashing back Egyptians are still in the watera or in the area of the where the water's going to to return so Moses says to God he says what what are we going to do water is surrounding us on all sides how are we going to get out of [Music] here God says don't worry you don't need anything I'm going to take care of this I'm going to make a miracle but did a miracle maybe you didn't hear about this I don't remember hearing about this before reading this Mish the Jewish people didn't just walk out of the sea the Jewish people were raised up in a miraculous way from the sea it surrounded them too the water seemed like it was going to to destroy them as well there was there was there was suspense till the last second in a miraculous way the Jewish people were raised up out of the sea as says in Psalms 18:1 17 God will send down from above he will take me he will touch me he will he will save me from the Great Waters so the water comes crashing down the je people like ah Jewish people are miraculously lifted up above the water miraculously brought out to dry land while the Egyptians or maybe even they're watching maybe they're watching what's going on beneath them the Egyptians are killed by the water [Music] say beautiful analogy and with this analogy we start to get the difference between who who are the Jews who are the the Ben Israel the children of Israel and who are the Egyptians and their ilk it's an analogy to somebody who saw the soldiers coming the enemy Soldiers the the they they were coming some was with him he's holding his son so what does he do he need protect his son he protect himself he grabs his son he picks up his son with one hand and and uses his other hand he's holding his his son here on this side and he's holding a sword in the other hand and he's killing all of the enemy soldiers so his son says to his father Hashem right it's the Jewish people really Hashem is holding us with one hand and fighting our enemies with the other hand right so so we say to hasem the child says to the father you shouldn't be lacking anything with your hand hands one hand should continue to have the power to hold me and your other hand he's praying your other hand should have the ability to be strong and fight against the [Music] enemies the people of Israel said to God as well these two hands that you are using they should powerfully protect and they should powerfully fight our enemies one hand that God used it's the same it's really to is it the same hand or not so the mes discusses the M discuss that the ra right typically in cabala when we speak about the right hand or the left hand the right hand is God's ra his compassion the left hand is God's gor his withholding of compassion is holding back but here the M explained that his left hand turned into a right hand so he had two right hands and the r of God upon the Jewish people The Compassion that God had for us was that which caused the downfall of the Egyptians that's how hasem does things right when God wants to have R he wants to have r on the Jewish people so he protects us with his compassion and he destroys our enemies with his compassion says your right hand is so powerful God your right hand destroys our enemies so look let's let's look for a moment and think about the the difference between how God interacts with us and takes care of us and God interacts and takes care of so to speak the Egyptians the Egyptians are busy saying how are we going to ensure survival how are we going to ensure that everything will be the way we want it to be our enemies won't come up against us they have all these plans God foils their plans and God destroys them what is with the Jewish people we go into the water I'm saying there's no better example of no plan right go in the water what are you going to do it there just go the Jewish people get in there and not only that they're surrounded on all sides according to by what where do we go says what should we do hasem says there's nothing to do I've got you I've got you there's going to be Miracles here don't be worried so the same hand which is coming now to destroy the Egyptians and show them that all of their plans were for nothing that all of their Outlook and all of their belief system about how I need to guarantee my future guarantee my future that's how the the western civilization what they're trying to do so to speak which all these guarantees are going to fall on their faces and the Jewish people who are surrounded on all sides think about it the Jewish people the land of Israel surrounded on all sides from the north from the south from the from the East the West everywhere you go they want to destroy us the Arabs want to want to destroy us they want to take back what they call their land but what do we do we're trapped from all sides we depend on as we are the child that God is holding with one hand he's holding us and with one hand he's destroying our enemies and sometimes hasem does it in a way that's very clear that it's him and sometimes hashm does does it as he's doing today through us but we must never forget the difference between us and them we don't guarantee our future we are guaranteed our future only by only by God and to the degree that we depend on him depend on his miracles depend on the very water that Hashem split think about this think about this the very water that Hashem split God opened up a channel within the water of the the Nile and I would say it's a marshall it's an analogy for Hashem opened up this space in the middle of all the Arab lands part of the seas in our Holy Land of Israel and here we are walking through the sea today and the waters are threatening to Deluge us but really that's not it all of the delug is saved for all of those who planned with their crafty plans think Iran think think think of hthis and and kikim think of all these people they all plan all their plans all their plans to guarantee their future their view version of the future their plans fall on their own heads the water crashes down on them and the Jewish people walk through on dry land and in the moment of the greatest danger the Jewish people are raised up above the water and that's what we're experiencing today and that's what we experienced them and this is what the Jewish people looks like in the moment of gula of redemption we're experiencing a national Redemption at this time yes we are experiencing a national Redemption at this time and it's it's so important to open our eyes and see man it was in those times it's also in our times I want to bless you and I ask you to bless me hem should help us to be able to have the fortitude to withstand the crazy situation the water on all sides should help us that we should be able to get through to the other side be able to travel straight to the promised land where we rebuild our Temple speedily and in our days thank you so much for listening have a wonderful shabus this podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you for more podcasts like this please visit www.wag.com or search on iTunes Ari goldwag