Weekly Parsha

Exodus 13:17 - 17:16

The Jewish people leave Egypt. Pharaoh regrets letting them go, pursues them leading his chosen chariot corps and a huge army. The Jews rebel and cry out to Moses, "Weren't there enough graves in Egypt? Why did you bring us out here to die in the desert?" The Yam Soof, the Sea of Reeds (usually mistranslated as the Red Sea) splits, the Jews cross over, the Egyptians pursue and the sea returns and drowns the Egyptians. Moses with the men and Miriam with the women -- each separately -- sing praises of thanks to the Almighty.

They arrive at Marah and rebel over the bitter water. Moses throws a certain tree in the water to make it drinkable. The Almighty then tells the Israelites, "If you obey G-d your Lord and do what is upright in His eyes, carefully heeding all His commandments and keeping all His decrees, then I will not strike you with any of the sicknesses that I brought on Egypt. I am G-d who heals you." (This is why the Hagaddah strives to prove there were more than 10 plagues in Egypt -- the greater the number of afflictions, the greater number from which we are protected.)

Later the Israelites rebel over lack of food; G-d provides quail and manna (a double portion was given on the sixth day to last through Shabbat; we have two challahs for each meal on Shabbat to commemorate the double portion of manna). Moses then instructs them concerning the laws of Shabbat. At Rephidim, they rebel again over water. G-d tells Moses to strike a stone (later in the Torah G-d tells Moses to speak to the stone, not here!) which then gave forth water. Finally, the portion concludes with the war against Amalek and the command to "obliterate the memory of Amalek from under the heavens."

* * *

During our 40 years sojourn in the desert, we were attacked by the nation of Amalek. While the battle took place, Moshe stood on the top of a hill and raised his hands towards the heavens. This reminded the Jewish people to subject their hearts to the Almighty so that they would succeed and be victorious over Amalek. The Torah states:

"And the hands of Moshe were heavy and they took a rock and placed it under him and he sat on it" (Exodus 17:12).

Why did Moshe sit on a rock and not on pillows?

Rashi, the great commentator, informs us that Moshe sat on a rock and not on pillows because he did not want to sit in comfort while Jews were in danger and suffering. He wanted to feel their suffering and to share it. Rabbi Yeruchem Levovitz teaches that this is a lesson for us regarding how to feel another person's suffering. Don't just imagine the pain of another, but do something physically to actually feel his pain.

Empathy is such an important attribute that we should make every effort to feel for another person. By being aware of how a little discomfort bothers us, we can have greater empathy for others -- especially those coming to our door or meeting us in the street asking for Tzedakah (charity)!

An egotistical person only cares about his own welfare and is totally uninterested in anyone else's difficulties and problems. He only wants to make certain that he is comfortable. If he is in any distress, he no longer can think about the suffering of others. Here we see that in order to feel someone else's suffering, we should go out of our way to make ourselves a little less comfortable when others are suffering. Our own distress is more real than someone else's. By being aware of how a little discomfort bothers us, we can have greater empathy for others!

***

"The entire assembly of the Children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the Wilderness ... "You have taken us out to this Wilderness to kill this entire congregation by famine." G-d said to Moses, "Behold! -- I shall rain down for you food from heaven; let the people go out and pick each day's portion on its day." (Ex. 16:2-4).

Rabbi Mendel of Rimanov taught that the manna was a necessary precursor for accepting the Torah. The Torah forbids stealing and coveting others' possessions. It forbids lying, cheating, eating non-clean food, taking usury and all methods of unlawful enrichment. These laws are in opposition to the innate acquisitive drives within people. How can people abide by laws that defy innate drives?

The Manna was given to people so they could keep eating properly (Kosher) with kedusha (holiness). The Manna also served as a lesson that a person would get only that which he actually needed. If he had less, G-d would increase his portion to meet his needs. If he took more than his needs, his greed would result in the excess portion rotting. Once the Israelites developed the trust that G-d would provide for their needs and that accumulating excess was futile, they could accept laws that opposed their acquisitive drives.

Learn character from trees,
values from roots
and change from leaves

SHABBAT SHALOM!

***

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