Once again we are privileged to bring you a piece by our member Rabbi Paul Bloom -- an in-depth analysis of faith through darkness, the splitting of the sea, and the significance of אֹז (oz), a tiny word that is packed with meaning.
The Plague of Darkness
In last week’s parsha, we are told about
the plague of Darkness. Rashi comments on this plague, explaining, "Why
did God bring darkness upon the Egyptians? Because there were wicked Jews in
that generation who did not want to leave Egypt. They died during the three
days of darkness so that the Egyptians would not see their downfall and say,
'They too are being afflicted, like us.'"
But why did these Jews refuse to leave?
The Midrash Tanchuma (Va’era 14) fills in the answer:
"The Holy One, blessed be He,
does not show favoritism and probes man's heart. There were wicked Jews who had
honor and fortune in Egypt. They did not want to leave. The Holy One, blessed
be He, said, 'If I smite them publicly and they die, the Egyptians will say,
"Just as we are suffering, so are they." Therefore, He brought
darkness upon the Egyptians.'"
Even in the midst of persecution in
Egypt, some Jews felt at home in exile and rejected redemption. But what
percentage of the Jewish population rejected God's salvation, opting instead to
remain in Egypt? The answer is found at the beginning of parashat Beshalach:
"The Children of Israel went up
from the land of Egypt chamushim (armed)" (Shemot 13:18).
Chazal interpreted "chamushim"
in the sense of "chamesh," meaning five. According to Midrash
Tanchuma, only one-fifth, one-fiftieth, one in five hundred, or one in five
thousand Jews left Egypt. Regardless of the exact number, the message is clear:
there is great danger in becoming too complacent in the lands of exile.
Redemption is something we must actively embrace. We must accept the notion
that our ultimate destiny is to live as a holy nation in our Holy Land. Then,
when the Redeemer arrives, we will eagerly follow him to the Promised Land.
Faith and Action
R. Ya'akov Kamenetzky ztz"l expands
on Rashi’s comment, emphasizing that even though the Jews were far from
righteous—as evidenced by the angels’ claim at the splitting of the Red Sea
that both the Egyptians and Jews were idol worshippers—not all wicked Jews
perished during the plague of Darkness. Those who died were the ones who
actively opposed leaving Egypt, citing the tradition that the bondage would
last 400 years. They doubted Moshe and the Elders’ assurances that God had
calculated the end of the bondage in the merit of the Patriarchs. Their refusal
to embrace redemption ultimately led to their downfall. The rest of the Jewish
people, though flawed, possessed the potential for spiritual growth. God
foresaw their readiness to stand at Mount Sinai and declare, "Na’aseh
v’nishma" (“We will do and we will hear”).
The Sea of Faith
When the
Israelites stood before the Red Sea with nowhere to turn, Moshe prayed to God.
Surprisingly, God responded:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה
מַה־תִּצְעַ֖ק אֵלָ֑י דַּבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְיִסָּֽעוּ׃
"Why
do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel that they should
travel" (Shemot 14:15).
Rabbi Yissachar
Shlomo Teichtal explains that this teaches us an essential lesson: faith must
be accompanied by action. This reinforced in Pasuk 14:22 and 14:29
The Torah twice
describes the Israelites' crossing of the Red Sea:
וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ
הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃
“And the
Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them
on their right and on their left” (Shemot 14:22).
וּבְנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל הָלְכ֥וּ
בַיַּבָּשָׁ֖ה בְּת֣וֹךְ הַיָּ֑ם וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם
וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃
“But the
Israelites had marched through the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall
for them on their right and on their left” (Shemot 14:29).
A subtle
distinction exists between these verses. In the first instance, the word chomah
(wall) is spelled with a vav, as well as saying that they went into the
sea first and then there was dry land. However, in the second instance it is
written without a vav, resembling chamah (anger) as well as saying
that they marched through the sea on dry land.
The Midrash
explains that although Hashem protected Bnei Yisrael, He was also angry with Klal
Yisrael because their faith was not yet complete. This is a reference to
the story of Nachshon ben Aminadav, the Nasi of Shevet Yehudah. According to
Chazal, Nachshon jumped into the raging sea before it split, demonstrating
absolute faith in Hashem. In contrast, the rest of B’nei Yisrael waited until
the waters had already parted. Hashem desired a greater level of faith from
them, and their hesitation evoked His displeasure.
In every
generation, there are leaders and followers. Some act with unwavering emunah
(faith) and vision, willing to take bold and seemingly irrational steps based
on their belief in Hashem’s providence. Others follow in their footsteps, but
only after the path is clear. Redemption, however, requires initiative: waiting
passively is not enough.
אֹז יָשִׂירְ-מֹשֶׂהָ ווְּנֵי יִשְׁרָאֵל
אֶת-הַשִׂירָה הַזֹּאֶת
The phrase "אֹז יָשִׂיר" ("Then Moshe and the Children of Israel sang")
is one of the most profound verses in the Torah. The word "אֹז" ("oz") has intrigued commentators for
generations. Traditionally, it signifies a pivotal moment when the Jewish
people experienced an extraordinary miracle and attained a heightened level of emunah.
Not only did they witness this divine intervention, but they also achieved a
clarity of mind and soul that enabled them to perceive the Yad Hashem
(the Hand of God) in an unparalleled manner.
Understanding
the Word "Oz"
Rashi, Ramban and
many other commentators grapple with the use of "oz" instead
of the more conventional "וְיְשִּׂיר"
("and they sang"). On a simple level, "oz" denotes a
specific moment in time—a transformative, almost magical instance when
everything coalesced into a perfect expression of faith. Even the simplest
person present at the splitting of the sea achieved a level of divine clarity
beyond imagination.
A Deeper
Interpretation of "Oz"
To further
explore this, we must examine an interesting chronological question. Rashi
outlines a sequence of events, day by day, culminating in the splitting of the
sea on the seventh day of Pesach. However, a discrepancy arises in parashat
Shelach, where Rashi discusses the mitzvah of Tzitzit. He explains the
significance of the eight threads, linking them to the supreme moment of emunah—the
splitting of the sea—which he identifies as occurring on the eighth day
of Pesach. This presents an apparent contradiction: the Torah explicitly states
that Pesach lasts only seven days. What, then, does Rashi mean by the
"eighth day of Pesach"?
Reframing the
Pesach Timeline
To resolve this,
we must consider the broader context of the Pesach narrative. The Exodus began
on 15 Nissan, the night of the Korban Pesach and the Seder. However, Pesach is
unique among Jewish holidays in that certain elements begin earlier—on the 14th
of Nissan. For example, the prohibition of chametz starts at midday on
Erev Pesach, signaling that the redemption process was already in motion before
nightfall.
In a profound
sense, the first "day" of Pesach can be understood as Erev Pesach,
when the Korban Pesach was slaughtered, and the Israelites marked their
doorposts with its blood. This act symbolized their spiritual liberation: while
they were still physically in Egypt, they had already severed ties with
Egyptian idolatry and materialism. Thus their redemption began not only on the
15th but already on 14 Nissan. With this perspective, when Rashi refers to the
seventh day of Pesach, he is counting from 15 Nissan. However, when he speaks
of the "eighth day," he is counting from the 14th—the true spiritual
beginning of the redemption.
The Hidden
Meaning of "Oz"
The word "oz"
(אֹז) is written with an Aleph (א) and a Zayin (ז), numerically representing
one and seven. Together, they total eight, subtly alluding to the deeper
chronology of the Exodus. This number reflects the dual nature of Pesach—both
its physical redemption, culminating on the seventh day, and its spiritual initiation,
beginning on Erev Pesach. Moreover, even the way the letter Aleph is written in
Torah script contains hidden symbolism: it consists of a Vav (ו) flanked by two Yuds (י),
which together have a gematria of 26, the numerical value of Hashem's name
(Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh). This indicates that Moshe Rabbeinu understood how the
spiritual and physical elements of redemption were intertwined, reaching their
climax on the seventh day of Pesach.
In conclusion,
the word "oz" encapsulates not just a historical moment but a
profound spiritual truth. It signifies the culmination of a process that began
with faith and defiance in Egypt and reached its peak at the splitting of the
sea. The choice of this word reflects a deeper divine structure within the
Pesach story, emphasizing the unity of physical and spiritual redemption in the
Jewish journey.
The Manna and
the Fruits of Eretz Yisrael
The second half
of parashat Beshalach discusses the manna that sustained the Israelites in the
desert:
וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָֽכְל֤וּ אֶת־הַמָּן֙ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה עַד־בֹּאָ֖ם
אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ נוֹשָׁ֑בֶת אֶת־הַמָּן֙ אָֽכְל֔וּ עַד־בֹּאָ֕ם אֶל־קְצֵ֖ה אֶ֥רֶץ
כְּנָֽעַן׃
"The
Children of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they arrived in an
inhabited land. They ate the manna until they arrived at the border of the Land
of Canaan." (Shemot
16:35)
R. Avraham
Azulai, in Chesed LeAvraham, asks why the manna ceased when the
Israelites entered Eretz Yisrael. If God miraculously provided sustenance in
the desert, wouldn’t He do so even more in the Holy Land? The standard answer
is that the manna was a temporary provision, whereas the ideal is for the
Jewish people to sustain themselves naturally in their homeland. However, R.
Azulai offers a deeper explanation: Divine Providence in Eretz Yisrael operates
differently. In the desert, God bypassed intermediaries and sustained Bnei
Yisrael directly. In Eretz Yisrael, the land’s fruits themselves embody
holiness and serve the same purpose as manna.
Thus the manna
did not truly cease—it transformed. The produce of Eretz Yisrael is a direct
manifestation of God’s care, allowing a more intimate relationship with Him.
The Sanctity
of Eretz Yisrael
R. Avraham of
Sochatchov, the Avnei Neizer, explains why many Chassidic masters
refrained from living in Eretz Yisrael during the 19th and early 20th
centuries. Without a means of self-sufficiency, they would have relied on
foreign donations, which would undermine the purpose of dwelling in the Holy
Land. Today, however, earning a livelihood in Israel is far easier, making the
mitzvah of Yishuv Ha’aretz (settling the Land) more attainable.
The fruits of
Eretz Yisrael carry kedushah (sanctity), especially during Shemittah
(the Sabbatical year). Consuming them connects us to God in a way that mirrors
the manna of the desert. Each mitzvah performed with the produce of the land
further sanctifies it, creating opportunities for spiritual elevation.
Conclusion
The lessons of
the Exodus resonate deeply in our time. Redemption requires both faith and
action. Living in Eretz Yisrael allows us to experience God’s providence
directly, strengthening our connection to Him. As we celebrate Tu B’Shevat and
reflect on the blessings of the land, let us embrace the sanctity and
opportunities that Eretz Yisrael offers and take active steps toward our
ultimate redemption.
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