The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin’s book The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).
The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin’s book The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).
Be-shallah (Exodus 13:17-17:16) and Haftarah (Judges 4:4-5:31): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary
24
Be-shallah (Exodus 13:17-17:16) and Haftarah (Judges 4:4-5:31): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary
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Overview
The complete set of weekly portions is available in Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin’s book The JPS B’nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (JPS, 2017).
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780827615397 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | The Jewish Publication Society |
| Publication date: | 08/01/2018 |
| Series: | JPS Study Bible |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 24 |
| File size: | 1 MB |
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Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
The Torah
Be-shallah: Exodus 13:17–17:16
You'd have thought that Pharaoh would have finally understood what was going on. The plagues that had devastated Egypt should have been enough of a lesson in how not to mess with God or the Israelites. But, no. As the Israelites finally escape Egypt, Pharaoh changes his mind and he sends his armies to pursue them.
Coming to the Sea of Reeds (sometimes called the Red Sea), the Israelites are faced with almost certain death, until God splits the sea for them and they walk through the parted waters. The sea closes back on the Egyptian armies and they drown.
This miracle prompts the Israelites to sing the "Song at the Sea" (which is why the Shabbat associated with this Torah reading is also called Shabbat Shirah, the "Shabbat of song"). But this miracle doesn't succeed in making the Israelites happy; soon, they are complaining about the lack of food and water. To make matters worse, the Amalekites attack the Israelites in the desert — a battle that the Israelites actually win.
Summary
• There are no shortcuts through the wilderness! God takes the Israelites the long way. Moses carries the bones of Joseph with him, remembering that Joseph's brothers had promised to bury him in the Land of Israel. (13:17–19)
• Pharaoh and his armies pursue the Israelites, and they come to the Sea of Reeds (sometimes also referred to as "the Red Sea"). The sea parts, the Israelites march through the parted waters, the waters come back together again to drown the Egyptian soldiers, and the Israelites sing. Moses's sister, Miriam, leads the women in joyous song. (14:10–15:21)
• There is a shortage of food, and the people complain. (16:1–11)
• God rains manna — a white, flaky substance — on the Israelites. They gather the manna, with a double portion for Shabbat. (16:13–36)
• There is a shortage of water, and the people keep complaining. God tells Moses to hit a rock so that it will produce water. It works! (17:1–7)
• Amalek attacks the Israelites. They fight the Amalekites, and the Israelites defeat them. (17:8–16)
The Big Ideas
• The road to freedom is rarely short and easy. It always seems to have twists and turns and even U-turns. This is true not only for the Jews, but also for other groups that have fought for freedom.
• In our personal journeys we always travel with pieces of our past. That is why the Israelites took the bones of Joseph with them. They knew that his final resting place could not be Egypt, but rather the Land of Israel.
• The parting of the sea was the miracle that "created" the Jewish people. True — there are scientific explanations for what happened at the sea; perhaps it was a tidal wave or some other natural occurrence. But its parting is a symbol; it mirrors the moment of creation, when God separates the upper waters from the lower waters. At the moment that God parts the waters, the Jewish people is created.
• Women have their own voices in Judaism. Those voices have always been important and cherished, even when it has seemed that they are barely audible. That is the lesson of Miriam's involvement in the Song at the Sea.
• Jews love to complain! That is true throughout Jewish history and even and especially in Jewish humor. It starts right here. Complaining is a constant theme in the story of the Exodus and the wandering in the wilderness.
Divrei Torah
Why Not the Easy Way?
Time for an old Jewish joke. "Why did it take the Israelites forty years to go through the wilderness and get to the Land of Israel? Because Moses refused to stop and ask for directions!"
That's sort of how the Torah portion begins. It tells us that God did not lead the people by way of the land of the Philistines, "although it was nearer." Imagine that — if the Israelites had traveled across the land of the Philistines (or, to be more precise, the land that the ancient Philistines would someday occupy), across the top of the Sinai Peninsula, they would have gotten to the Land of Israel in almost no time at all.
So, why didn't God take the Israelites the easy, short way? The text says that the people would have been afraid "when they see war," which probably means that those borders were heavily fortified. Or perhaps it was precisely because it was the easy way. That's how Rashi, the great medieval commentator, understood it: "It was easy to return by that road to Egypt." God wanted to teach the Israelites the importance of perseverance. God was afraid that they might return; if they had an easy time of it, it would be more tempting to turn back if things got rough.
When we travel, we usually like going the shortest way; that's why we have a GPS. But that's not the way it is in real life. There's a modern expression that we sometimes use: "No pain, no gain." It is true of athletes, great artists and musicians, and anyone who has had to work for something. If the task is too easy, then we won't value it.
Rabbi Steven Moskowitz writes: "Too often we want the shortcut. Too many students for example read Spark Notes rather than reading Hamlet. The long, hard work, the struggle, is the greatest lesson and provides the most lasting meaning. You can only appreciate Shakespeare and what he teaches us about life if you read Shakespeare."
What is true about appreciating great literature is certainly true of national liberation movements. Those movements never have it easy. Think of the struggles that the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. had to endure (and it's a sweet coincidence that this Torah portion often comes right around his birthday). The title of Nelson Mandela's autobiography is No Easy Walk to Freedom. It was true of the struggle of Soviet Jews to gain their freedom. And it was definitely true of the story of Israel and Zionism.
And it is almost definitely true of kids who are preparing to become bar and bat mitzvah! It's not easy. It's not meant to be. It probably shouldn't be. Because if it were, how much would we value it?
One last thing: the long way through the wilderness includes stopping at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites will receive the Ten Commandments. The long way includes the encounter with God.
Get Ready to Jump!
Whenever you think of the meaning of faith, consider this: every time you jump into a swimming pool, you have faith that since the last time you jumped into the pool the laws of physics have not changed. Every time you board an airplane the same thing happens. You have faith that the pilot knows how to fly the plane and that planes can still fly through the air.
But those examples are about things that have already happened in the past. What about those things that you have never encountered yet? Would you have the same kind of faith?
That was precisely what happened when the Israelites got to the shores of the Sea of Reeds. The Egyptians were behind them, the sea was in front of them. Either way they turned, there was the probability of death, either by the sword or by drowning. What should they do?
Here is where the richness of the Jewish tradition comes alive. What happened at the edge of the water? Some ancient sages said that each tribe demanded the privilege of going in first. Others said quite the opposite: each tribe demanded that the others go in first. Like we've already learned, in this Torah portion it would seem that the Israelites discovered the fine art of complaining — and, some say, that is what they all did at the shores of the sea.
Except for one man. As a midrash says, "When Israel stood by the sea, the tribes stood arguing with each other, one saying, 'I will go in first,' and the other saying, 'I will go in first.' At that moment, Nahshon ben Amminadab of the tribe of Judah jumped into the waves of the sea and waded in." And at that moment, the waters parted and the people were able to walk through to safety and freedom.
This is what we sometimes call "a leap of faith." Nahshon chose not to be afraid. Because he jumped, the tradition says that he would be the ancestor of King David, and he would have the honor of being the first person to bring an offering at the dedication of the Tabernacle.
Rabbi Sid Schwarz teaches: "Maybe you don't believe that the miracle happened as the midrash suggests it did. But you don't have to. Every great moment in history, every person who achieves greatness, every person who conquers the fears that may have paralyzed them for years has that Nachshon moment."
Even in an age in which God splits seas, the Torah places tremendous emphasis on human beings taking the first step. God will not save the Israelites unless and until they are willing to go forward into the unknown. The sea will not split until someone is ready to proceed. It is only once the Israelites act, boldly and dauntlessly, that God's miraculous intervention sets in.
Connections
• What do you think happened at the sea? Was it a miracle, or a natural occurrence? What have been some "miracles" in your life? What were they like?
• When have you imitated Nahshon? When have you jumped right into something? What were your feelings before you did it? What were your feelings afterward?
• Who are the men or women in your (extended) family who have taken a risk in their lives or in their careers? What did they do and why?
• Who are some people in history who have imitated Nahshon?
• What are some examples of things that have taken time and effort in your life?
CHAPTER 2The Haftarah
Be-shallah: Judges 4:4–5:31
If you ever cruise through radio stations, you might discover that some are devoted totally to oldies, classic rock songs, usually from the 1970s and earlier. This week's Torah portion contains one of the oldest songs in human history — Shirat ha-Yam, the song at the Sea of Reeds (or Red Sea) that Moses, Miriam, and the Israelites sang after the waters of the sea parted and they were able to cross victoriously. It is read on Shabbat Shirah, the Shabbat of Song. The poem, scholars tell us, is a very old form of Hebrew, and may have been written within a few generations of the Exodus.
The song, or poem that appears in this haftarah is likely as old as the one in Exodus, if not older. It is the song of Deborah. This poem is also in archaic Hebrew, and may have been written immediately after the events described, or soon thereafter.
The story of Deborah takes place during the era in Israel's early history known as the period of the judges, and the stories of that time are found in the biblical book of Judges. The judges were actually tribal chieftains and military leaders who welded the tribes of Israel into loose and temporary confederations, largely for the purpose of fighting the Philistines. Deborah was not only a chieftain and a warrior; she was also a prophetess, just like Miriam in this week's corresponding Torah portion. She counsels the Israelite general Barak to draw the Canaanite general Sisera into battle, and, due to Deborah's help, Barak is victorious. The song of Deborah commemorates that victory.
Women Power
There have been many famous lines by American politicians, and here's one of them. In a presidential debate, someone asked a candidate why he had not hired more women for top positions. He responded that if he were president he would turn to the "binders full of women" for candidates to fill cabinet positions.
This week, both the Torah and the haftarah are like binders full of women. In the Torah portion, we have Miriam leading the women of Israel in song at the crossing of the Sea of Reeds (or Red Sea). And, in the haftarah, you have Deborah, the military leader.
The late Jewish singer-composer Debbie Friedman, who notably sang about Miriam, also sang a great song about Deborah: "Devorah the prophet, a woman of fire, her torch in hand. She led the Israelites to victory. Barak said, 'Devorah, I cannot fight, unless you are standing right by my side!'" Friedman based her own song on Deborah's, which states, "But Barak said to her, 'If you will go with me, I will go; if not, I will not go.' 'Very well, I will go with you,' she answered. 'However, there will be no glory for you in the course you are taking, for then the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman" (4:8–9).
There are two more women you need to meet.
The first is Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite (4:17–21). She happens not to be an Israelite, but she is sympathetic to them. She is one tough lady. Sisera, the Canaanite general, flees to her tent, and Jael invites him to enter. She feeds him, which makes him sleepy, and, as he begins to snooze, Jael assassinates him. And, because of this, Israel is victorious over the Canaanite army. The song of Deborah praises her actions.
And there is one more woman whom the song of Deborah mentions. She shows up at the end, and it is easy to miss her. But don't. She is very important.
But first, let's think about the sound of the shofar (the ram's horn) on the High Holy Days. Have you ever noticed that it sounds like a cry? It is written in the Talmud, "One authority thought that this means that it sounds like a long sigh, and the other that it sounds like short, piercing cries."
Whose cries? A woman's. Fine, but which woman? The Talmud says: the mother of Sisera.
Let's recall the scene. Sisera's mother is waiting for him to come home. "Where is that boy? He must be out pillaging." A few hours later: "He must have stopped off with the others to get a drink." A few hours later: "Where could he be? Why hasn't he called?"
As the poem relates,
Through the window peered Sisera's mother,
But Sisera is not coming home. When his mother discovers that her son is dead, she wails — and the ancient Rabbis connect her wails to the origins of the shofar blasts.
Why should we care about this mother of a barbaric Canaanite general? Because, even though she is "the enemy," we can empathize with her. Her son has died. The ability to empathize, even with our enemies, is a major Jewish character trait.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Be-shallah (Exodus 13:17-17:16) and Haftarah (Judges 4:4-5:31): The JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary"
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Copyright © 2018 Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin.
Excerpted by permission of UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Introduction,
What Is Torah?,
And What Else? The Haftarah,
Your Mission — To Teach Torah to the Congregation,
How Do I Write a Devar Torah?,
How To Keep It from Being Boring (and You from Being Bored),
The Very Last Thing You Need to Know at This Point,
The Torah: Be-shallah: Exodus 13:17–17:16,
Summary,
The Big Ideas,
Divrei Torah,
Connections,
The Haftarah: Be-shallah: Judges 4:4–5:31,
Women Power,