B'nei Israel Congregation - San José, Costa Rica |
BESHALLACH 5765
Exodus 13:17 - 17:16
TORAH'S MESSAGE - by Rabbi Rami Pavolotzky
This week’s parashah tells of the beginning of the miraculous falling of man (manna) during the journey through the wilderness. Each morning the children of Israel received their food from heaven, being exempt from the worry of having to produce it.
On Friday they received a double portion, or as the Torah says, Lechem Mishne (twice as much bread, Shemot !6:22). One of the portions will be eaten on the same Friday and the other during Shabbat, the day when no manna fell. This was the first way the people of Israel accomplished the sabbatical rest in the wilderness.
Nowadays there is no more manna falling from the sky, nonetheless we continue recalling it every Shabbat, when in all of our three sabbatical meals we place on the table two chalot, Lejem Mishne. Also, in this way we express our thankfulness for the abundance of G-d's blessings unto us and we mark a difference from the rest of the week's days.
Shabbat Shalom
SERMON - by Rabbi Daniela Szuster
At the end of this week’s parashah we get to know of the first obstacle the people of Israel had, facing another people.
The children of Israel were liberated, they departed from Egypt and on the way, the people of Amalek attacked them. Immediately Moshe asked Ioshua to gather several men to go to war.
The description given by the Torah regarding this battle is very interesting. “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hands, Amalek prevailed” (Shemot 17:11)
What does this mean? Why when Moshe raised his hands did they triumph and loose when he lowered them? Does it mean Moshe had a special divine power? Or that G-d, through Moshe’s hands, led the combat? Was it not the men who were really fighting?
In the Talmud, Rosh Hashanah Tractate (29a), the wisemen asked themselves about this situation and concluded with a very profound answer.
“By chance, Moshe’s hands made war or stopped it? Indeed what the text means is that at all the times Israel’s children looked up to the sky and submitted their hearts to G-d, they felt brave and when they didn’t, they lost heart”.
According to this answer, victory depends not strictly on Moshe’s hands nor in divine power, but on something simpler, more human.
The triumph depended on the people’s own trust in themselves to face the new challenge. Moshe’s hands did nothing; but when the people raised their sight toward the sky, they remembered there is One superior who gives strength and support to face the challenges of life. It is only in that moment when they recovered audacity and courage.
How many times does it happen, in different moments of life, when we must overcome an obstacle without knowing exactly why we convince ourselves we are not capable of overcoming it – and, “successfully” we fail.
It could be an exam, a job interview, a business or when we are in love. We believe we are not the right person or the ideal person, the other party is looking for.
But at the same time, we wish fervently to reach that place: we are eager to pass the exam, to be successful in the interview, in the business or when we are in love.
As the parashah teaches us this week, what is needed is self-confidence. Not waiting for miracles before convincing ourselves that we are capable enough to reach our goals.
It’s true that many times we need a friend, a family member or the same G-d to serve us as a mirror showing us that we have the capacity to accomplish our objectives.
When we are lost, in the middle of the battle, we must not forget to raise our sights to the sky and recover our confidence and audacity without waiting the miraculous hands to act for us.
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