This week we read Parshat BeShalah, which includes the Song of the Sea/Shirat HaYam which is sung by the Israelites following the splitting of the Red Sea.  This Shabbat is called Shabbat Shira/Shabbat of Song precisely for this song, and the singing and dancing that Miriam leads the women in following the crossing of the Sea.  This Shabbat, we recall the beginnings of our People’s steps toward unique peoplehood.  This Shabbat, we also celebrate the extraordinary role of women in our lives.  In our community, this Shabbat is Women’s Shabbat.
            As we leave Egypt, we throw off the shackles of bondage and declare that we are a people, with our own culture and customs.  Our custom is to sing our praises to God.  “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: ‘I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has thrown into the sea/ אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת לַה', וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר: אָשִׁירָה לַיהוָה כִּי-גָאֹה גָּאָה, סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם.”[1]  After the song, Miriam decides to express her joy just as Moses and everyone else did.  “Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dancing.  And Miriam sang to them: ‘Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; horse and rider He has thrown into the sea.’/וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת-הַתֹּף--בְּיָדָהּ; וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת.  וַתַּעַן לָהֶם, מִרְיָם, שִׁירוּ לַה' כִּי-גָאֹה גָּאָה, סוּס וְרֹכְבוֹ רָמָה בַיָּם.”[2]
           The Sfas Emes[3] asks, “how is it possible to sing a song that was written in the Torah?”[4]  He answers by explaining that the idea of giving the Torah to the Jews was to have the light of Torah depend on every mouth and word of the people, as it is written, “the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth…”[5]  Each word of Torah is dependent on each and every person and their words and actions.  When we are each allowed to raise up our voice, we raise the letters of the Torah off of the parchment, bringing it to life before our eyes, as we elevate it closer to its divine source.[6]
           This week testifies to our people’s unique national expression and of the witnessing of women openly, melodically and rightly claiming equal part of that expression.  In a sense, this Shabbat is a celebration of the nexus of Zionism and Feminism.  Now, much has been said about the “incompatibility” of Zionism and Feminism.  Yet, that assertion makes no sense to me.  As Einat Wilf[7] writes, “They were both forms of refusal to accept the role that others have assigned to women and Jews. They were forms of self-assertion that cried out: I refuse to be seen how you wish to see me, I refuse to be that which you want me to be, I am not your inferior, I can be so much more than I am allowed to be, and I insist on being free to explore and make the most of my humanity.”[8]  Feminists and Jews are still fighting for this basic equality.  This Shabbat reminds us that we have a voice.  And when we raise it, miracles do indeed occur.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ezra
 
 
 


[1] Ex. 15:1

[2] Ex. 15:20-21

[3] Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (Hebrew יהודה אריה ליב אלתר‎, 15 April 1847 – 11 January 1905), also known by the title of his main work, the Sfas Emes (Yiddish) or Sefat Emet שפת אמת‎ (Hebrew), was a Hasidic rabbi who succeeded his grandfather, Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter, as the Av beis din (head of the rabbinical court) and Rav of Góra Kalwaria, Poland (known in Yiddish as the town of Ger), and succeeded Rabbi Chanokh Heynekh HaKohen Levin of Aleksander as Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim

[4] The Torah was not given yet, how would they know the lyrics?!?

[5] Deut. 30:14

[6] Sfas Emes 2:66

[7] Einat Wilf (Hebrew: עינת וילף‎, born 11 December 1970) is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Independence and the Labor Party.

[8] http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/252810/anti-feminism-and-anti-zionism

​            This week, we read Parshat Bo, in which we see the completion of the ten plagues that God delivers upon Egypt.  The second to last plague of darkness raises some questions.  What was the nature of the darkness? Why was it so bad?  “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand towards heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.’ So, Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and there was dense darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. People could not see one another, and for three days they could not move from where they were; but all the Israelites had light where they lived/וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל-מֹשֶׁה נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל-הַשָּׁמַיִם וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ. וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת יָדוֹ עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. לֹא רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת-אָחִיו וְלֹא קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים וּלְכָל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם.”[1] 
            What is “a darkness that can be felt/וְיָמֵשׁ חֹשֶׁךְ”?  Rashi[2] explains that וְיָמֵשׁ is a contraction[3] of ויאמש which means “the evening darkness.”  He notes that the regular darkness of night will become even more dark than normal.  However, Ibn Ezra[4] interprets the verse to literally mean a darkness that can be touched.[5] Darkness is so scary because we generally do not know what we cannot see or feel.  Yet, this darkness was so thick, that it was tangible and real, making it even scarier.  Dark and enclosed. 
            The Izhbitzer Rebbe[6] teaches that the plague of darkness comes to punish those that are arrogant and do not listen to their parents. “‘Arrogance’ means elevating oneself above another whom he should rather be subdued before, and for this He gave the plague of darkness, as it is written[7], ‘Whoever curses his father and mother, his lamp shall be extinguished in deep darkness.’”[8] 
           When we turn away from those that can instruct us, we are blocking out their light from coming into our lives.  These days, it is so easy to think that we can do everything on our own.  If we have a question, we can just type it in to our phones and the answer pops up.  However, we can never be too sure that we are capable of finding all of the answers on our own.  Though in the darkness of our homes, the light from our devices may appear enticing, they are no substitute for human interaction and real teachers.  The Israelite walks around in light because it is essential to our lives that we listen (שמע!) to what God and our parents and teachers are telling us. If we were to stop, God forbid, we would be in the dark as well.  This week let us try and keep the lights on around us.  By looking to be enlightened by our teachers and those who can guide us out of the darkness, we will banish darkness forever, bringing light with us wherever we go.  Then the darkness will not be felt at all by anyone.    
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ezra


[1] Ex. 10:21-23

[2] Shlomo Yitzchaki (Hebrew: רבי שלמה יצחקי‎; Latin: Salomon Isaacides; French: Salomon de Troyes, 22 February 1040 – 13 July 1105), today generally known by the acronym Rashi (Hebrew: רש"י, RAbbi SHlomo Itzhaki), was a medieval French rabbi and author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud and commentary on the Tanakh.

[3] Note that the “aleph” drops out.

[4] Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (Hebrew: אַבְרָהָם אִבְּן עֶזְרָא or ראב"ע‎; Arabic: ابن عزرا‎; also known as Abenezra or Aben Ezra, 1089–1167) was born in Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167

[5] As in Psalms 115:7 “They have hands, but do not feel/יְדֵיהֶם וְלֹא יְמִישׁוּן”—you can see this interpretation as well in Classical Midrash in Ex. Rab. 14:1

[6] Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (Yiddish: איזשביצע, איזביצע‎ Izhbitze, Izbitse, Ishbitze) (1801-1854) was a rabbinic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of Hasidic Judaism.  Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov (Polish: Tomaszów Lubelski) in 1801 to his father Reb Yaakov the son of Reb Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Saul Wahl. At the age two he became orphaned of his father. He became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both were also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Mordechai Yosef became his disciple there; then in 1839 became himself a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica.

[7] Prov. 20:20

[8] Mei HaShiloah 1:69, translation by Betsalel Philip Edwards

​           “You can make me cry. You can break my heart.  But I'll never say we're through.  Even when I cry.  I can't stay mad at you…I bounced right back into your arms.  One thing you'll know for sure.  I won't be the one to.  Fall in love with someone new.  I'll love you till I die.  And I can't stay mad at you.”[1] 
            This week we read Parshat Va’Era.  Our story picks up right where we left off.  The words that Moses spoke to God were not pleasant ones.  “Then Moses turned again to the Lord and said, ‘O Lord, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me? Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people.’”[2]  Then, our parsha begins.  “The Lord/E-lohim also spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am God/Ado-nai.../וַיְדַבֵּר אֱלֹקים אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו, אֲנִי ה'.”    Why do we have this doubling of the language?  Spoke and Said.  Lord and God.  What is this seemingly superfluous wording coming to teach us?
            The Isbitzer Rebbe[3] explains that,
After Moshe Rabeynu spoke words against the blessed God, God rebuked him, and this is why the Torah says “[and He spoke/] Vai’daber,” “and E-lohim spoke to Moshe” (as opposed to “He said to him”), which is a form denoting difficulty.  The name “E-lohim” also teaches of this (judgement), so immediately after it says, “and He said [vai’omer] to him.”  This is like one who becomes angry at his friend, yet he loves him; so, when he sees his friend astonished and frightened, he then hints to him that all his anger was only outward and momentary.  Thus it is here, saying, “and He said to him, I am [Ado-nai],” for saying denotes softness meaning that He whispered to him that He is not really angry, God forbid.[4]
Sometimes we get angry at the people we love and care about.  While even God needs to express anger on occasion, that is only on the surface and it is fleeting.  Moses had been stubborn and confrontational. And though God wants it to be clear that this behavior is unacceptable, God still loves, and will always love Moses.
            Even when we are angry with those people that we are close with, and issues may need to be resolved, the key of this teaching is that we must remind those that we are angry with that we still love them, and we will always love them.  Whatever softness we can muster goes a long way in ensuring the offending party, that regardless of the misstep, the relationship is important and will continue.  There is no threat of complete separation.  This parsha reminds us that even if we make God angry, God will always love us.  And we, in turn, must remind those around us of the same thing.  Anger is momentary. Love is forever.
 
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ezra


[1] Lyrics by Gerry Goffin and Carole King. Performed by Skeeter Davis.

[2] Ex. 5:22-23

[3] Mordechai Yosef Leiner of Izbica (Yiddish: איזשביצע, איזביצע‎ Izhbitze, Izbitse, Ishbitze) (1801-1854) was a rabbinic Hasidic thinker and founder of the Izhbitza-Radzyn dynasty of Hasidic Judaism.  Rabbi Mordechai Yosef was born in Tomashov (Polish: Tomaszów Lubelski) in 1801 to his father Reb Yaakov the son of Reb Mordechai of Sekul, a descendant of Rabbi Saul Wahl. At the age two he became orphaned of his father. He became a disciple of Reb Simcha Bunim of Peshischa where he joined Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk and Rabbi Yosef of Yartshev; both were also born in Tomashov. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel became Rebbe in Kotzk, Reb Mordechai Yosef became his disciple there; then in 1839 became himself a rebbe in Tomaszów, moving subsequently to Izbica.

[4] Mei HaShiloah, 1:66. Translation by Betzalel Philip Edwards, Living Waters, pg. 120