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Tag Archive for: B’shalach

B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח (Exodus 13:17−17:166)

Freedom Song
Cantor Lauren Adesnik 4.17.2020

My strength is
my song.
My song
Is
Adonai.
The Sea
Was…
A disaster.
Moses praying.
Precious
Objects hurled
Thrown to churning currents
As if
Their value would stop the chaos.
The tears of my people-
They are more than enough to
Fill
A hundred seas.
So I jumped.
I slid and slipped,
And Moses prayed, and precious stones flew, and tears fell…
And I sang.
As I felt my last breath leaving my body
The salt water filling my crevices
The song erupted.
Michamocha BaElim Adonai, MiKamocha Ne’edar Bakodesh?
Who is like you, Adonai?
I sang the sea apart.
I sang my people to the desert beyond sight lines.
I sang them to the shores, and then they sang too.
For my song is my strength, 
And God is my Song, so God is my strength.
And God is their song and their strength too.
God is all of ours.
Ozi V’zimrat Yah
God is
our song,
our strength,
our redeemer.
Now what will we do with our freedom?

Parsha B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח Torah Summary:

The Children of Israel escape across the Sea of Reeds from Pharaoh and his army, who drown when God drives back the sea. (13:17-14:31) Moses and the Israelites sing a song praising Adonai. (15:1-21) In the wilderness, God provides the grumbling Israelites with quails and manna. God instructs the Israelites to gather and prepare on the sixth day food needed for Shabbat. (15:22-16:36) The people complain about the lack of water. Moses hits a rock with his rod and brings forth water. (17:1-7) Israel defeats Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy. God vows to blot out the memory of Amalek from the world. (17:8-16) B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח

B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

“And Adonai went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:” (Exodus 13:21)

How awesome was it to feel, see, and witness God’s presence 24/7, day and night?

Well, not according to our rabbinical tradition, our rabbis taught that it’s better to live in our times when God’s constant presence is not essential to make sure we believe in God. It’s better not to depend 24/7 on God hovering and protecting like a mother watching her babies. It’s better to be independent.

Parsha B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח Torah Summary:

The Children of Israel escape across the Sea of Reeds from Pharaoh and his army, who drown when God drives back the sea. (13:17-14:31) Moses and the Israelites sing a song praising Adonai. (15:1-21) In the wilderness, God provides the grumbling Israelites with quails and manna. God instructs the Israelites to gather and prepare on the sixth day food needed for Shabbat. (15:22-16:36) The people complain about the lack of water. Moses hits a rock with his rod and brings forth water. (17:1-7) Israel defeats Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy. God vows to blot out the memory of Amalek from the world. (17:8-16) B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח

B’shalach (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: B’shalach – בְּשַׁלַּח Exodus 13:17−17:16)

This week’s Torah Portion includes one of the oldest portions of the Torah, the famous “Song of the Sea.” Standing on the far side of Red Sea, having walked through walls of water to find their freedom, and witnessing Pharaoh’s army lost in the waves, the people of Israel sing this song – a victory ode to God who has carried them from Egyptian slavery to freedom’s shore.

After the song ends, the text continues:

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand and all the women went out after her to dance with timbrels. And Miriam chanted for them:“Sing to the Eternal, for God has triumphed gloriously;

Horse and driver God has hurled into the sea.” (Exodus 15:20-21)

That is all that the Torah gives us of Miriam’s song. We do not know if the rest was lost or if the chant continued wordlessly or if that is all that there was. Miriam’s song was missing until our own day. It took a modern Miriam, Debbie Friedman, of blessed memory, to re-create the song with words and melody and rhythm, and to let the women and men of our day dance and celebrate this ancient story.

This week marked the 10th yahrzeit of Debbie Friedman who brought the music of Reform Judaism to life. May her songs live on in our hearts and in our prayers for generations yet to come.

Parsha B’shalach Torah Summary:

The Children of Israel escape across the Sea of Reeds from Pharaoh and his army, who drown when God drives back the sea. (13:17-14:31) Moses and the Israelites sing a song praising Adonai. (15:1-21) In the wilderness, God provides the grumbling Israelites with quails and manna. God instructs the Israelites to gather and prepare on the sixth day food needed for Shabbat. (15:22-16:36) The people complain about the lack of water. Moses hits a rock with his rod and brings forth water. (17:1-7) Israel defeats Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy. God vows to blot out the memory of Amalek from the world. (17:8-16)

B’shalach (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

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This Week’s Torah Portion: B’shalach (Exodus 13:17−17:16)

“Adonai said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to move on’”

Just before the greatest miracle in our History, the crossing of the Sea of Reeds, Adonai says to Moses, “Why are you crying? Do something.” What a great lesson. You want God’s help – work for it. Creating miracles in our lives is our responsibility.

B’shalach Summary:

The Children of Israel escape across the Sea of Reeds from Pharaoh and his army, who drown when God drives back the sea. (13:17-14:31)
Moses and the Israelites sing a song praising Adonai. (15:1-21)
In the wilderness, God provides the grumbling Israelites with quails and manna. God instructs the Israelites to gather and prepare on the sixth day food needed for Shabbat. (15:22-16:36)
The people complain about the lack of water. Moses hits a rock with his rod and brings forth water. (17:1-7)
Israel defeats Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy. God vows to blot out the memory of Amalek from the world. (17:8-16)

“Adonai said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on”

Just before the greatest miracle in our History, the crossing of the sea of Reeds, Adonai says to Moses, why are you crying to me? Do something. What a great lesson. You want God’s help – work for it. Creating miracles in our lives is our responsibility.