Fear, mortal danger, miraculous deliverance, relief and celebration. The first two conditions could describe our lives today, almost one year into the COVID 19 pandemic. The other three could describe our hopes now for a rapid deployment of the new vaccines that will bring the pandemic to an end and give us the opportunity to return to our lives as we think we knew them.
But they are also the narrative arc of this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, where the Israelites are trapped between the Sea of Reeds, which promises death, and Pharaoh’s army, which threatens to return the Israelites to slavery. We all know that in the critical moment God parts the Sea of Reeds and the Israelites cross miraculously to the other side and freedom, while Pharaoh’s army is drowned.
Just before the Sea parts, Moses reassures the Israelites that God will do battle for them, but God says to Moses, “Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15) In other words, God will supply the miracle, but the Israelites must act to save themselves. They cannot be passive and wait; they must do something.
So it is with us now. The development of the COVID vaccine has been an almost miraculous event, the fastest vaccination development in the history of medicine. Yet, while we wait for it to be distributed, there are many things we can do now to slow the spread of this disease: wear masks, stay socially distanced, not gather in groups with strangers indoors. If we all did these things consistently we could save many more lives than we have done so far.
This week’s Torah portion reminds us that miracle solutions are our desire but the choices we make and the actions we take each day have a far greater impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.
Beshalach, Exodus 13:17-17:16, Parshat Ha Shavua for Shabbat, Saturday, January 30, 2021
January 29, 2021 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
Fear, mortal danger, miraculous deliverance, relief and celebration. The first two conditions could describe our lives today, almost one year into the COVID 19 pandemic. The other three could describe our hopes now for a rapid deployment of the new vaccines that will bring the pandemic to an end and give us the opportunity to return to our lives as we think we knew them.
But they are also the narrative arc of this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, where the Israelites are trapped between the Sea of Reeds, which promises death, and Pharaoh’s army, which threatens to return the Israelites to slavery. We all know that in the critical moment God parts the Sea of Reeds and the Israelites cross miraculously to the other side and freedom, while Pharaoh’s army is drowned.
Just before the Sea parts, Moses reassures the Israelites that God will do battle for them, but God says to Moses, “Why do you cry out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15) In other words, God will supply the miracle, but the Israelites must act to save themselves. They cannot be passive and wait; they must do something.
So it is with us now. The development of the COVID vaccine has been an almost miraculous event, the fastest vaccination development in the history of medicine. Yet, while we wait for it to be distributed, there are many things we can do now to slow the spread of this disease: wear masks, stay socially distanced, not gather in groups with strangers indoors. If we all did these things consistently we could save many more lives than we have done so far.
This week’s Torah portion reminds us that miracle solutions are our desire but the choices we make and the actions we take each day have a far greater impact on our lives and the lives of those around us.
~Rabbi Dean Kertesz