Ex. 13:17-17:16
Précis: And when Pharaoh “had let them go” (b’shalach), the story of the Exodus from Egypt is almost concluded. Carrying with them the bones of Joseph and the “spoils of Egypt,” Moses leads the Israelites by way of the Red (or Reed) Sea. They cross the sea ahead of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, which subsequently drowns in the returning waters. Moses sings his triumphant Song of the Sea, and Miriam’s song of joy follows. The Israelites begin to murmur against Moses and Aaron because of a lack of food and water. God provides heavenly “manna” to eat and provides water as well. The Shabbat is introduced as a day of rest, even before it appears in the Ten Commandments. In their first battle led by Joshua, against Amalek, the Israelites are successful as long as Moses’ hands remain in the air, and with the help of Aaron and Hur (who support Moses’ arms), they prevail.
Ex. 14:21-28: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea…The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.”
This is a story imprinted on us from ancient times to modern storytelling. Brave Charlton Heston Moses raises his arms and the seas split. But there is a midrash which tells another story (BT Sotah 36b-37a). There, the Sages imagine the Israelites standing in terror at the water’s edge, with Pharaoh's army ready to pounce upon them. Moses raises his hands and nothing happens! With Moses’ apparent failure to produce another miracle, one individual, by the name of Nachshon steps into the water and begins to walk. The water rises to his knees, his waist, his chest, his neck, and up to his nostrils. Suddenly, the Sea recedes as we are told in the text itself.
The moral is simple: God may act in mysterious ways, but it is incumbent upon us to take the first steps. Freedom may be God’s gift, but it is obtained by courage, faith, and risking danger. As I have written before, my generation was raised and has lived in a Golden Era for American Jews. That was achieved through the toil and efforts of those who came before us. Our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents dreamt the American Dream of freedom and took action to fulfil those dreams.
Nachshon had faith but also saw that faith alone was insufficient. Personal action, however dangerous and seemingly impotent, was needed. Can we do less than Nachshon to protect our American Dream?
