Singing the Red Sea Blues

[This week’s message is dedicated in memory of:

Rabbi Steven Dworken, Executive Vice-President of the Rabbinical Council of America, who passed away this week.  (Age 58)  A dedicated communal leader.  A phenomenally decent human being, a good guy.  A friend.

Sam Silversmith, whose first Yahrtzeit is this Shabbos.  A wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, and uncle.   A phenomenally decent human being, a good guy.  A friend.

                                                                                                                                                 Y.S.]

It was to be a day of miracles.  The Egyptian sorcerers had called the Plagues in Egypt “the finger of G-d.” (Exodus, 8:15)  Today, at the Red Sea, they would soon see ‘…the great HAND” (Ibid, 14:31) of G-d.  (Based on these verses, the Talmud concludes that there were five times as many plagues at the Red Sea than there were in Egypt.  It’s simple math: One finger of G-d produced ten plagues. A hand of G-d would therefore consist of fifty plagues. – See your Passover Haggadah for additional equations.)

 The Egyptian cavalry was in hot pursuit.  The king had changed his mind once again.  He wanted his slaves back.  He saddled his horse and chariot and pursued the Israelites. Israel had no place to turn.  The Egyptians were behind them and the Red Sea was in front of them.

The Israelites were terrified*.  “Weren’t there enough graves for us in* Egypt*, that you took us to die in the desert” they asked Moses.  “What have you done to us* by taking us out of Egypt*?”* (Verse 11)

Moses assured them that G-d would fight for them and put an end to Egyptian aggression once and for all. They would soon see the end of the Egyptian army.

That’s when all of nature was turned upside-down.

Moses raised his hand over the sea, and G-d brought a strong east wind all night, and made the sea into dry land. (That part of the miracle we all know about.  The verse continues –) AND THE WATERS SPLIT.  (14:21)

The Red Sea was already dry.  THE WATERS SPLIT.  Rashi tells us, based on the Midrash Rabbah, that this miracle was absolutely undeniable. When the Red Sea opened to accommodate the escaping Israelites, every body of water on the face of the earth split open as well. Every lake, swimming pool, and bottle of Perrier testified to the world that G-d was performing miracles for His People.

But what good is a miraculous escape route if your enemies can continue to pursue you?  The waters came back and covered the cavalry and the chariots.  Of the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, not a single one survived.  (Ibid, v. 28)

There could be no question as to the majesty of G-d.  There could be no doubt that, as the Egyptians themselves proclaimed shortly before drowning in the sea, “G-d is fighting for them against Egypt!”  (v. 25)

The Hand of G-d was apparent for all to see.  The Children of Israel burst into a song that we still recite every day to remind us of this extraordinary event. According to the Talmud, all of Israel achieved a level of prophecy that exceeded the prophecies of Ezekiel.  “THIS is my G-d,” they proclaimed, “and I will glorify Him!” (Ibid, 15:2)

THIS is my G-d.  The Presence of G-d was so clearly manifest at that moment that it was almost as if they could point to Him.

Imagine the inspiration!  Imagine the holiness! G-d has declared Himself Master of Creation and has saved His precious children from certain death.  He has inflicted upon the enemies of Israel a punishment that they justly deserved.  Moses and the Sons of Israel sang… (Ibid, v. 1) Miriam and the Daughters of Israel sang and danced. (v. 20-21).  It was a song of praise and thanksgiving.  G-d’s children, every one a prophet, were proclaiming the greatness of G-d.

It was a sacred symphony; a song of praise totally unprecedented in world history. It was such an exalted event that the angels themselves could not be silent.  They too, wanted to join in and sing to G-d.  (After all, that’s what angels DO.  They sing praises to G-d!)

G-d silenced them.  “How can you sing,” He asked, “when My creations are drowning in the sea? (Talmud, Megillah, 10b)

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Amazing.  No one deserved to drown more than the Egyptians.  They had, after all, drowned Jewish babies in the Nile.  Rashi points out that every Egyptian received the EXACT punishment that was coming to him: … they sank to the bottom like a stone (v. 5)…the mighty sank deep like lead (v. 10) … Your wrath … consumed them like straw.  (v. 7) Lead sinks faster than a stone, which sinks faster than straw.  The more wicked the Egyptian, the more severe and agonizing the punishment.  The “relatively decent” murderers got to perish quickly.

It is axiomatic in Jewish theology that G-d rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked.  This act of destroying the enemies of Israel was a great day in our history.  Moses, Miriam, and the Nation of Israel sang a sublime song of praise that has become part of our daily liturgy.  It was okay for us to sing.  Why not the angels?

Moses and the Israelites were personally saved.  If G-d had not drowned the Egyptians, you and I would not be here to tell the story.  It was a personal salvation for you and me.  Therefore, we sing.

For the angels, however, it was a different story.  They were never threatened; they were in no danger.  For them, there was no positive side.  G-d’s children were drowning, and that was a tragedy.  A necessary tragedy, but a tragedy nonetheless.

The Egyptians, like the rest of mankind, were children of Adam and Eve.  We are all created in the Image of G-d.  We have the potential to accomplish tremendous things.  The Egyptians were brilliant mathematicians and engineers.  But while, in matters material, they succeeded fantastically, when it came to decency and morality, they failed miserably.

Nothing is more tragic than failed potential.

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I, like most Americans, would not have been disappointed had American forces succeeded in exterminating Osama bin Ladin.  His continued existence does not make us feel very secure.  As well, I don’t think many of us would mourn the passing of the likes of Saddam Hussein or Yassir Arafat. However, there is another way to look at it.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if a person like bin Ladin used his wealth and powers of leadership to make the world a BETTER place?  What if Arafat taught his people to live in peace, and used all the money he receives to alleviate the poverty and squalor he keeps his people in?  What if Iraq’s scientists had billion-dollar budgets to CURE disease, rather than spreading it?

These people are enemies of civilization, and need to be defeated.  But how sad it is that they are squandering their divine potential.  What a waste!

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The Song at the Sea is introduced with the words, “AZ YASHIR MOSHE – Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song…”  (Ibid. 15:1) The literal translation of AZ YASHIR is “Then Moses WILL SING.”

There WILL be a time when the world will be prepared to meet its potential.  There WILL be a time when the nations of the world will learn to support Israel in our service of G-d.

There is no more beautiful song than a song that is sung in harmony.  Moses will sing, the angels will sing, the entire world will sing, when we all learn to LIVE in Harmony.

Have a great Shabbos.

Rabbi Yerachmiel Seplowitz