"Torah Lights"
 
Video Insights on the Parsha
 
 by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel: "The Lord is my strength and song, and He is my salvation; this is my G-d, and I will glorify Him; my father's G-d, and I will exalt Him" (Exodus 15:2).

This week's Biblical portion describes in prose (chapter 14) and in poetry (chapter 15) the final and decisive victory of the Hebrew slaves over the Egyptian despots at the Reed Sea. The Bible records how Moses extends his hands over the waves; the turbulent waters split and recede before the advancing Israelites, enabling them to pass through on dry land while the Egyptians in hot pursuit are drowned. But what was the precise significance of this victory of the G-d of Israel over the gods of the most powerful nation on earth?

Secondly, why does the Torah use the names of idolatrous shrines to describe where the Israelites were standing on the seashore? "And G-d said to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel and let them turn back and encamp before Pi Hahirot between Migdal and the sea in front of the Master [god] of the North [Hebrew, Ba'al Tzefon]; you shall encamp opposite it, by the sea" (Exodus 14:2). Seven verses later again we read, “and the Egyptians pursued after them and overtook them, encamped near the sea… near the mouth of Hirot in front of the Master [god] of the North" (14:9). Apparently, both of these names refer to idolatrous shrines, Hirot being identified with the god Haurus and the ‘Master of the North’ being the last remaining Egyptian god (see Rashi 14:2). Why highlight these idolatrous shrines? Surely it would have been sufficient to tell us that the Israelites encamped near the entrance to the Reed Sea?

Finally, when the Israelites cry out in prayer to G-d and in complaint to Moses for taking them out of Egypt to die at the hands of the Egyptians, Moses comforts them, telling them to remain where they are and promising G-d's miraculous salvation: "Hashem yilachem lachem v’atem tacharishun,” or, “The Lord will do battle for you and you will remain silent” (14:14). In the very next verse, G-d seems to be chiding Moses, "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Why are you crying out in prayer to Me? Speak to the children of the Israel and let them begin to advance [into the sea]'" (14:15). In other words, they should not merely stand by and wait for Me, they must act (see Rashi, ad loc). How and why is G-d tweaking, or changing and perfecting, Moses' vision?

In order to understand our text, I would submit that the Hebrew word Hirot is closely related to the Hebrew word herut, which means freedom; the Bible is hinting that at this historic and climatic moment, the Hebrews are poised theologically between the Egyptian idolatry of Baal Tzefon, the ‘Master of the North,’ and their imminent freedom under the supreme G-d who will effectuate redemption together with them.

In Egypt, people lived in a mysterious, idolatrous world controlled by jealous and warring gods; every phenomenon was attributed to these gods before whom the individual was powerless. All that humans could hope to do was to propitiate or bribe the gods with gifts and ritual prowess.

Let us switch gears for a moment, and examine a different Hebrew phrase sung by the Israelites after the splitting of the Reed Sea: "This is my G-d and I will glorify Him (“Ve'anve'hu,” 15:2). This Hebrew word, which many translate as “glorify,” is obscure. Targum Onkelos builds on the root word "naveh," which means “house,” and so translates, "I shall build Him a Temple." Rashi isolates the Hebrew noi, which means “beauty,” and explains the word as meaning, "I shall speak of His beauty and praise,” – I will praise Him to the world and I will pray to Him with words of praise. The sages of the Talmud offer two other interpretations: "I will beautify His commandments before Him," also building on Rashi's basic root noi, but taking it to signify beautifying the ritual objects – such as the sukkah, teffilin, or Kiddush cup which He asks us to use.  And finally, the Talmudic sage Abba Shaul breaks down the Hebrew word anve'hu into two words, “ani veHu,” meaning He and I, thus interpreting it as, “I will strive to walk in His ways and to emulate His attributes.”
 
It is this last interpretation which I find most meaningful. Serving G-d in the deepest sense doesn't only mean building Him a Temple, or praising Him with words of prayer, or adorning Him, as it were, with beautiful ritual objects. Indeed, all of these things – if done for the wrong reasons – may become another form of propitiating and even bribing the King of all kings. Unlike idolatry, we do not make our G-d in our image, desirous of a fancy home, words of praise and ritual gifts.

We, created in His image, serve Him best only when we observe his commandments and adopt His attributes, walk in His ways, and attempt to perfect His world in ways of freedom, morality and peace.  We pray to G-d not only to praise Him, but also to draw closer to Him - to be better enabled to adopt His creativity and lovingkindness. We observe commandments using ritual objects and study His divine words not in order to please or propitiate Him but rather in order to observe His will, internalize His values and attempt to bring about His world vision. So it is not what you say to G-d, or what you build or beautify for G-d, which is important; it is rather who you are and how you act.

After all, we are created in G-d’s image and G-d wants us to utilize our freedom to choose to create and not to destroy; to be His partners in perfecting an imperfect world (Isaiah 45:7).  G-d Himself is waiting for our actions and our initiatives to redeem humanity and realize the prophetic vision of the Messiah.  G-d wants us to act in this world with courage and integrity.  Hence, G-d chides Moses when he tells the Israelites to stand and wait for G-d to do all the work.  Indeed, the Hassidic Masters reinterpreted Moses’ aforementioned words to the Israelites, “Hashem yilachem lachem v’atem tacharishun” (Exodus 14:14) as follows: "God will give you bread [reading ‘lechem,’ bread, instead of ‘lachem,’ to you] but you must first plough [‘taharishun’ can mean ‘to plough,’ in addition to meaning ‘to be silent’].”

And so the best interpretation I know of “Ve'anve'hu” is given by Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch:  “This is my G-d and I must become His house” – I must be an expression of His will in every word I utter, in every thing I do.  Then truly “ani v’Hu,” He and I, will establish a true partnership dedicated to the perfection of the world. The victory at the Reed Sea was a victory of freedom (herut) over subjugation, of a G-d who wanted a true and free partner over gods who only want to be slavishly praised and handsomely bribed. When the Israelites acted courageously for freedom, G-d was triumphant over Pharaohnic enslavement and idolatry.

Shabbat Shalom

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