This week’s Torah portion, Beshallach (Ex. 13:17-17:16)
begins with the long-awaited exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. They journey to the Reed Sea and the chariots
of Egypt pursue them. Caught between the
Egyptian army and the depths of the sea, God performs a miracle for the
Israelites, splitting the waters of the sea so that they may cross on dry
land. When the Egyptians follow, God
returns the sea to its normal state, drowning the army of Pharaoh. Moses and Miriam lead the Israelites in songs
of praise, and then they continue through the wilderness. Only three days after the miracle at the sea,
the Israelites begin grumbling about the lack of potable water and food, and
express regret that they ever left Egypt.
God, through Moses, Aaron and Miriam, has set the Israelites
free from slavery and saved them from their pursuers by spectacular means, and
yet they voice neither awe nor gratitude, only a petulant longing for the
security of regular meals. This seems outrageous
until we examine their state of mind.
A slave does not have to make decisions. A slave works as commanded, eats what he or
she is given and dares not ask questions.
The Israelites could not see the big
picture; they were accustomed to living one day at a time, one hour at a time, and
sometimes one minute at a time. In this
way, they resemble trauma survivors, or the critically ill. The miracles that they had witnessed had not
yet been made a part of their consciousness.
They were only able to accept it, and the miracle yet to come at Sinai,
over time.
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