Beshalach: The Staircase of Faith in the Weekly Portion

by the late Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rav Avraham Shapira, yeshiva.org.il, translated by Hillel Fendel.

This week's Torah portion of Beshalach (Sh'mot 13,17-17,15) is one that is entirely emunah, faith. Faith comes in different levels: there is "smallness of faith," and there is also faith that is "big," on a high level. The renowned 13th-century Rabbeinu Yonah wrote that there is "faith atop faith," and that in Parashat Beshalach, the Israelites rose up from level to level in their faith:

First G-d told them, "Don't be afraid; stand firm and see what G-d will do to save you today" (14,13), and then shortly afterwards, after the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, "They believed in G-d and in His servant Moshe" (14,31). Next was the story of the manna, which became their food and sustenance for the next four decades; this was a classic story of faith in G-d, for they trusted Him every single day for 40 years that the manna would appear in precisely the daily amount they needed.

Next came G-d's promise – "I am G-d, Who heals you" (15,26), which necessitates faith in G-d as the ultimate healer. And the portion concludes with Moshe holding up his arms to fight Amalek: "His hands remained steady [lit: emunah] until sunset" (17,12).

When Israel stood in trepidation at the Sea of Reeds with the Egyptian army hot in pursuit, we read, "The Children of Israel cried out to G-d" (14,10). Rashi explains: "They took hold of their ancestors' craft;" this means that they were not screaming out in simple fear, but were rather showing solidarity with their forefathers, who instilled within us the special value and treasure of prayer to G-d. As we then see less than a day later, when they were already reciting the Song of the Sea in praise of and thanks to G-d for the great miracle, they sang: "This is my G-d and I will glorify Him; G-d of my father, I will exalt Him" (15,2). Rashi explains why they mentioned the G-d of their forefathers: "I [Israel] am not the beginning of sanctity; the holiness and G-d's kingship over me began back in the times of my fathers."

The Prophet Isaiah stated in G-d's name: "This nation I created for Me, My praise it will recount" (Yeshayahu 43,21). The creation of Bnei Yisrael, which began with the Exodus from Egypt, was designed so that we would thank and praise G-d. This is why, in our Sh'moneh Esrei prayer blessing asking for health and healing, we say, "Save us and we will be saved, for You are our praise" – because all of Creation is so that we will acknowledge and praise G-d. The above promise that G-d is He who heals us is part of the process of leaving Egypt, because it is the creation of our nation – and within this process are included all the necessary acts of salvation via which we reach the point of "His praises we will recite."

On the other hand, we don't only pray and passively believe, nor did we latch onto all of our forefather's crafts. At the end of the Torah portion, we read how Israel fought with Amalekh in Refidim. However, our Sages derived from this, in Sanhedrin 106a, that they "weakened" (rafu yedeihem, a variant of "Refidim") themselves and did not pass on their forefathers' tradition of Torah study to their children. That is, in Refidim they were weak, confused, and hesitant, and asked, "Is G-d truly in our midst, or not?" (17,7) The weakness, therefore, was in not being able to pass on the traditions to the succeeding generations – and this brought the danger of Amalek upon them.

The rectification began with Moshe Rabbeinu, who raised his arms and kept them emunah, faithful and steady. The Ibn Ezra explains the connection: "Faith is something that stands steady and true." The Rashbam explains: "Standing in strength, as is Israel's faith throughout the generations." Moshe Rabbeinu established Israel's faith forever, as we see from the Medrash (Mechilta D'Rashbi) in the name of Rabbe Akiva: "When the Torah states that when Moshe's arms were raised, Israel would prevail in the battle with Amalek – meaning that Israel, in the future, will raise up words of Torah that will be given to Israel from Sinai via Moshe."

That is, Moshe prepared Israel to be ready to receive the Torah, to emerge from their weakness, and to rise up to a level of bold strength of faith in G-d. As their trust in G-d grew and their heart became unflinching in G-d's path – they became victorious!

May G-d privilege us to continue along the path set by our Patriarchs, to come ever close to the Torah and its teachers, and to thus strengthen our ties between Fathers and Sons, with perfect faith – Amen.