Parshas Beshalach (Shira) 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jan 28
- 2 min read
ויהי ידיו אמונה עד בא השמש ... (יז-יב)
MASHAL: In Jerusalem in the 1600’s there was a devastating drought that brought much pain. The local Ottoman governor (Pasha) needed a scapegoat to blame. Like so many before, he flew into a rage, blaming the Jewish community for the lack of rain. With his sword held high up in the air, he threatened them with expulsion if the drought didn’t break.
R’ Moshe Galante zt”l led the community out to the tomb of Shimon HaTzaddik to pray. But before they left the city walls, he issued a strange command: “Everyone must wear their heavy rain coats and carry their umbrellas.”
The day was blistering hot and the sky was a clear, mocking blue. As the Jews marched through the streets in their rain gear, Arab neighbors and Ottoman soldiers laughed and jeered at the “crazy” people carrying umbrellas and other such paraphernalia in a desert heatwave.
However, as soon as R’ Moshe finished his prayers, the sky suddenly turned black. A massive downpour erupted with such force that the very soldiers who had been mocking them had to beg them for shelter under those same umbrellas.
NIMSHAL: One of the focal points of Parshas Beshalach is faith; emunah and bitachon. From their heroic exodus from Egypt to the miracles performed at the sea, they were coupled with trails. Afterwards, they had only bitter water to drink and ran out of food. The Mann, although it seems historically fantastic, was hard to manage on a daily basis (אינו פת בסלו). Our Sages tell us that those who were lacking faith had to travel out of the camp to get their portion of Mann. Finally, the Torah records the battle against Amelek, the paradigm of evil. That battle was fought with faith. When Moshe raised his hand to the heavens the Jewish people triumphed!