By Joseph Shulam
This Shabbat's Torah portion, Beshalach, is one of the most significant narratives of the whole Torah.
The reading from the Torah is from Exodus 13:17 – 17:16.
From the Prophets, the reading is from Judges 4:4-5:31.
We will read John 6:15 – 71 and 1 Corinthians 10:1-5 from the New Testament.
In this reading are the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt, the crossing of the Red Sea, and the Song of Moses. The reading from the prophets, the Haftarah, includes the second epic song of the Bible, the Song of the Deborah, which complements the Song of Moses that we will read from the Torah. The New Testament reading is short, but it packs tons of power and moral admonition from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, just five verses that carry for today's world a five-ton cement block to drop on today's culture of depravity. The Apostle Paul doesn't mix words. He writes with pen-heavy words that resonate with our 21st century and describe one of the significant issues of our time.
The central and most important part of our Torah reading is what is called in Hebrew "The Song of the Sea" – "Shirat Hayam. "In English, it is called "The Song of Moses!"
I want to do something different for this Shabbat. I want to share with you a concept that is rare from the rarest in human behavior, found in several Bible texts. I confess that what I am about to do is different. I want to bring you to the inner sanctum of what I believe is the heart of God. In this case, it is the witness of a Jewish Chasid (I don't know how to translate this word into English other than "A man full of God's grace!") who lived during World War II in Poland, A humble man, not a well-known leader of the Chasidic Rabbis. His name was Rabbi Shem. His humility was hiding his scholarship of the Hebrew Bible, his modesty, and his incredible generosity of acts of charity in secret, without blowing his trumpet in the streets of the Ghetto of Krakow, Poland.
Even during the hardest periods of Jewish life in Eastern Europe, Rabbi Shem continued his Torah studies and even wrote his teachings in a book named "The Tents of Shem!" The original Book was lost, and Rabbi Shem's son published parts of it in 1961 in memory of his father. Rabbi Shem's son was not the head of a Chassidic "court" of the type then prevalent in Poland. He continued the tradition of studying Kabbalah as his father did. He wrote a commentary on the Zohar and another work called Oholei Shem (The Tents of Shem), which was also devoted to mysticism. Most of his writings, among them comments on the Talmud and Halachic works, were lost during the Holocaust.
So, why am I bringing Rabbi Shem into this week's study of Shabbat's reading of Beshalach? Rabbi Shem was hiding from the Nazi dogs who were searching for the leaders of the Jewish communities to break down the chain of resistance to their plots and murderous desires. Rabbi Shem escaped and hid in a small village until, in March 1941, he was forced to leave his hiding place and enter the Krakow Ghetto. In the Ghetto, Rabbi Shem stopped singing the traditional joyful Shabbat songs on Fridays and Shabbat evenings. Rabbi Shem remembered the text that appears twice in the Talmud related to the song of Moses:
"Your Children are drowning in the sea, and you are singing?!!!"
The verse references the drowning of the Egyptian Army in the Red Sea. During the sea crossing by the children of Israel, Moses was not singing, and the children of Israel were not singing. They were thinking of survival and full of fear and anxiety. They were rushing to walk, carry their children and belongings, and get out of the sea bed, rushing to the opposite sea banks, in the dark side of human existence.
When the Germans captured Krakow, Rabbi Shem was a rabbi they sought to arrest, by their policy to arrest the spiritual elite of the Jews -- and other captive peoples -- to destroy the leadership. Rabbi Shem escaped arrest and hid in one of the nearby towns for two years. In hiding, he continued to study and teach as much as possible and to give encouragement to all those who were with him.
When the Krakow ghetto was established in March 1941, he was forced to leave his hiding place and was smuggled into the ghetto. At this time, he ceased to sing "Z'mirot" during the Sabbath. Rabbi Shem stopped singing the joyful Shabbat songs based on ideas from the Talmudic and Midrashic literature.
The Talmud and Midrash that comment upon this text relating to the song of Moses do not refer to the people of Israel singing but to the ministering angels in God's court. Here is the quotation from Talmud Sanhedrin 39b:
"The Gemara comments: As Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says that Rabbi Yonatan says: What is the meaning of that which is written in the passage describing the splitting of the Red Sea: "And the one came not near the other all the night" (Exodus 14:20)? At that time the ministering angels desired to recite a song before the Holy One, Blessed be He. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: My handiwork, i.e., the Egyptians, are drowning in the sea, and you are reciting a song before Me? Apparently, God is not gladdened by the downfall of the wicked."
Paraphrasing the Midrash (Babylonian Talmud, Megillah 10B, and Sanhedrin 39b), Rabbi Shem stated:
"The people of Israel are drowning in the sea, and you sing?" The Midrash refers to the ministering angels who wanted to sing before God during the Egyptian armies' drowning in the sea. Still, the Almighty protested: "The creations of My hands are drowning in the sea, and you sing before Me?"
In Judaism, there is always more than one version of everything, and in the Midrash of Exodus Rabbah chapter 23, we find the following parallel to the Talmudic passage:
"My legions are in distress, and you sing before Me?"
Rabbi Shem comments on this episode in brief sentences in the Book Oholei Shem. Behind this lies an entire context of meaning, which I will explain briefly:
In the "Shirat Hayam" (Song of the Sea), Exodus 15:11-19, we read:
"Who is like You, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness?"
"If your enemy falls, do not exult; if he trips, let your heart not rejoice, lest the Lord see it and be displeased, and avert his wrath from him" (Proverbs 24:17).
Israel has lost very near 1000 soldiers in this war in Gaza and Lebanon. This horror has created nearly 1000 widows and many thousands of orphans. This war was a battle between darkness and light! In all wars, there is no absolute light or absolute darkness. At best, even in victory, what comes out is never absolute good or bad, absolute darkness and evil, or absolute light and goodness. War is always made from the 50 shades of Gray!
Rabbi Shem remembered those Rabbinical teachings based on the Book of Proverbs 24:17, which tells us that all human beings, even as much as they sometimes act even worse than animals, are still created in the image of God. Golda Meir, our one and only female prime minister, said it with the following words:
"We can forgive the Arabs for killing our children," she said. "But we can never forgive them for forcing us to kill their children."
In a world gone mad, what is to be learned? Perhaps we should start by remembering what historian Will Durant once said:
"Barbarism, like the jungle, does not die out, but only retreats behind the barriers that civilization has thrown up against it, and waits there always to reclaim that to which civilization has temporarily laid claim."
The text related to our Torah portion in the New Testament has special significance for me. It demands deeper thinking than yesterday's newspaper that tomorrow, fish will be wrapped in the market of Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem.
Thie text from Revelation 15 has always sent waves of fear up and down my spine! The reason is simple—these words in God's revelation to the apostle John, who was living on the island of Patmos, teach me that the God who created this universe has a good memory and does not forget our evil deeds or the evil deeds of the world or the sins that were not repented of and forgiven.
"Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints! Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. For all nations shall come and worship before You, For Your judgments have been manifested." (Revelation 15:1-4 NKJV)
Rabbi Shem was correct in his understanding of God's attitude even in the middle of God's plagues on the Egyptians and finally against their firstborn of Egypt. God's command to redeem the firstborn of Egypt is found in the Book of Numbers:
"Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: "Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore, the Levites shall be Mine because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the Lord." (Numbers 3:11-13 NKJV)
We see here that nothing is free or lost in God's accounting. Israel has to pay for the favor that God gave our forefathers in Egypt and take responsibility and remember that God took the firstborn of Egypt and they died to have Pharaoh release the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery. For the rest of the days of Israel on this earth, the firstborn of Israel will be redeemed by the Levites taken for God's service in the Tabernacle. Now that we don't have a tabernacle in physical existence, our Rabbis have devised a classic solution: pay silver shekels to redeem your firstborn!
The Song of Moses is a monumental song of victory of God for the redemption of the children of Israel, but never forgetting the firstborn of Egypt, who were the victims of their leaders, the Pharaohs.
Today, the war in Gaza and Lebanon is still raging, and soldiers and civilian citizens are the innocent parts of this war. Israel has to look at its victory and cry, seeing the death of innocent people, adults, and children, and beg God to bring peace and prosperity to both sides. I pray every day for divine intervention, some major natural disaster to hit all of us from Iran to Egypt to teach us, humans, that we need each other and that God has good Jewish angels and good Arab merchants to work as bookkeepers and the accounts of all of us up to date. These angels of God in Heaven know when to fold them and when to hold them, and never forget what is good, holy, and just like God did with Pharaoh and Egypt in those days as we say:
"In those days in our own time!"
״בימים ההם בזמן הזה!״
Remember to read chapter 15 of Exodus and meditate on it. It is prophetic: You should know the song of Moses even by heart because, as John's revelations state in chapter 15, we will all be gathered together before the great white throne singing the song of Moses together. Each in his language! Beautiful!
Your prayers for brothers and sisters you don't know personally are pure love and building of the Body of the Messiah. It is Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in Heaven for someone who is your brother. Still, you don't know them, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and genuine expressions of love and care for another link in the long chain of love and faith that binds us together even though we might not know each other in this world.
When we all get to Heaven, it will be a joy to meet people we prayed for and sometimes even cried for. Brothers and sisters who are physically strangers but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ, I believe that one day we will have the privilege to sit together and share: "I remember praying for you to be healed!" "I remember praying for you to be safe when you were fighting in Gaza to free the hostages from the cruel hands of the terrorists of the Hamas in Gaza."
Pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.
In Jerusalem:
new Yehuda B. will be traveling to Japan to teach and share about his experiences this last year. We are asking for his safe travels and return home. The world has become not safe for Israeli Soldiers.
Joseph & Marcia Shulam
update Mom has seen worn a halter for monitoring her heart this weekend.. Also mom is on a saline IV. We have noticed some improvement with that. Continue to pray for an improvement in mom's strength and appetite. Dad needs prayers for his pain and the huge task of taking and organizing medical meetings for mom.
Ilana Ahijervie is a dear sister who is 99 years old and suffering from memory problems.
Please pray for our dear sister, Lea Kurkey.
Pray for Adam's father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Miriam a dear sister old age dementia.
Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid, Jimmy Abu-Eid, and all of the family. This is a dear family of old friends that needs healing and wisdom for the children and for their work.
Please pray for the Romero family, who live deep in the Negev desert. It is hot there, and they are far from our congregation, and we miss them.
In the U.K.:
Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life, family, and a solution to her problems.
In Finland:
Mauno Lemponen has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages. We are asking for God's Will to be done, giving him healthy days with family—prayers for Hilka, Miika, and Ester, who support each other.
Pray for Keijo and Salme, our dear partners and fellow workers in God's flock. Both Keijo and Salme have some challenging heart issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
In Italy:
new Roberto has reached out on behalf of his friend Nicoletta B whose father has passed way recently. Please pray for her spirit as she struggles with such loss.
In Ethiopia:
Diu G. has been sick with meningitis and he and his family are all in need of prayers for strength and healing to help him.
In Brazil:
Max is anxious waiting for a court decision regarding documentation on his families jewish roots. Please keep Max and the courts outcome in your prayers.
Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.
Pray for a dear sister named Claudia Rita Souze Arau. She has cancer and needs God's healing hands to touch her with healing.
Pray for Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.
Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.
Aratuza de Oliveira and his wife. Pray for their 3-year-old child, Caique de Oliveira Becker, who has severe problems with his eyes, and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes.
In Asia:
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.
Tony Tam, his wife Luisa, and his son Marco need special prayers for their situation.
We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family: Deborah Ruth, Ayla, Daniel, and their daughter.
Pray for Dr. Song and his wife, Sister Harriet Kim and the KIBI Ministry.
In the United States of America:
update Sanford B. has been released home and is dealing with the Noro virus spreading at home among the family and those that visited in the hospital.
update Chris W is currently have a difficult time finding employment. Pray for encouragement. Chris needs encouragement as he continues looking for employment..
Manny is asking for prayers for his fathers health that is in decline.
Shirleyann called to say thank you and share good new. still has health issues. due to weather medical appointments have been canceled. Please pray for a schedule on heart tests. Please lift Jordan Issac (great great nephew) in prayer his physical and mental needs.
Pete and Marge. Marge is undergoing test for Brest cancer and they are in the process of trying to get legal guardianship of their grandkids. They are both in the mid 80s. Please pray for strength and longevity to get these kids past college age.
Jose needs your prayers for a blessing on his marriage to grow stronger and prayers for the birth of a Son.
update Pat A. has requested prayers for skin grafting surgery tomorrow. she is recovering from Brest cancer teatments.
Aida Ramirez is 98 years old and suffering from first stages of dementia. Also her daughter Aida Gonzalez needs prayer for strength and Gods grace and protection as she is taking care of her mother.
Pat S needs prayers for the pains she is experiencing from a pinched nerve, Philip her husband of 67 years is a dedicated man of God who is caring for her diligently - please keep them both in prayers. We are praying for a better treatment for the pain management.
Jerry Rogers - a long time prayer warrior and supporter in Dallas has been diagnosed with cancer. he is starting treatments and we lift up his doctors and medical team & family in prayer.
Larry is asking for prayers for his grandchildren. I would say most of us that have grandchildren are concerned about the states of the world. The state of intolerance. The temptations out there. Please pray for the holy sprit to guide them in making good choices.
update Bill C. had last chemo treatment however an immunotherapy treatment will last out to mid year.. Please pray a thanks to God and continue to ask for success of the treatments and for Bill to regain his energy.
update Juli's blood counts still need to improve. She is awaiting for the next scans. Please give a prayer for positive results.
Barbra and Angie in Alaska. Barbra has some pains and discomfort related to old age. Please lift them in prayer for strength and reduction in pain.
Please pray for Danah, my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom, peace, and calm in life and her work.
Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook's oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past life issues.
Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B., his wife Aviva, their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel.
Pray for these important men of God: Rabbi Salt, his family, and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.
pray for Ilana Avramov, who is married to my cousin Nissim and lives in New York City. Ilana is home now. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers.
Pray for Steve Mock - His cognitive condition has declined, and we ask for the grace of God and His Healing and strength. Steve and Josie's son Joseph has received a wonderful and glorious report. After the last bone marrow transplant, the report is that the doctors didn't find any leukemia in his body! Praise the Lord!
Comentários