Moshiach in the Parsha
AND THE NATIONS FEARED G-D
Exodus 14:31
Sources:Seder Eliyahu Rabbah 129 quoted in Torah Shleimah After the Jews witnessed the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (Yam Suf),the drowning of the Egyptians and all the miracles that occurred withthese events, the Torah says, "And the people feared G-d, and believedin G-d and in Moses His servant." Our Sages teach us that we can learn two things from what ourforefathers did at that time. First of all, they, "feared G-d," andsecondly, they "believed in G-d.". In the merit of our awe of G-d andour belief, G-d will reward us by redeeming us from the nations in thedays of Moshiach.
THE SONG OF MOSES
Exodus 15:1
Sources:Mechilta. Rashi. Perek Shira in Torah Shleimah After the splitting of the sea, Moses sang a song of praise andgratitude to G-d. But in describing that event, the Torah doesn't say,"Moses sang," (shar) but rather, "Moses will sing" (yashir). From here we can see reference in the Torah to the resurrection of thedead (techiyas hameisim) which will take place in the time ofredemption. At that time, "Moses will sing," once again praises toG-d. Furthermore, R. Eliezer says, anyone who recites the song of Moses nowbefore the redemption, will merit to recite it in the future, in theMessianic Age.
THE 10TH SONG
Exodus 15:1
Sources:Mechilta. Shmos Rabbah 23:11 Various songs of praise of G-d have been sung throughout Jewishhistory, and our Sages tell us that there are nine all together. Indescribing these songs, including the one from this week's parsha, theTorah uses the expression, "Hashirah Hazos," which is in the feminineform. In Hebrew, the word, "song," can be either masculine shir) orfeminine (shirah). Why is the feminine form used here? All previous redemptions were not permanent; once one kingdomdisappeared, another came to replace it. This recurrence is describedas, "feminine," because it is like a woman who gives birth to a child.After experiencing the pain of birth, she finally is rewarded with thechild's birth. But later, she becomes pregnant again and once againexperiences the pain of birth. So too with each redemption; the Jewish people suffer and then areredeemed. But these redemptions are not complete, since they werefollowed by other exiles and enslavements. The final redemption will be permanent, never to be followed byanother exile. At that time we will sing the 10th song (shir), thesong of redemption.
THIS IS IT
Exodus 15:2
Sources:Shmos Rabbah 23:15 All of G-d's creations have yearned to view His presence. Moses beggedG-d to reveal Himself in all His glory, but was answered that it wasimpossible. Even the angels strive to see His presence, but areunable to do so. They therefore say, "Blessed is G-d from his Place,"that is to say, from wherever His place is, since they cannot perceiveHim. But when the Jewish people went through the parting of the Sea, theywere able to see G-d's presence so clearly that they were able topoint with their finger and say, "this (zeh) is my G-d." But even this cannot compare with our ability to experience G-dlinessin the Messianic Age. G-d tells the Jewish people, "At the parting ofthe Sea you said, `this' (zeh) only once, but in the Messianic Age youwill say `this' (zeh) twice, as said in the prophecy Isaiah (25:9),"And you will say on that day, `Behold this (zeh) is my G-d. We havetrusted Him and He has redeemed us; this (zeh) is G-d who we havetrusted, let us rejoice and be happy in His redemption.' " This means that there will be an incomparably higher revelation in theMessianic Age, much higher than that experienced when the Jewishpeople left Egypt.
EVEN GREATER WONDERS
Exodus 15:11
Sources:Mechilta In the song recited by Moses and the Jewish people after theymiraculously crossed through the Sea, one of the praises that theysung was, "Who is like You, among the mighty, G-d, ... awesome inpraise, and performs wonders." The "wonders" and miracles, however,had already been performed in Egypt and at the splitting of the Sea.The verse should say, "Who did wonders" ! Why does it say "Who doeswonders" ? Our sages say that this hints to the wonders of the Messianic Age andin particular to the return of the Jewish people to Israel. Theprophet Jeremiah (16:14) told us, "Days will come, G-d said, that onewill no longer say `G-d who brought out the Jewish people from theland of Egypt,' but rather, `G-d who brought out the Jewish peoplefrom the north, and from all the lands that they were driven to.'" It also hints to the great wonders which will be at the time ofredemption. G-d tells the Jewish people, "I will show you miraclesthat were not even seen by your forefathers in Egypt." Since the statement refers both to the past and the future, neither isused and it is written, "Who does wonders."
Exodus 15:20
Sources:Rashi, Shaloh After the splitting of the Sea, and Moses and the men finished singingpraises to G-d, Miriam and the women also sang praises. But the womenadded something over the men: they accompanied their singing withmusical instruments. But where did they get musical instruments fromin the middle of the desert? Rashi explains that even in Egypt the women were sure that G-d wouldmake miracles for them in the desert. They therefore brought theinstruments with them. This is done by the truly righteous: theirfaith in G-d is so complete that they praise Him for His miracles evenbefore He performs them! We see how important this is from the Talmud's statement (Sanhedrin94a) about King Chizkayahu: G-d wanted to make him Moshiach, butdidn't do so, "Because He didn't sing before You." But we see that hedid praise G-d for the miracles He did (Isaiah 38:9ff). Why does theTalmud say that he didn't sing praises? The answer is that KingChizkiyahu should have said his praises even before G-d made themiracles! From this we see the greatness of the Jewish women in Egypt, and canunderstand why it was, "In the merit of the righteous women ourforefathers were redeemed from Egypt." So too when we are told thatthe redemption is imminent, we should praise G-d for His imminentmiracles!
IF YOU KEEP SHABBOS CAREFULLY ...
Exodus 16:25-26
Sources:Rashi. Mechilta. Meir Ayin When the Jewish people were miraculously fed with manna in the desert,they had to gather it each and every morning. They were given justenough for each day and weren't allowed to leave any over for the nextday. When Friday came, they found a double portion of manna -- one portionfor Friday and one for Shabbos. On Shabbos morning there was no mannato gather, and they asked Moses what to do. He answered, "Eat it [themanna from Friday] today, because today is Shabbos for G-d; today youwill not find it in the field. Six days shall you gather." Moses could have given the same message more simply and withoutrepeating the word, "today...today...today" three times. Why did hemake this repetition? Our Sages say that these three mentions of "today," hint to the factthat anyone who keeps the Shabbos carefully, and especially one whoeats the three Shabbos meals, is saved from three punishments: the"birthpains" of Moshiach, the war of Gog and Magog, and the "Great Dayof Judgement." For keeping the Shabbos carefully, one is also rewarded with sixspecial gifts, as hinted to in the words, "Six days shall you gather." These six gifts are:
Eretz Yisroel,the World to Come,the Resurrection of the Dead,the Monarchy of King David,the Kohanimand the Levites.
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This is my G-d and I shall glorify Him, my father's G-d and I shall exalt Him."
(B'shalach 15:2)
The Midrash states that at the splitting of the sea, after the exodus,each one pointed with his finger and said, "This is my G-d and I shallglorify Him." This means that there was a prophetic manifestation of G-dliness tothe point of everyone being able to point a finger and say literally"THIS IS..!" The Midrash notes also that the children born under Egyptianservitude were the first ones to perceive and recognize that Divinemanifestation. "As in the days of your going out from Egypt, I shall show [thepeople] wondrous things." (Michah 7:15) Thus the Messianic redemption, too, will be marked by a Divinemanifestation. In fact, the revelation of the future redemption will be even greater. The expression "This is.." appears but once at the time of theexodus; with the coming of Moshiach it appears twice, as it iswritten, "It will be said on that day, Behold, THIS is our G-d inwhom we put our hope that He will deliver us, THIS is G-d for whomwe hoped.." (Isaiah 25:9) Just as at the time of the exodus it was the children born underEgyptian servitude who recognized G-d first, so it will also be withthe Messianic redemption: the children born in the harshness of thisbitter galut, in the very depth of darkness - [for the darkest momentsof the night are immediately before daybreak, and it is precisely thenthat the desire for sleeping is most powerful] - they will be thefirst to recognize the Divine manifestation. Thus it is written, "Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings You haveestablished strength.. to silence foe and avenger." (Psalms 8:3) The silencing of our foes is effected precisely by the mouths ofchildren who study Torah in times when attempts are made to preventthat study, when difficulties and impediments are put in their way. These children who fortify themselves to overcome those obstacles willbe the generation of redemption and the first to proclaim "Behold,THIS is our G-d.. THIS is G-d for whom we hoped.. !"
* * *
"G-d will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."
(Beshalach 17:16)
A Jew is to remember every day what Amalek did, and we are commandedto "blot out the memory of Amalek" (Deuteronomy 25:19). Nowadays we do not know the identity of the physical Amalek. There is, however, a spiritual Amalek as well, lurking in the recessesof our hearts: of Amalek it is said, "karcha - he made you cool off"(Deuteronomy 25:18), that is, he cooled Israel's fervor and enthusiasmfor G-dliness after the exodus from Egypt on their way to Sinai toreceive the Torah. This spiritual Amalek is anything that would cool our bond with Torahand mitzvot. To battle this spiritual Amalek prepares and clears the road to therevelation of the inner dimension of the Torah that will be manifestedby Moshiach, speedily in our days.