Beshalach: It’s Time to Take Action

By Ethan Dalva

After generations of slavery and destitution, Bnei Yisrael are finally redeemed from Mitzrayim and brought to freedom and salvation. In Parshas Beshalach, we experience one of the greatest open miracles in Jewish History – the splitting of the Yam Suf. The pessukim tell us that Bnei Yisrael, shortly after leaving Mitzrayim, are confronted by the seemingly insurmountable sea, and begin to panic as they see Paroah and the Mitzrim approach. They immediately cry out to Hashem and complain to Moshe that he has led them to certain death! Moshe reassures the people, exclaiming that Hashem will perform a miracle and save them from the Mitzrim.

The very next passuk, Hashem says an unusually cryptic phrase: “מה תצעק אלי דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו”. Rashi explains that after reassuring Bnei Yisrael that everything will be ok, Moshe begins to daven to Hashem. Hashem responds to Moshe that now is not the proper time to daven to Him, but rather the time to go forward into the sea. Instead of davening, Bnei Yisrael should march forward.

The Ohr HaChaim asks an obvious question, how can Hashem tell Moshe that davening is not the proper course of action? Isn’t prayer the correct response when Jews are in a situation of danger? The Jews were trapped between a sea and an army of enemies that was quickly approaching, would it not make sense for Moshe to ask Hashem to perform a miracle and save them?

The Ohr HaChaim explains this difficult passage with an incredible yesod. As Bnei Yisrael are standing by the sea, Moshe turns to prayer to ask Hashem for a miracle – an act of Rachamim. Hashem responds that in order for Him to provide for a person using His middas ha’rachamim, the person has to have done maasim tovim that would warrant His rachamim. Bnei Yisrael at this point had virtually the same lack of zechuyos as the Mitzrim, since they were just as steeped in Avodah Zara as the Mitzrim were. Therefore, the middas ha’din argued to Hashem that since Bnei Yisrael had no maasim tovim to point to, they were not deserving of Hashem’s mercy.

Hashem therefore turns to Moshe, and explains that prayer for a miracle is not going to work at this point. Instead, Bnei Yisrael would have to take action to become deserving of the miracle that Hashem wanted to provide for them. דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו. Hashem tells Moshe that by demonstrating an incredible act of Emunah, Bnei Yisrael would become deserving of His mercy. If Bnei Yisrael would march forward into the sea before it splits, with an unresolved Emunah in Hashem that He will split it for them, that would enable Hashem to perform the miracle and save them.

Often in our lives, we feel like we are lacking in maasim tovim, and don’t deserve the rachamim of Hashem. We feel like we don’t have the right to ask Hashem for help in the many areas of life that we depend on Him, and so we feel like we won’t be answered in our tefillah. Says the Ohr HaChaim, it’s time to take action. We have to strengthen in our learning, strengthen in our passion for mitzvos, and look for ways to help others. There is so much darkness in the world right now, and we need to bring more light into it. B’zchus our maasim tovim, we can ask for Hashem to provide for us with His middas ha’rachamim, and bring us forward to the ultimate geulah b’meheira b’yameinu.