Pivitol Parsha Pattern (Beshalach)

Even a quick read-through of this week’s parsha reveals a clear structure. Please read the following summary (or better yet, read through the parsha). Then pause briefly and see if you notice a pattern.

At the start of Beshalach the Jewish People ask G-d, “is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us to the desert to die?”(14:11).Then come the miracles on the Yam Suf (14:26-31), which surpassed even the miracles of Mitzrayim. Soon, the people long for Egypt and complain that G-d took them out to kill them in the desert (16:3). Hashem causes mon/bread and quail meat to rain from the heavens. The people collect mon on Shabbos, against G-d’s will. G-d asks how long the people will refuse to keep His mitzvot. A container of mon is set aside as a reminder for future generations that G-d has many messengers through which He brings sustenance to those who fear Him (16:28-36, Rashi on 16:33). At their next stop, the people ask Moshe why he is trying to kill them through thirst and wonder if G-d is in their midst. G-d commands Moshe to hit a rock with the same staff with which he struck the sea. The people’s thirst is quenched by the water that freely flows from the rock (17:1-7). Amalek attacks. The people ultimately turn to G-d and win the war (16:8-13, Rashi on 17:11).

The Jews have a hard time and complain. G-d hears and helps. They cry again. He helps again. Every step of the way they wonder if G-d is there. This happens in Egypt, at the sea, and repeatedly regarding bread, meat and water, in the desert. Then comes Amalek.

Rashi explains the breaking of routine by Amalek through the following example: A father carried his son on his shoulders. When the son was hungry the father passed food up, when he was thirsty the father handed the boy a drink, when he was bored he gave him a comic book (that one’s mine). The boy calls out to a man he sees and asks “have you seen my father?” The father hears this and puts his son down. The kid runs around, scrapes his knees, and gets bitten by a dog. Then he runs into his father’s embrace crying “Abba, Abba.”

G-d helps each of us through our own Yetziat Mitzrayim. The miracles continue, yet we remain oblivious. We wonder where G-d is. Just as the Jews who left Mitzrayim had trouble trusting G-d, we do too. After they failed to appreciate Him through His consecutive kindnesses G-d reminded the Jews of His presence with a wake up call. This pattern continues today. When we fail on an individual and communal level to appreciate G-d in affluence and comfort then He reminds us through the other option. Like the child in Rashi’s story, after we get hurt we remember that we have no-one to turn to but our Father in Heaven.

May we be blessed to recognize the kindness G-d provides for us daily. May we be spared from being reminded of G-d’s presence through the other approach.

(This piece is an adaptation of a talk by Rav Noach Weinberg)