Rabbi Max

This weeks Torah reading of BeShalach, is just amazing, and is the biblical climax of the Exodus narrative.

There is so much I could focus on but, what I’d like to point out is a little know Midrash on the Hebrews at the Red Sea.

As you may or may not know the Israelites left Egypt in the dead of night. Pharaoh and the Egyptian Army having realised the error of letting a major part of their slave workforce go, decide to get them back or kill them if they refused, so they made chase.

The Israelites got to the Red Sea and could go no further and didn’t know what to do.

The Midrash says that they spilt up in to five different groups or opinions.

1. Suicide

The first group wanted to just give up, the odds seemed steeped against them, with no hope of saviour they decided it would be best if they threw themselves in the water and drown.

2. Going back to be slaves

The Second thought that it would be a very sensible thing to surrender to the oncoming Egyptian army and simply go back to the lives they had just left, to return to be slaves. Since at least it was predictable, arduous and punishingly hard work, but “comfortable” compared to the panic driven uncertainty of this new freedom. At least in Egypt they knew their place, they were guaranteed regular food and water, a roof above their heads and a sense of normality.

3. Fight the Egyptians

The Third group, had had enough of slavery, of being beaten and victimised by the Egyptians, being treated as second class citizens, being slaves, being abused and their children killed. They decided to take revenge, to instead of raising a white flag, to raise their swords, to fight and kill the oncoming Egyptian army. They were after all, in a potential advantage, they might be able to climb the steep valley sides and gain the upper hand?

4. Pray and Asking for help

The Forth group, literally didn’t know what to do, so they did the only thing they could do, and that was pray. They prayed to God to help them get out of this seemingly impossible situation! This group included in it most of the Levites (Priests) including Moses himself, who pleaded with God for help advice and guidance.

5. Moving on, even though it seemed impossible

The Fifth group, wasn’t really a group at all, it was one individual called Nachshon Ben Aminadav who remembered that God had already promised to take them to Mt. Sinai, so he walked forwards into the sea. The people witnessing him, screamed and believed he was just another member of Group 1, but he had a different idea.

He believed that they had to move forwards, to ignore seeming impossible obstacles and move towards their collective destiny. The Midrash continues that Nachshon, waded up to his knees and nothing happened, he went up to his waist but still, nothing happened, he was up to his chest, but nothing. Not until the water hit his mouth did the Red Sea split. (Obviously a different account than the Bible)

From a personal and spiritual perspective we can learn a huge amount from this Midrash. We can see these different groups as different reactions to immensely difficult situations, or you can even choose to see them as different stages in a process of healing and moving on itself.

1. Suicide
2. Going back to be slaves
3. Fight the Egyptians
4. Pray and Asking for help
5. Moving on, even though it seemed impossible

When a for whatever reason we feel we are in an impossible situation, well can all have similar reactions, we can although many people don’t admit it, feel that life isn’t worth living.

We can wish that nothing had happened, perhaps we can fix the problem, and that it would all magically go back the way it was before?

We can fight and be angry with the situation and with ourselves, we can wish to destroy the problem from our lives and our history.

But that doesn’t work either, because all that emotional energy is still directed at the past, either at the person you’ve been hurt by, but the things in your life that make you feel angry and upset.

You have to dig deeper within yourself and learn to let go of all that negative emotional stuff in a way that is safe and constructive.

Go speak to someone, a counsellor, God, a friend, psychotherapist, life coach, mentor or anyone or anything you trust and believe in.

They may not have any answers for you, and they may not have any advice, but they are there for you in your hour of need, they listen, they empathise and help you to resolve the crisis within yourself, so that you can begin to let go of the pain, and let go of the past and let go of the person you’ve been.

But ultimately we all need to stop getting advice or praying and meditating and move forward toward a happier and brighter future.

The secret of moving forwards is having a positive vision of your future (Mt.Sinai), and having the courage to embrace the happier person you are destined to become, even if it seems impossible!