Beshalach: The Journey of a Lifetime Starts with a Single Step
Liluei Nishmas Ita bas Chanoch Aharon Bistritzky
The highlight of this week's Parsha is the beginning of the liberation of the Jews from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea. After enduring 210 years of oppression, God redeemed His people; however, as the Torah relates, even miraculous redemption is not a road without pitfalls. On the seventh day after the exodus, the Jews, pursued by the Egyptian army, stood trapped with the Sea on one side and Pharaoh's hordes on the other.
The Midrash describes four perspectives brought to Moshe for dealing with this grim reality: one wanted to surrender to the Sea and thought that the people should jump in rather than return to slavery, another preferred returning to Egypt and slavery, the third advocated going to war and fighting, and the fourth suggested prayer.
Moses himself was unsure which of these approaches was better and was directed by God to choose a fifth path, "Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the children of Israel and let them travel." Hashem rejected all four responses. As directed by God, Moses' response was to reject these options and encourage moving forward one step at a time. This represents a fifth way of living, emphasizing perseverance and action.
In moments of clarity and inspiration, we begin a journey intending personal success and broader impact. However, despite best intentions, obstacles abound, and we receive criticism, lose support from others, and find ourselves at an impasse.
This biblical event mirrors our own life experiences. We still face obstacles even when we see progress and have moments of inner redemption. When confronted with challenges, people react differently: some try to retreat into the safety of their inner life, some stop fighting and live in quiet despair, others become cynical and antagonistic to others, and others passively seek divine guidance.
The Torah tells us that when faced with an impasse, the fifth path is to fight the urge to freeze and keep moving forward- the moment did not demand prayer or pragmatism; it did not need a leap of faith but for the faith to take a small step forward.
Boundaries and doubt had a place in Egypt. When Hashem redeemed His people, He lifted them above their boundaries where challenges no longer confine them. Hashem's command to continue forward is to challenge us, saying, "Let's see if you are truly free." The journey of 1000 miles and all of history begins with a single step.
Engaging with reality and taking small steps towards more mitzvot and one more step toward our goals is a perspective that the Torah tells us that causes barriers to crumble, threats to lose their salience, and challenges to become minor setbacks. The path to Sinai, then and now, is about advancing despite adversities, even if it means splitting the Sea from time to time.
Adapted from “Life Talks on the Parsha”