Parshas Beshalach 5772

‘Parsha Growth Spurts’

Rabbi Dani Staum

Parshas Beshalach

(14:30) “Hashem saved on that day Yisroel from the hands of Mitzrayim; And Yisroel saw Mitzrayim dead on the edge of the sea.”

Rav Elyashiv shlita explains that when the Torah mentions ‘Mitzrayim’, it not only refers to the land of Egypt, but also to the Egyptians who inhabited the land. When a person lives in a country for many years he becomes accustomed to the country’s laws, customs, and culture. He identifies himself with the country and feels a sense of comfort with his surroundings. Even when he leaves the land physically his mindset is still inextricably bound to the country he departed from. A person can emigrate from a country and yet still be in that country, mentally and psychologically.

On the fifteenth day of Nissan, our ancestors physically traversed the confines of Egypt. They marched forth into an open and vast desert, no longer residents of Egypt. However, they were still very much connected to Egypt. In fact, at that point they could have even entered Eretz Yisroel and on a certain level still been in Mitzrayim. There was another vital component of the exodus that was necessary to extricate the former slaves’ Egyptian mindset and mentality. That was accomplished seven days later at the Yam Suf. When Klal Yisroel saw “Mitzrayim dead on the edge of the sea” it granted them a sense of closure on their lives in Egypt.

It is for this reason that there are two days of ‘Yom Tov’ (i.e. days when Melacha is forbidden) during Pesach (as opposed to the remaining days of Chol Hamoed). The first day, when we celebrate the Seder, commemorates our physical departure from Egypt. The seventh day celebrates the Splitting of the Sea, when we achieved complete transcendence of the Egyptian exile. It was only when “The nation feared Hashem, and they believed in Hashem, and in Moshe his servant” that the redemption was complete.   

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 (16:8) “And what are we; not upon us is your complaint, but on Hashem.”

One year on Yom Kippur Rav Yonason Eibschutz zt’l saw and heard a man davening with intense concentration, tears coursing down his cheeks as he recited the words “I am dust in my life, and even more so in my death.”

Some time later, Rav Yomason heard the same man berating and lambasting the Gabbai for not giving him an aliyah. “Do you know who I am? How dare you not give me an aliyah?”

Rav Yonason approached the man and asked him, ‘Just a few moments ago I heard you declare that you are but dust. Isn’t that incongruous with your complaint against the Gabbai?’ The man was quick to reply, “Rebbe, before I was davening to Hashem. Compared to Him I am nothing. But compared to this Gabbai…”

In this vein Rabbi Meir Shapiro zt’l explained the true greatness of Moshe’s declaration here. Avrohom Avinu also declared ‘I am but dust and ashes’, but Avrohom was davening to Hashem when he uttered those words. Moshe on the other hand, was speaking to the rabble-rousers of the nation, and yet even to them he humbly declared “What are we?”

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“He created good trees to give benefit to the sons of man.” (Beracha said on trees during Chodesh Nissan)

Darkei Mussar (Tu B’Shvat) notes that Hashem created many different fruits, each with its own texture, color, smell, and taste. What is the purpose of so much variety; we could lived very comfortably on bread and water? It was only to give us pleasure and enjoyment from the world Hashem created. Hashem, the source of all good, desires to bestow good upon others, as it were and therefore, He added tremendous depth and variety to His Creation solely so man could enjoy the world.

We are enjoined to emulate the Ways of Hashem. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to not only try to help those in need, but also to find ways to benefit others, and to add enjoyment to their lives.

Rav Yisroel Salanter once quipped that ‘someone else’s gashmiyus (physical enjoyment) is my ruchniyus (spiritual growth)’. In other words when one seeks to enhance someone else’s physical comfort he benefits spiritually.

Tu B’Shvat is a day of gratitude to Hashem for the beautiful world and fruits He created, so that we can benefit from them. As we savor the delectable taste and beauty of the fruits we should remember the responsibility we have to infuse ‘taste and beauty’ into the lives of others.

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Sources: Rav Elyashiv – Divrei Agadah; Rav Yonason Eibschutz – quoted in Otzar Chaim