After having left Mitzrayim triumphant and full of joy, the Jews find themselves hemmed in at Yam Suf, terrified of the approaching Egyptians. The pesukim record that their first response was to daven to Hashem.[1] The very next pasuk, though, tells us that they turned to Moshe and complained, “Were there not enough graves in Egypt that you had to take us out to die in the desert?!”
The Ramban learns from here that different groups responded in different ways. The Mechilta[2] lists four reactions. One group said, “Let’s give up and commit suicide by falling into the sea.” A second said, “Let’s return to Egypt.” A third said, “Let’s make war with the Egyptians.” And a fourth said, “Let’s daven.”
The Mechilta rejects all four responses as having been incorrect.[3] Upon reflection, we understand why the first three responses were misguided, but what was wrong with the last response? Could it have been incorrect to daven?
We ask a similar question about Hashem’s response to Moshe: “Why do you cry to me?”[4] It seems that Moshe was also davening and that Hashem objected to his tefilla as well.[5] Rashi specifies the details of Hashem’s response to Moshe: “This isn’t the time for lengthy tefilla. The Jews are in trouble!” This seems strange. I would have thought that a time when the Jews face trouble is the best time for tefilla! Don’t we learn from the Avot that we are supposed to daven in times of need?[6] Didn’t Yaakov Avinu daven before his confrontation with Eisav?
The answer lies in the continuation of Hashem’s words: ”Why do you cry to me? Tell the Jewish people to travel.” When they arrived at Yam Suf, Hashem’s cloud presumably continued out over the sea (before the Egyptians arrived), but the Jews were afraid to move forward. So, instead of doing what they needed to do, the Jews looked for other options. Tefilla was one of them.
Hashem’s words to Moshe aimed to refocus them. Davening is very important, but it needs to complement action — doing what needs to be done. Sometimes, even tefilla can be a cover for inaction. Tefilla is always correct, but ‘long tefilla’ that comes in place of the requisite action is inappropriate. Yaakov Avinu davened before meeting Eisav, but only after he prepared for war.
We see the proper balance between tefilla and action later in the parsha when the Jews face Amalek. Only after sending Yehoshua and his soldiers to fight — the necessary action — does Moshe climb the mountain and raise his arms in tefilla. Rashi describes Moshe’s tefilla as ”reliable and correct.”[7] The lesson is clear: As opposed to the tefilla by Yam Suf, this tefilla, accompanied by action, was reliable and correct.
This message is very relevant to our Corona reality. For almost two years, we have faced continuous challenges and an unclear path forward. Frustration has often caused people to respond in non-constructive ways that include giving up, trying to go back to an elusive past, fighting with the wrong enemies, and pure religious reliance on G-d — instead of moving forward by attempting to discern what Hashem wants from us and turning to Him for help.
May we learn from the experience of our ancestors at Yam Suf and from the rest of Parshat Beshalach how to respond the “reliable and correct” way.
Transcribed by Adina Lev
[1] Shemot 14:10
[2] Mechilta (Beshalach 2) derives this from Moshe’s response to Bnei Yisrael.
[3] See the Mechilta which derives this from the words of Moshe’s response to the Jews.
[4] Shemot 14:15.
[5] Rashi 14:15.
[6] In fact, in the very same piece, the Mechilta explains that their tefilla was their way of following the ways of their ancestors, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov.
[7] Note that the siman for the number of pesukim in the parsha paraphrases this pasuk.
