Parshas Bishalach: Waves of Destruction and Waves of Salvation

This Shabbos, we celebrate "Shabbos Shirah" - "The Shabbos of Song", for we are commemorating having sung "Az Yashir..." to HaShem for having saved us from the pursuing Egyptian forces while we were crossing the Yam Suf - "Sea of Reeds". This parsha, we will read "Parshas Bishalach", which discusses, among other things, the miraculous salvation of the Jewish People from the Egyptian army that was intent on attacking the Jewish People and regaining what they thought to be their wealth.

This Shabbos will also be Tu B'Shvat, The New Year for the Fruit Trees, thus making an already special Shabbos all the more special.

However, I am not going to discuss Tu B'Shvat so much in this post, rather, I will discuss the power of water to bring salvation or to bring destruction, of which K'rias Yam Suf is the ultimate example.

If one counts Shabbos as being the middle of the week, the fourth aliyah of the parsha would correspond to the day of Shabbos. This week, the fourth aliyah is the one that discusses the drowning of the Egyptian army in the Yam Suf and, thereby, the completion of the salvation of the Jewish People from the Egyptian people. In this aliyah, we also find included the song that the Jewish People sang to thank HaShem for their miraculous redemption from the Egyptians.

The fourth aliyah begins as follows:

"And HaShem said to Moshe, stretch your hand upon the sea and the water shall return upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and upon their horsemen. And Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea and the sea returned at the time of dawn to its [original] strength and Egypt was fleeing toward it, and HaShem shook up in the midst of the Sea. And the water returned and covered and it covered the chariots and the horsemen for the entire army of Paroh who were coming after [the Jewish People] into the Sea, not even one of them remained. And The Children of Israel went on the dry land in the midst of the Sea, and the water was a wall for them, [on] their right and [on] their left. And HaShem brought salvation on that day to Israel from the hand of Egypt, and Israel saw Egypt dead, upon the seashore. And Israel saw the Great Hand which HaShem performed against Egypt, and the nation feared HaShem, and they placed their belief in HaShem and in Moshe, His servant." (Shmos: 14; 26 - 31)

THE CONTRAST BETWEEN WATERS OF BLESSING AND WATERS AND DESTRUCTION AND WHY EACH COME

In sefer "Yishayahu", we have two pisukim that discuss words that relate to water, one that refers to waters of blessing and one that refers to waters of destruction. Each of these words refer to righteous people and cruel people, respectively.

The pasuk from sefer Yishayahu, which refers to waters of blessing, states as follows:

ונתן לכם א-דני לחם צר ומים לחץ ולא יכנף עוד מוריך והיו עיניך ראות את מוריך

"And G-d will give you meager amounts of bread and small amounts of water, and your early rains (morecha) will not continue to be withheld from you, and your eyes shall see your teacher (morecha)." (Yishayahu: 30; 20)

The MaLBI"M explains that the first time that the term "morecha" is used, it refers to the early rains of blessing, as is mentioned in Parshas Eikev (Divarim: 11; 14), and the second "morecha" refers to your teacher.

The MaLBI"M refers to another example where the same word means two different things in the case of water, as follows:

ארצכם שממה עריכם שרפות אש אדמתכם לנגדכם זרים אכלים אתה ושממה כמהפכת זרים

"Your land is desolate, your cities are burned by fire, your land, in front of you cruel (zarim) people are consuming it, and its desolation is like being overturned by destructive waters (zarim)." (Yishayahu: 1; 7)

The MaLBI"M explains on the above that zarim - cruel people - consume the land's produce, the desolation being so complete and affecting every person, that it is compared to destructive waters that flow in (zarim) and destroy that which is upon the land. The MaLB"M explains this destruction as referring to the siege on Yirushalayim by the Babylonians. Such destruction is compared to destructive waters that flow in (such as a tsunami) that leave no remainder after they have brought their destruction.

From the above, we see that the Hebrew term for cruel people - zarim, is precisely the term used to describe the destructive waters, whereas the purveyors of Torah are compared to "morecha" - waters of blessing, the early rains. Therefore, we see a clear relationship between the righteous and blessing and the evil and destruction.

Elsewhere, in the context of "zerem" - destructive flowing waters, we learn in sefer "Chavakuk", that in the End of Days, the water will rise above the mountains to destroy the enemies of the Jewish People, however, the Jewish People will remain safe from such waters. The above is taken from the MaLBI"M on sefer "Chavakuk" (3; 10). Elsewhere, the MaLBI"M explains that a "zerem" of water is a flow of water that comes in and floods everything carrying what is in its path for a far distance. (Yishayahu: 28; 2)

THE CHAPTERS OF TEHILLIM THAT CORRESPOND TO THE FIFTEENTH OF THE JEWISH MONTH AND ITS SIGNICANCE IN TERMS OF WATER

The chapters of Tehillim that are recited on the fifteenth day of the Jewish month are the 77th and 78th chapters of Tehillim. Amazingly enough, both of these chapters discuss the miraculous salvation that HaShem performed for us at the splitting of the Red Sea. From what has been written up to this point, we should learn that, for those who are cruel, in this case the Egyptians, HaShem brought destructive waters to destroy them. However, in the case of the Jewish People who were redeemed to accept the Torah and bring truth and righteousness to the world, the waters had the opposite affect, splitting for the Jewish People, "preparing" a path for their ultimate salvation from their Egyptian oppressors. Here, in this case, the People that was meant to accept the Torah and purvey the Torah's teachings to one another and bring light and truth to the world, were spared, with the same water that was destrutive for the Egyptians, being a blessing for the Jewish People.

THE MIDDLE OF "SHOVAVI"M TA"T" - THE EIGHT WEEKS OF REPENTANCE (SOMETIMES IT IS REFERRED TO AS SIX WEEKS)

If destruction comes upon others, even our enemies, what can we learn from that?

Two weeks ago, in Parshas VaEira, RaSh"I comments on the phrase, "And I shall harden Paroh's heart", that since nations - in this case Egypt - would not completely wish to repent for their sins, it is better that HaShem harden Paroh's heart and bring suffering upon Egypt so that the Jewish People will witness the destruction that Egypt is suffering, and, thereby, themselves, repent. Quoting from Tzifaniah, RaSh"I supports the above statement with a verse that states how HaShem brings destruction to the nations. (Tzifaniah: 3; 6)

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CRUEL AND PURVERYORS OF THE "CULTURE" OF DEATH - SALVATION FROM SUCH EVIL

We read in chapter 28 of sefer "Yishayahu" of a prophecy relating how some leaders in the Land of Israel would make a covenant with death, employing falsehood as a necessary means to arrive at that goal.

What happens?

The chapter notes that this treaty will be washed away.

In the merit of this Parshas Bishalach, may the world witness "waters of salvation" and blessing for those are good. In contrast, the purveyors of death and cruelty, such as the Egyptians in the time of the Jewish Exodus, might witness those waters which are described as "zarim".

May HaShem bring peace and truth to the whole world speedily in our days! Amein!