As Heard From Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

The Song of the Sea is read from the Torah every year when the weekly Perashah is read, and it is read on the seventh day of Pesach, and it is recited daily in our prayers; and so it shall be until forever. The spectacle of the splitting of the Sea of Suf gave an impetus to Israel and causes them to go forward until the end of time.

The episode of the splitting of the Sea of Suf afforded one of the most stupendous spectacles in history. The mighty waters which Israel had feared more than they feared Pharaoh, now parted and piled up to shield them like crystal walls on both sides of the uncovered sea-bottom; and Israel, protected by the walls of water against the darts and javelins of Egypt, marched across on the dry path.

It was a never to be forgotten day of G-d. All of Nature was in turmoil because its Master was marching with his children. The pillar of cloud which preceded them now moved back to intervene between Israel and Egypt. At the end of the night, fire and cloud descended upon the pursuing army which was now in the middle of the sea-road, whereas Israel had gained the opposite shore. The chariot wheels of Egypt burned off. Now they exhorted each other to flee for their lives, for they saw that G-d was fighting against them for Israel; but it was too late. The trap was sprung; G-d bade Moses stretch out his arm to send the mighty walls toppling down upon the pursuers, who sank to the bottom like lead, while Israel stood on the shore electrified by the spectacle. The sea which had threatened Israel with a worse fate then Pharaoh’s wrath, had rescued them from their enemy; and it now washed up on the shore a huge wealth of booty.

“This is my G-d and I will adorn Him.” (15:2)

The word “this” denotes clarity of perception and True Knowledge, as if they were viewing the Shechinah and pointing to it with the finger, for such was the elevated level of knowledge of Hashem which they gained at that wondrous spectacle of the splitting of the Sea.

“This is my G-d.” The word for G-d here is the Alef and Lamed (Kel), which denotes “strength” (as in Beresheet 31:29). 1) He alone is my G-d of strength 2) and He is for me alone (”My G-d”).

Therefore I pledge my gratitude and love to Him “and I will adorn Him.” I will praise and glorify Him in such manner to demonstrate that He alone is beautiful, and beside love of Him nothing else deserves to be loved as beautiful. And only that which has connection with His Torah and with His service is beautiful.

The only beautiful men are those who are faithful to His Torah. Therefore I will adorn His Mitzvot; a beautiful Lulav, beautiful Sisit, a beautiful Sefer Torah. We do not adorn Him (i.e. give Him beauty) but we thereby demonstrate that we recognize His beauty, because we constantly consider His ways of kindliness and wisdom and we see how beautiful are His attributes.

This is the vow which our nation made at the Sea. And now this vow is being fulfilled by the genuine Jewish nation to this day.

Quoted from “A Nation is Born” and “Behold a People” by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shira

“And the waters were for them a wall on their right and on their left.” (14:22)

“A wall” means that the waters protected them from the arrows of the enemy. The sons of Israel had feared the waters no less than they had feared the enemy, but now they saw that Hashem had caused the waters to become their protector. This is an important part of Hashem’s plan, whereby He demonstrates that he alone controls men’s fate, by causing the salvation to come from what seemed to be the peril itself.

The daughter of the oppressor Paro was the one that rescued Moshe who defeated the oppressor. The feared vice-regent of Egypt who cast terror upon the sons of Jacob turned out to be none other than Yosef who was the savior of his family afterward. Egypt, the land of Israel’s degradation and servitude, became the place where the nation increased at a rate never afterward equalled. Joseph was put into great peril, in the jail “where the king’s prisoners are bound” (Bereshit 39:20), in order to interpret the dreams of the king’s prisoners and thereby he became the vice-regent.

The Sea that had appeared as an obstacle and a threat to Israel at Yam Suf, became the savior that engulfed the enemy. The Sea which had threatened Israel with a worse fate that Paro’s wrath, had rescued them from their enemy; and now it washed up on the shore a hugh wealth of booty. Hashem had thereby instilled in us the great awareness and serenity which is Bitachon in Hashem. By demonstrating that Hashem is in control and that He can turn our foe, the Sea, into our friend who destroys our enemy, the Egyptians.

Quoted from “A Nation is Born” by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shira

The wonders of the Ten Plagues were dwarfed by the rending of the Sea of Suf. In Egypt they had seen “the finger of G-d,” (Shemot 8:15) but now they had witnessed “the great hand.” (ibid. 14:31) “Ezekiel did not see in the vision of the Chariot of Heaven as much as a maidservant saw at the Sea.” (Mechilta Shemot 14:2) The entire nation soared together with Moses to the heights of prophecy, and they uttered the exalted Song of the Sea which their posterity would repeat forever.

“Let me sing to G-d, for he has become exceedingly exalted; the horse and his rider He has cast into the Sea.” (Shemot 15:1) They had feared the horse and the vengeful host of Pharoh, and the had feared the Sea even more. But the Master of the World had caused the Sea to become their ally, and it had destroyed the power of the enemy. This, at first sight, may seem a very small praise to the Creator of the Universe Who casts hugh celestial bodies into their orbits and Who catapults hugh comets through space. But we learn hear an important principle: one additional grain of True Knowledge outweighs a mountain of vaguely possessed knowledge.

Their gratitude, expressed in the enthusiasm of song, was for the gift of True Knowledge which they had gained. “Let me sing to G-d, for He has become exceedingly exalted” in the minds of His children, by means of the spectacle whereby “the horse and his rider He has cast into the Sea.”

For this event immensely elevated their faith in G-d and in His messenger Moses, and now they declared that “G-d would reign forever” (ibid 15:18) over them.

The Women, under Miriam’s leadership, intoned this first verse which expressed gratitude for the gift of Knowledge of G-d. The fact that these women did this independently, something unequalled ever before or after, was due to the independent esprit de corps which they had developed in Egypt. When they combated the pessimism of the downtrodden men and had begun a movement to build up the numbers of the children of Israel, under the inspiring leadership of the prophetess Miriam.

Quoted from “Behold a People” and “A Nation is Born” by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

Shabbat Shira

On Shabbat Parshat Beshalach we read the Shirat Hayam from the Torah, which tells of the stupendous miracle of the splitting of the Sea of Suf. We also read this portion each year on the Seventh Day of Pesach and we say it every day in our morning prayers. This repetition means that it is very important for us to understand and feel the many teachings of this open Miracle.

“And Hashem on that day saved Israel from the hand of Egypt.” (14:30) The rescue of Israel from the power of Egypt was not completed until the day of the splitting of the Sea of Suf. From “that day” onward Egypt no longer interfered in the affairs of Israel. The remarkable fact that for the following 500 years nothing is mentioned of any intervention by Egypt in the affairs of Israel is a tremendous demonstration that testifies to the truth of the total devastation of Egypt by the Plagues and by the episode of the Sea.

“And Israel saw Egypt die on the shore of the Sea.” (14:30) Not only did Hashem rescue Israel, but He also granted them the exultation of seeing the destruction of their pursuers, while standing safely on the shore. When we see the downfall of the wicked, we gain more Awareness of Hashem’s power and His kindliness: “Be elevated, O Judge of the world! Turn back recompense (revenge) upon the arrogant.” (Tehillim 94:2) “Then would sing Moshe and Bnei Yisrael.” (15:1) Did the Jews rejoice at the destruction of the Egyptians? Hashem does not rejoice at the destruction of any of His creatures, and it is stated that Hashem did not permit the angels to sing at the drowning of Paro’s host (Megilah 10B).

But here we see that Moshe and the Bnei Yisrael sang, and even rejoiced in every detail of the destruction of their enemy. We understand therefrom that men, unlike angels, must utilize such opportunities to gain more Awareness of Hashem, and more Gratitude to Him. Angels cannot make any progress, but Moshe and Yisrael can gain understanding of Hashem and thereby improve themselves greatly. And that is our function in this life, to improve ourselves.

Quoted from “A Nation is Born” by Rabbi Miller ZT”L

Shabbat Shalom

As Heard From Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT”L

Every year we read The Song of the Sea, Shirat Hayam, from the Torah in Parshat Beshalach. We also read it on the seventh day of Pesach. And we say it every day in our prayers. The more often we are required to do something, the more important it is for us to gain its lessons.

The most fundamental lesson that the Torah teaches us is to refine our Jewish trait of Gratitude. In fact, we are called Jews which is derived from the word ‘Yehudi’ which means ‘to thank.’ Our function is to be grateful and to thank Hashem for all of the kindliness He bestows on us presently and throughout our history.

And so, we read The Song of the Sea often and relive one of the most stupendous spectacles in history when Hashem split The Sea and rescued His People. This caused an outpouring of gratitude and singing to Hashem. “Then would sing Moshe and the Bnai Yisrael.”

“A horse and a rider He cast into the sea.” This was another cause for a great feeling of our gratitude to Hashem. Since the ‘Sea’ which threatened Israel’s existence (their backs were to the Sea with the Egyptians closing in), drowned their enemy and rescued Israel from Egypt and it now washed upon the shore a huge booty of wealth.

Hashem had instilled in us the great awareness and serenity which is Bitachon in Hashem. By demonstrating that Hashem is in control and that He can turn our foe, the Sea, into our friend who destroys our enemy, the Egyptians.

Shabbat Shalom