Parashat Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16)
Exodus 13 (continued)
13:18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
Comment : “ … led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of … ”: This was not the nearest way towards the promised land, which is to the northeast. However, this is the correct direction towards Gd’s mountain (Mount Sinai), which is to the southeast. It is better to accept the Ten Commandments there first, before going to the promised land. [1]
“the Red sea”: but a sea is in the way, blocking them from approaching Mount Sinai! When Gd has willed it, the sea will open and make a way.
[1] I noticed this point from an email announcement that Roy Schwarcz sent to his Exodus study group.
Exodus 14
14:23 And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
Comment: How often do we see the sea open? When the Egyptians saw the sea open, weren’t they afraid? No, they went in after the Israelites. I was wondering what went through their mind at that time. Maybe they rationalized it as a natural phenomenon that the “strong east wind” (v.21) opened the sea? This time the natural law is going against them soon: by nature the water will be pulled back by gravity, and they will be drowned! Of course, ultimately it was Gd Who allowed them to be “brave” enough to go to the midst of the sea, in order to drown them. It is not clear why Gd decided to destroy them. Some related discussions are seen at https://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/5369748/jewish/Why-Did-All-the-Pursuers-Die-at-the-Red-Sea.htm
In an extended sense, all enemies who are determined to enslave Gd’s people will be ultimately destroyed by Gd (sometimes even in a way that does not contradict the natural laws).
Exodus 15
15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
Comment: This chapter ends the story of Exodus from Egypt that occupied 15 chapters. The ending verse here mentions 12 wells and 70 trees (date palms תמרים), which provide water and food (dates) to the Israelites. The numbers 12 and 70 nicely correspond to the 12 sons of Jacob and his 70 descendants (mentioned in Chapter 1), who went down to Egypt initially. This reads as if these ancestors had also gone out of Egypt together with their descendants, who are now continuing their unaccomplished missions on earth.
Exodus 16
16:22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
2026 Comment: “twice as much bread”: Why do Jews prepare two loaves of bread on Friday? Friday is the sixth day from creation, counted in 7-day cycles. It is a day to prepare for the 7th day-the sabbath. In the wilderness, G-d prepared two days’ amount of bread for Jews on the sixth day, so that they can have enough to eat until the end of the sabbath, without needing to go out to find food on sabbath. To commemorate this, Jews prepare two loaves of bread on Friday.
16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
Comment: “… to day … to day … to day …”: the phrase “to day” is repeated 3 times on “a sabbath”. The Jews derive from this verse, that one should have 3 meals on Sabbath (instead of 2 meals on a regular day). https://outorah.org/p/38814/
Exodus 17
17:8 Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
2026 Comment: Who is Amalek? According to Genesis 36, Amalek is a descendant of Israel’s twin brother Esau, who was blessed by their father Isaac (in Genesis 27) to live by sword, and had “the hands of Esau”- hairy hands which may symbolize strength in violence or fighting.
17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
2026 Comment: How did Moses want to help? Moses was a descendant of Levi. Levi “usurped” the violent feature of his uncle Esau (see Rashi Genesis 49:5https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Genesis.49.5.2?lang=bi), and killed a city with his brother Simeon (Genesis 34). Moses himself also killed an Egyptian before, and he saved shepherd girls from bullies (Exodus 2). However, here Moses uses his hands not to kill or fight, but to raise the rod. Presumably he also uses his forefather Jacob (Israel)’s distinctive feature, “the voice of Jacob’’, to pray. See my comments about Genesis 27:22 regarding “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.” http://mijiale.mypressonline.com/2022/11/20/my-notes-on-toledot/
17:11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
2026 Comment: What would a nonbeliever think here? He could regard this as a coincidence. The chance of one coincidence is 0.5, the chance of three coincidences is (½)^3=1/8.
17:15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
2026 Comment: What does “Jehovahnissi” mean? This phrase means the LORD is my banner, or the LORD is my miracle.
Why does the Hebrew word nissi have this double meaning of my banner and my miracle?
I think it is because miracles are tools used by G-d to encourage His “soldiers’’, similar to how banners function in a war.
Why does Moses commemorate this event as a miracle? This looks like an ordinary war, without supernatural events like parting of a sea, but with only seemingly coincidences – whenever Moses hands raise up, Israelites win.
I believe this is for educating the future generations, who will experience many seemingly coincidences as disguised miracles.
Why in the altar’s name the Lord is referred to as “nissi’’, my miracle, rather than just “ness’’ or miracle?
The word nissi means “my miracle’’, not merely miracle. It suggests a relation to “me’’, in a most direct way and personal way. I will give three of my examples that I cherish very much:
- In 2012, when I was alone in China and in a difficult situation, I saw a bookstore named Nissi Bookhouse. It has many biblical books and faith related items in it. G-d encouraged me greatly through this experience and through seeing this name.
- I often travel to and from China, and very thankfully, I do not have jet lags. Whenever I am awake at the sleeping time, I would sing Adon Olam (Master of the Universe), and would soon return to sleep. One of my favorite sentence has the word “nissi’’ in it, which says “vehu nissi, umanos li, menat cosi, beyom eqra”, which means “He is my banner (my miracle), and my refuge, portion of my cup, on the day I call.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adon_Olam
- In 2024, I co-authored a paper published in a high-impact factor journal in a new field. The process was a series of seemingly coincidences, which is really a miracle. I was not the main author, and I had always been wondering about a peculiar acronym used in the paper’s title, but I never asked about it while we worked on the paper. After the paper was accepted, I finally had a chance to ask my main co-author. I said, Why did you name your code Nii-C? How should I read it? He said, Nii means simulation; it comes from the second Chinese character of simulation (muo-nee in Chinese), and C means it uses C language. It should be read as “nee-see’’. I was astounded, this reads exactly the same as “nissi’’ in Hebrew! So is it just another co-incidence, or really a part of the miracle?
17:16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
Comment: “will have war with Amalek from generation to generation”: The Amalekites represent Gd’s enemies. In fact, Amalek was the grandson of Esau (Genesis 36:12). Therefore, the Amalekites and the Israelites share the same maternal ancestor Rebecca and the same forefather Isaac (Genesis 25:28). Despite their common heredity, they are opposite in Gd’s plan. The Israelites would soon go to Mount Sinai to become a covenant people of Gd, and here the Amalekites were fighting and obstructing the Israelites from reaching there.