TORAH PORTION
The Passover Plunge
Shabbat Seventh Day Pesach:
Exodus 13:17-15:26; Numbers 28:19-
25; ll Samuel 22:1-51.
T
he last days of Passover
was Nachshon Ben Aminaday. The
always feel a bit empty. The
cold water rushed in around him, but
first days are rich with his-
it didn't split. He kept walking, and it
tory and ritual. They have the seder
still didn't split. The water reached his
nights, on which families gather
nostrils, and he was just a few steps
together to celebrate the
away from death, when sud-
Jews' Exodus from Egypt
denly, the sea split; and the
which happened thousands
people were saved.
of years ago.
Nachshon was a man
In comparison, the last
who looked at an impos-
days feel like the forgot-
sible situation and saw a
ten brother of the musical
viable one; a man who saw
genius or the potatoes sit-
no response but kept going
ting alongside a juicy steak
forward. He knew that
— it gets attention, but only
when on a spiritual journey
as an afterthought. Is there
there
are no boundaries, no
Rabbi Leiby
anything we should do on
ceilings
and no limits.
Burn ham
the last days of Passover
When
we tap into the
Specia I to the
other than try to finish up
infinite
power
of spiritual-
Jewis h News
the leftover matzah, maca-
ity, what appears to be a
roons and borsht?
stormy sea can split and
In truth, the last days of Passover
open up a whole new vista — as long
not only have a rich history, but also
as we take that first plunge.
a very important message. It was on
The last days of Passover are when
the 21st of Nissan, the seventh day of
we are supposed to pick a plunge. We
Pesach, that the Reed Sea split to allow are about to launch into a long period
the Jews to walk through on dry land
of self-development leading up to
and then fell back upon the Egyptians
Shavuot, the celebration of our receiv-
pursuing the Jews, thus erasing the
ing the Torah.
last vestiges of the Jewish people's
We need to look back at what char-
210-year persecution.
acter trait or negative habit is chasing
It was on this day that the Jews sang us, threatening our freedom to be our
the beautiful "Az Yashir," interweaving
selves. We need to take a look forward
thanks, joy and praise into a song that
into the sea of doubt that tells us we
is still part of the prayer service today.
can never best it. And then we take the
In addition, we gained a new
Passover Plunge! ❑
hero and role model, Nachshon Ben
Aminaday. He doesn't get a lot of
Leiby Burnham is associate director of
mention in the Torah, and many have
the Jean and Theodore Weiss Partners
never heard of him; but he encapsu-
in Torah program based at Yeshiva Beth
lates the message of the last days of
Yehudah in Southfield.
Passover.
The Jews are trapped. In front of
them was the raging Reed Sea and
quickly closing in behind them was a
Conversations
massive, unified Egyptian force. The
Is there any area I would like to
people cry out to Moses in fear, and
see myself improve, but think it
he assures them that God will wage
is too difficult? What was going
war for them. He tells them that it's the
through Nachshon's mind when
wrong time to pray. What they need to
he walked into the water? What
do now is prove their faith by plunging
would have happened to the
into the water. If they show faith, God
Jewish people had Nachshon
will split the sea for them, and they
not jumped in? What would have
can leave Egypt behind forever. But
happened to Nachshon? How
they tremble at the shore. Who will
can I be a Nachson in my own
enter the tumultuous sea?
life? How will that change me?
The first one to stride into the water
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April 24 V 2008
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