Spirituality
TORAH PORTION
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'Armed' By
Our Ancestors
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Shabbat Shira (Parashat Beshallach):
Exodus 13:17-17:16; Judges 4:4-5:3.
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"Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the
land of the Philistines ... for God said, "The people may have a change of heart
when they see war, and return to Egypt." So God led the people round about, by
way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Now the Israelites went up armed out
of the land of Egypt. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph ..." (Exodus
13:17-19).
I
have always been fasci-
to the next verse.
nated by the image of
"Whatever they needed"
our ancestors leaving
was symbolized by the
Egypt. Hundreds of thou-
bones of Joseph, which
sands of former slaves, now
Moses insists on carrying
free — having witnessed
with him. And not just the
Moses and Aaron confront-
physical remains of the last
ing the Pharaoh, plagues
link between the genera-
and destruction.
tion of the patriarchs and
We are told that they left
matriarchs and their newly
Rabbi Norman
in the middle of the night
freed descendants — but
T. Roman
— and whether our own
the legacy and the inspira-
Special to the
mental image of the Exodus
tion of Israelite history that
Jewish News
comes from the classic
provided "whatever they
Midrash commentaries or
needed."
the portrayals on screen directed by
There is a play-on-words here in
Cecil B. DeMille or Steven Spielberg
the Hebrew, as well. It was not just
— the picture is a momentous one. It
Joseph's bones (atzamot) that were
would be a journey filled with danger
a source of strength and continuity
as well as miracle and challenge. I won- for our ancestors, but his "essence"
der still: How did they prepare for this
(atzmiyut). We are better prepared for
"round about:' uncertain experience?
the round-about journeys and chal-
The Torah states that they were
lenges of life when we let the essence
"armed" (chamushim). What can this
of our people and community, our
mean? They couldn't have possessed
Jewish history, faith and values "arm"
weapons; they were slaves. God leads
us with confidence and courage.
them away from battle because they
May this Shabbat, especially, filled
weren't ready, and the Israelites certain- with the words and songs of miracles,
ly didn't seem to be militarily strong
victories, and heroism, remind us of
when they were confronted by the
that which we always carry with us:
Egyptian army at the shores of the sea.
the stories and images of how those
Rashi and several other teachers tell
who gave us life and freedom are car-
us that "armed" simply means that the
ried with us into the future.
people had "whatever they needed!'
It wasn't much, in the sense of provi-
Norman Roman is rabbi of Temple Kol Ami,
sions to carry. They left in a hurry; God
West Bloomfield.
provided later so much of what would
be needed for physical survival: manna
Conversations
from the skies and water from the rock.
What represents the "bones" of
Some interpreters insist that
your ancestors that you carry
armed" still had a logistical or admin-
with you from place to place
istrative tone: Only 1/5 of the Israelites
or generation to generation?
survived the first hours of the march
What is your favorite song from
or that they walked in an orderly pro-
Jewish tradition? Can you sing
cession of groups of five (or 50). But I
it with different melodies or in
prefer to return to the idea that "they
different languages? Do you feel
had whatever they needed" is, as many
that your Jewish identity "arms"
of my teachers have written, connected
you for the journey ahead?
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