Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Being Original

Tu b'Shevat; Shabbat Shirah, Parshat
Beshelach: Exodus 13:17, Judges 4:4-
5:31.

N

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ow that we know who will
Of course, there is a story that
be playing in next week's
doesn't occur in the actual verses of
Super Bowl, the real excite-
the parshah, but occurs in the midrash
ment can begin. We will embrace the
— about a man named Nachshon.
game, the hoopla and the best adver-
When the Israelites reached the shores
tisements money can buy.
of the sea and the Egyptians were
But the only real guarantee we have is bearing down upon them, everybody
that the winning coach will be doused
started screaming. "Why, Moses,
with Gatorade. It's a tradition — but
did you take us from slavery so that
we'll still think, "how contrived:'
we could die here?" But Nachshon
Now, the first player to do this — he
just began walking into the water.
was special. It was 24 years ago, and Bill Nachshon had faith and was willing to
Parcells was coach of the N.Y. Giants.
take a risk. He was willing to think dif-
The player who dumped the Gatorade,
ferently than everyone around him. He
he was original — especially consider-
was willing to do differently as well.
ing how seriously Parcells
So he walked into the
took everything.
water — and nothing hap-
The ones who do the
pened. Then he walked
dousing today, however, are
deeper into the water, up to
imitators. It's not spontane-
his knees. And still nothing
ous.
happened. He continued
But then again, as we
walking, slowly, up to his
think about sports celebra-
waist, his chest, his neck.
tions, we've often lost the
The water stayed just as it
spontaneity. Baseball teams
was. Nothing had changed.
prepare for championships
But once the water came
Michael L.
by putting plastic sheets
over Nachshon's nose, once
Moskovitz
over clubhouse lockers.
it
was so deep that he could
Special to the
They have come to recog-
no
longer breathe, then
Jewish News
nize that the champagne
suddenly, at that moment,
will be sprayed, not drunk.
the sea split. All because this one indi-
Yes, these victorious moments
vidual was willing to try, to take a risk,
may disappoint us when we see how
to be original.
planned they are and that so many of
That's the example for us today. And
our heroes just do what's expected.
that's the example from which our
Yet, history changes when individu-
ancestors gained hope. It even gave
als do what is not expected. Our reality them reason to celebrate. Fortunately
readjusts when we find someone doing they found a new way to give thanks,
that which no one anticipated. That
(rather than copying someone else's
is exactly what we find in this week's
tradition of dumping Gatorade). They
Torah portion. It's no wonder that we
broke into song. They proclaimed, "Mi
are all so familiar with the story.
chamochah who is like You, God?"
Ten plagues fall upon Egypt, and
They started something new
our ancestors finally get a taste of free-
For their creativity, their originality,
dom only to look back and see they
their passion we, too, give thanks. We rec-
are being chased. Before them is the
ognize the blessing we have been given
Sea of Reeds. They realize that their
and the tradition we have inherited that
plight is hopeless and they are about
demands the very same of us.
to give up when miraculously, yes,
you know the story. The sea splits, the
Michael L. Moskovitz is a rabbi at Temple
Israelites march through on dry land,
Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield.
get to the other side and burst into
song celebrating their freedom.
Conversations
The rabbis of old look at this event
Is originality always good?
as the greatest miracle ever experi-
How
do you balance originality
enced by our ancestors. It is the mir-
and
tradition?
acle referred to time and again — in
Are you as bold as Nachshon in
our prayers, in our holiday celebra-
your
faith?
tions, in our hopes for our future.

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January 28 s 2010

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