{"id":385,"date":"2014-02-10T22:59:18","date_gmt":"2014-02-10T22:59:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/marcmangel.net\/?page_id=385"},"modified":"2014-02-10T22:59:18","modified_gmt":"2014-02-10T22:59:18","slug":"beshalach-5768-2008","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/?page_id=385","title":{"rendered":"Beshalach 5768 (2008)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0A Drash for Beshalach (5768)<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Marc Mangel<\/p>\n

Warning:\u00a0 this Drash is R-rated (for violence).<\/p>\n

In this parsha, we have the miracle at the sea, in which Pharoah\u2019s army is destroyed; the battle with Amalek; in the Haftorah the death of Sisera.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the very end of the parsha, we are reminded that the war against Amalek, the war against evil, will go \u201cMe-dor dor\u201d \u2013 from generation to generation.\u00a0 This battle against evil will never end.\u00a0 How are we to conduct it? As always, the Torah gives us advice.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Song of the Sea, we read (Ch 15, v 3):\u00a0 \u201cHaShem is the Master of War; HaShem is his name\u201d.\u00a0 Now, in one sense, it is clear how God\u00a0 can be the master of war, through awesome power.\u00a0\u00a0 Thus far in the Torah cycle we have seen the destruction of all life except that in the Ark with Noah, the destruction of\u00a0 Sodom and Gemorah; the death of the first-born of Egypt and the swallowing of Pharoah and his chariots by the sea.\u00a0 The power of God is awesome and we might think that \u201cHaShem is the master of war\u201d refers to God\u2019s awesome might which we should emulate.<\/p>\n

Indeed, there is little to surpass the awesomeness of having developed the tactic to put a 500 or 1000 pound laser guided bomb right on target and watch it do its job (which I have done), except perhaps being the pilot or the bombadier navigator of the A-6 that delivers it off the carrier.<\/p>\n

Were we to think this way, we would be completely wrong.\u00a0 Rashi tells us that the key to understanding how to behave in the war against evil\u00a0 is the phrase \u201cHaShem is his name\u201d.\u00a0 Even when God is doing battle and taking vegenance\u00a0 against his enemies, God never fails to show the quality of mercy.\u00a0\u00a0 R. Mordechai Yosef, the Isbitzer, explains: in Midrash we are told that just as God was about to destroy the Egyptians at the Red Sea, the angel of Egypt came to recommend that God be merciful with them \u2013 that even with all their sins and wickedness, the hearts of the Egyptians had a small inclination towards good.<\/p>\n

But the angel Gabriel spoke up and reminded God of\u00a0 that wickedness of the slavery showed there could not even be a small inclination towards goodness.\u00a0 God then decided,\u00a0 said \u201cHaShem is his name\u201d and destroyed the Egyptians.<\/p>\n

R. Reuven Bulka, a modern Orthodox rabbi, further elaborates:\u00a0 \u201cHaShem is his Name\u201d implies the capacity to wage war while even loving life\u00a0 — to protect, and perhaps to have to kill, without becoming murderous.\u00a0 Even when destroying the Egyptians or battling Amalek, the essence of God does not change \u2013God is a lover of mercy [Quote Ki Tissa]<\/p>\n

It is our task in life to be as Godly as we can.\u00a0 In the case of warfare, this implies that would should not let the necessity to fight and to kill invade our personalities.\u00a0 We should not allow war to permeate and overcome our human tendencies.\u00a0 Thus, we must simultaneously be strong defenders of the Jewish people and Israel and lovers of peace. This is a tall task, but also an essential\u00a0 part of Jewish consciousness.<\/p>\n

Shabbat shalom.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0A Drash for Beshalach (5768) by Marc Mangel Warning:\u00a0 this Drash is R-rated (for violence). In this parsha, we have the miracle at the sea, in which Pharoah\u2019s army is destroyed; the battle with Amalek; in the Haftorah the death of Sisera.\u00a0 At the very end of the parsha, we are reminded that the war … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":53,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-385","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=385"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":386,"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/385\/revisions\/386"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/53"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcmangel.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=385"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}