פרשת בשלח

This week’s parsha, Parshat Beshalach, is chock full of major events for Bnai Yisrael. There’s Yetziat Mitzrayim, Kriyat Yam Suf, and at the end, the war against Amalek. While Bnai Yisrael is clashing with Amalek, Moshe is on the sidelines with Aharon and Chur holding his arms up.

Pasuk yud bet in perek yud zayin states “And the hands of Moshe were heavy and they took a rock and placed it under him and he sat on it.” Rashi finds it strange that Aharon and Chur set Moshe down on a hard rock and not on comfortable pillows. He solves the anomaly by informing us that Moshe would not sit with the small luxury of a pillow while fellow Jews were in trouble. Instead, he sat on the rock to share in their anguish.

The lesson we can derive from this Rashi is the importance of taking action. Instead of feebly imagining another’s hardship, we should follow Moshe’s example and take action to achieve a goal. We should try as hard as we can and go as far as we can to understand a friend’s difficulties.  Once this is accomplished, we have a greater empathy and understanding of what that person goes through on a much bigger level. An example for real life where we can apply this strategy is when people are forced to come to our doors to ask for tzedakah. From Moshe’s actions in this week’s parsha we can learn the importance of taking action.

Shabbat Shalom,

Allison Gellerstein