BESHALACH 1994

In the Torah portion Beshalach we have the Shira, the song which the Jewish people sang after they saw that the Egyptian army was completely destroyed.  They had crossed the Red Sea and the Egyptian army had tried to pursue them, but as the Egyptian army was in the middle of the sea the waters of the Red Sea came cascading down upon them and the Jewish people were free, and they, in their moment of exultation, sang this beautiful song in which they asserted that they believed in G‑d and in Moshe, His servant, but we learn that just 3 days afterwards they were complaining because they did not have water.  In life we many times we have very great victories, but these victories bring in there wake other problems.  We cannot stay at a high forever.  Every victory brings problems with it.

We know that this is true in a national sense and a personal sense and even in a scientific sense.  For example, Israel won the battle in 1967.  If they would not have won the battle it would have been disastrous.  Israel would have been destroyed and there would not be any Jews in Israel today, but that great victory also brought in its wake problems, problems which we are plagued with to this very day.  The problem is, what do you do with 1½ million Arabs?  We do not want to rule over them.  The Jewish people do not want to rule over a people, but, yet, if you let them go they are likely to strike again and destroy Israel, so we have a very big problem there, a problem that is almost in a certain sense vexing us to this very day and it seems to be almost insoluble.  The same thing is true in a personal way.  Many times people struggle in order to make it, but then after they make it the problems of affluence are also vexing and people fall into drugs and alcohol.  We know that the problem of having too much food is better than the problems of not having enough food, but, yet, every victory brings in its wake different difficult problems.

We know that in the scientific realm as well.  The more advances we make in chemistry the greater chemical weapons we can make.  The greater advances we make in physics the greater atomic bombs we can make and the bigger hydrogen bombs we can make, and even in biology today we know that we have unraveled the secret of man by learning about the secret of DNA, and we know now that we can theoretically take different genes from monkeys and put them into human cells so that our backs will be straighter and our hands will have more manual dexterity.  We have opened up to us all sorts of realms of possibilities which many of them are very dangerous.  We could create sub-human creatures who would be excellent robots.  We also know that because of advances in fertility we can almost be our own grandmother, that you take different eggs from embryos and can freeze them and use them at different times.  It is a very frightening prospect which is ahead of us, but, of course, these victories are important because they also allow us to cure disease, so that we know that in the wake of every victory there is going to be problems.

The Jewish people at this time had just gained a great victory and were now free, but now they had other problems.  They had the problems of earning a living, of having food and water, of making their way in the desert.  And it says here they came to Morosa and they were not able to drink the water because it was bitter because they were bitter, and Haman here refers to the water because water in Hebrew is plural.  Therefore, they called the name of the place Mora, but the Baal Shem Tov says it does not refer to water.  It refers to the people, themselves, that they were bitter, that they did not contemplate having these difficult kind of problems after they were free, and the people complained against Moshe saying, "What shall we drink?" And Moshe called to G‑d and G‑d showed him a tree and he threw into the water and they became sweetened the waters that were there.  And he gave them Chok, the Mishpot, and there he tested them and it says, "What does it say here he gave to them Chok and Mishpot?" He said, "If you will listen to the voice of the Lord your G‑d and that which is upright in His eyes you will do and you will listen to His mitzvahs and you will observe all His laws all the diseases which I have put against Egypt I will now put against you because I am the Lord Who is your doctor.  I am the Lord Who cures you."
In other words, the Jewish people were given a formula in which to solve their problems.  You know, in Hebrew the word Chok stands for those things in life that we must just accept on faith, that we cannot really question.  That is just the way things are.  G‑d created the world and these are built into it.  Most science is really descriptive.  It really does not explain things; it just says the way things are.  After all, why should water freeze at 32°?  Why should ice expand when everything else contracts?  Why do eggs get harder the longer you boil them when other things get softer?  We all know that science really is descriptive.  It describes things that are.  I remember I once asked my teacher why a ball, when you throw it up in the air, comes down?  The teacher said because of gravity.  I then asked the teacher what is gravity?  The teacher said, "Let's turn to page 242 and learn biology now."  The teacher had no idea what gravity was.  In fact, we really do not understand too much today what gravity is either.  Just describing something and giving it a name is mainly all that we can do in many of our scientific endeavors, but if we can name something in a certain sense we can take cognizance of it and learn how, through building rockets and so forth, to overcome gravity.  We also note here that when it says Chok it means that the Jewish people were given a lesson in the way things are.  When one prime Jewish belief is that the Refuah was created before the Makia, that the cure was created before the disease, that if the Jewish people have problems they are going to be able to solve these problems.  They are going to have to look hard in order to solve these problems but they can solve the problems.  That is why G‑d said here that I am G‑d your doctor, that all the diseases that you had in Egypt I will not place upon you, and even if they do come upon you, you do not have to fear because I am your doctor.  You can be cured from these diseases.  You can solve your problems.  It is a Chok.  It is one of those things that is built into the universe, that there is always a cure for every disease.  Not everybody believed this.  In fact, until very recently only the Jewish people believed this.  That is why during the Middle Ages almost all the great rabbis were doctors because we believed that there are cures for diseases, that there are solutions to problems.  It may be very difficult but there are solutions to problems.

Earlier we learn when the Jewish people were on the Red Sea when it looked like they were going to be attacked by the Egyptian army and brought back to slavery the rabbis tell us that there were actually four different groups that were contending for the loyalty of the Jewish people.  One of them said, "Let's commit suicide.  We do not want to go back to slavery."  Another group said, "Let's fight to the last drop of blood.  Well take a lot of people with us when we go."  A third group said, "Let's assimilate.  Let's give into the Egyptians and go back willingly."  A fourth group said, "Let's protest.  Let's try to arouse the conscience of humanity."  We all know that none of these solutions are any good.  They are all given as possible solutions to the problem.  Jews do not believe in suicide, and we all know that the sad story of even Massada is suspect because Josephus who wrote it was involved in a suicide pact with 15 others and he was the last one left alive and he was supposed to commit suicide, but he did not.  Instead he went over to the Romans.  We know that we are supposed to live to solve our problems, not die to solve our problems.  And to fight to the last man is also a form of suicide.  The ghetto uprising was actually a form of suicide.  Everybody knew that they were going to be killed, but they were going to take as many Germans with them as they could.  To assimilate is no solution to our problems because then there will not be any Jewish people and the Jewish people we know have a mission.  Their mission is to help G‑d bring redemption to the world, to help G‑d perfect this world, to make this world a world filled with peace and brotherhood and love and compassion.  The fourth solution to protest to try to arouse the conscience of the world is almost hopeless.  It could not be done during the Holocaust and we see right now that it cannot be done in Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Nations have interests.  They are not usually influenced at all by compassion.  When it suits even the United States' interests we forget about our treaties.  We did not come to the aid of Viet Nam, although we signed a solemn treaty in Paris that we would.  We agreed with Formosa that we would always protect them, but it looks now like they are going to be swallowed up by Red China.  We made so many treaties with the Indians that we never kept.  The United States would not come to Israel's aid either if Israel looked like it was going to be destroyed.  With good reason, they say we do not have any defense treaty with Israel.  The only time they would defend Israel is if a larger power like Russia would rejuvenate herself and regain her stranglehold over the Middle East, or Iran would become a superpower.  Then the United States would do it for her interests, not because of reasons of conscience.  In Bosnia we have not lifted a finger and look at all the slaughter that is taking place there.  All these reasons that were put forward were faulty.  G‑d told Moshe to persevere, to let the people persevere.  Let them continue.  Solutions will be arrived at.

There we learn that there was a word that was used that was unique and special, that was only used three times in the whole Tenach, the whole Bible.  G‑d told Moshe, "You should lift up your staff."  Horaim here stands for the fact that the Jewish people should believe that there is a solution to their problems, even though it seemed hopeless.  The word Horaim is also used in the case of Elisha.  When an artisan lost his tools in the ocean and Elisha pleaded with G‑d to have the ocean throw back this man's tools so he could earn a living.  In order to solve our problems we have to use all the techniques possible in order to try to figure out different solutions.

You know that Jewish learning is different than secular learning, because you know that secular learning, if you have a problem, you solve it and then you go on to the next problem and you solve it and to the third problem and solve it, but Jewish learning is not like that.  Anybody who has learned the Talmud knows that we do not learn like that.  We do not teach that type of technique of having a problem and solving it and then going to another problem and solving it.  In the Talmud you have a problem and you solve it and then you ask if there is another solution and then another solution.  You may wind up with 10 or 12 solutions to the same problem.  Then, of course, you have to pick the best solution, the solution that is most practicable, the best solution that will fit in this situation.  In the situation at the Red Sea there were 4 different solutions that were raised.  None of these solutions seemed to be very good.  There were elements in each of these solutions, though, which had some promise.  After all, even those who said they would commit suicide were interested in preserving the Jewish ideal and saying that we have to preserve Judaism and sacrifice even if it takes our lives.  There is some merit to each of these solutions.  Sometimes you have to fight to maintain your dignity.  Sometimes you can protest at little bit, but none of those solutions independently were good.

Then we have the third use of Horaim, which is in Isaiah, which is "Lift up your voice."  You must be able to allow everyone to bring in their solutions.  When you examine all the solutions you come up with more and more solutions which eventually solve the problem, and in this case the problem was solved.  The sea split and the people went through it.  We know that in life there are many intractable problems, but we must believe that it is a Chok, that all problems can be solved, that it is difficult to solve these problems.  Yes, we have to work at it maybe for years.  Yes, these problems can be solved.  In the current atmosphere in Israel it seems that Rabin has a solution to the problem, which I do not really believe is much of a solution.  I believe it will produce war very soon, and Sharon has a solution to the problem: His solution, too, would probably produce war but at a later date with Israel being much stronger.  But why are there only these two solutions?  Why aren't there more solutions?  Who says there can only be these two solutions?  There should be more solutions that we should look at carefully.  We know that there are many diseases that we suffer with today, like Tourette's Syndrome, etc., which do not seem to have good solutions now, but we should not give up.  We should look and see whether there are more solutions until we finally hit a solution which is going to solve the problem.  We all know that in this life problems can be solved.  That is a Chok.  That is a law built into the universe because G‑d created the Refuah before He created the Make.  He created the cure before He created the disease, and just as doctors today are looking and spending fortunes of grant money looking for solutions and they have found solutions to many of our problems.  People who have many dread diseases live a lot longer now because of the advances in medical science.  We know that many diseases can be overcome, and we know that many of the problems in the United States can be overcome.  We know that eventually there will be peace in the Middle East, that there will be problems and the problems will be solved but we have to keep looking at them, and we should not be afraid of different solutions.  Unfortunately, today if a person proposes Rabin's solution apparently everybody else who is against that solution is for war or is no good, and vice versa.  If anybody approves Sharon's solution that they are no good.  We have to be willing to hear all sides and then come up with even better solutions to our problems.  There are solutions to the problems.  That is a Chok.  That is the basic Jewish belief.  Hopefully, we will find them, especially so there will be peace in the Middle East and many of our dreaded diseases throughout the world will be cured.

I am reminded of the story they tell about a man and his wife who were walking dawn the aisle of a darkened movie theater.  The man tapped the shoulder of another person who was sitting on the aisle seat in the theater.  He taps and says, "Sir, just a few moments ago when I left, did I step on your toes?" The man, very angry and grumpily said, "You sure did, sir."  The man turned to his wife and said, "Honey, I find the right row.  Come on.  Let's sit down.  It's all right now."  Sometimes there are very unusual ways of finding solutions to problems.  Sometimes the solutions come from areas that we do not even suspect, but we should never give up faith that there are solutions.  We have to follow the three principles, the three Horaims.  When Moshe lifted up his staff he was sure that there was going to be a solution, there could be a solution, a solution would be found.  The second thing, we have to use all our means possible to look for solutions.  We need our artisan's tools.  Finally, we have to lift up our voices, Isaiah said, and let everybody else lift up their voice and through looking through all these solutions we eventually will find one that will be able to solve the problem and allow us to live in peace and harmony so the Mashiach can come quickly in our day.  Amen.