By Rabbi Yaakov benYosef ABOUT Torah
HaShems plan for believers only begins with salvation. It is a process that lasts a whole lifetime. Convincing Pharaoh to let Yisrael leave Egypt was also only the beginning of HaShems plan for Yisrael. HaShems plan for Yisrael involved training Yisrael how to worship and serve Him. The same is true for believers today. The majority of HaShems plan for believers is to train us, and change us so that we can worship Him and serve Him. As a result, most of the Torah focuses on HaShems instruction to His people. Beshalach displays that it is HaShems will to train His people to live a life dedicated to serving Him. When HaShem delivered Yisrael from Egypt it was for the purpose of training them to be His people. We can see this in Vayikra 11: 45 which states "I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." It is clear that after delivering Yisrael from Egypt, HaShem wanted Yisrael to become holy. When Yisrael left Egypt HaShem began to train His people to be holy. Beshalach makes it clear that holiness does not come easy. Beshalach shows that it is a continual struggle to become holy. As followers of Yeshua, striving to become holy, we will encounter some of the same struggles. In Beshalach we can learn from HaShems dealings with Yisrael that two of the struggles are surrender and implementation.
While walking in HaShems ways, we must learn to surrender. Surrender involves changing our reactions to feelings and influences so that they do not affect our relationship with HaShem. Two of the influences discussed in Beshalach that affects our relationship with HaShem are pride and fear. Pride can be seen in Pharaohs actions toward Yisrael. Pharaohs pride allowed His heart to be hardened. In fact, as ruler of Egypt Pharaoh was prideful enough to consider himself a god, and to require his followers to worship him. As a result, Pharaoh would not surrender his heart. Therefore, when HaShem began to deliver Yisrael Pharaoh became angry and hardened. We can see this in Shemot 14:5 which states "And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?" Pharaoh and all of Egypt became infuriated by the thought that Egyptians were no longer going to be served by Yisrael. As a result, Pharaoh formed an army to pursue and stop Yisrael. Pharaoh wanted Yisrael to remain in bondage, thereby proving he was stronger than HaShem. Ultimately, Pharaohs refusal to surrender his pride became his downfall. Pharaohs pride had become a consuming force that kept Pharaoh from admitting that HaShem was the one and only G-d. Like Pharaoh, believers can also make wrong spiritual decisions by allowing pride to interfere. When pride interferes, we can become hardened and not willing to listen to the instruction of HaShem, the advice of wisdom. It is easy to become self-righteous, and allow our pride to interfere with our relationship with HaShem.
In Beshalach, we can also see how critical it is surrender our fear before it affects our relationship with HaShem. After HaShems great miracle of deliverance from bondage, Yisrael was still fearful. Shemot 14:12 states "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." At the seashore Yisrael is overcome with fear. Yisrael blames Moshe for bringing more hardships upon them by performing the will of HaShem to deliver Yisrael from bondage. The children of Yisrael are afraid that the G-d that delivered them from bondage is not powerful enough to protect them from the Egyptian army. As a result, Yisraels relationship with HaShem is affected because they doubt His ability. Pride and fear hurt our relationship with HaShem. Since fear brings doubt, and pride brings haughtiness, unless we surrender these feelings to HaShem our relationship with HaShem will never mature.
Another major struggle believers face is implementation. Implementation is to put into action serving HaShem the way He commands. When we implement the commandments that HaShem gives us we are protected from and brought through the afflictions of the rest of the world. In Beshalach HaShem promises Yisrael they will be protected if they implement His commandments. Shemot 15:26 states "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the L-RD that healeth thee."We can see that HaShem wanted Yisrael to keep His commandments for their own protection. In other words, implementation of the commandments was not a curse, but it was a blessing that was designed to keep Yisrael healthier than the surrounding nations. Therefore, implementing HaShems commandments should be a joy, since they are blessings that protect us from the problems of the world. We can also see that implementation guarantees a weekly rest in Him. In fact, Shemot 16:28-30 says "it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none. And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws? See, for that the LORD hath given you the Sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day. So the people rested on the seventh day." Implementation of a rest on the seventh day is a blessing, Rest allows us to emulate HaShem. In other words, HaShem commanded Yisrael to rest on the seventh day, since He also rested on the seventh day. Therefore, by implementing the word of HaShem, Yisrael can enter into the rest of HaShem. Unfortunately, when people went out to gather the manna on Shabbat, they neglected to enter into HaShems rest. Looking at the example of Yisrael, we see that by implementing the commandments of HaShem in our lives we can be protected from affliction, and can enter into the rest of HaShem.
Through the study of Beshalach, we can see that deliverance from Egypt was only the beginning for Yisrael. The largest part of HaShems plan involved transforming Yisrael into individuals willing to serve Him. Beshalach makes it clear that our transformation is not easy, and we must overcome struggles in order to become servants. Beshalach teaches us we need to surrender negative feelings like pride and fear, and implement positive action to improve our relationship with HaShem and enter into His rest.
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