A Torah reflection from Louis Aiello, a member of the Team Friendship family.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach to y’all! This week we read from the special Torah portion of Beshalach.
We now backtrack to when the Israelites have just left the land of Goshen, pushed out by a grieving Pharaoh. As they left, they brought with them all their possessions, including their unleavened bread and the wealth amassed from the Egyptian coffers.
As they made their way out of the land, they followed the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night. It was at nightfall on the fifth day, when they were camped by the Sea of Reeds, that they saw an enraged Pharaoh storming toward them.
It is said that the sea itself did not recognize them as Jacob’s children and questioned the validity of their heritage. To the sea they were tainted with Egyptian customs, as could be seen from their clothing, their jewelry, and a great assortment of other sundries. Then it saw the coffin of Joseph, and it remembered the people who had left the land of Canaan and settled in Goshen.
The sea then parted, and the vast expanse of Hashem’s great realm became revealed. This didn’t just include the sea, where hidden, unnamed schools of fish and coral were now clearly visible. It included the skies above, which split apart to reveal their secrets beyond. And this wasn’t just a local event, for all the seas in the world parted, and even those who had never heard the name Moshe knew that this was indeed Hashem’s bidding.
Yet instead of this being a moment for the Egyptians to pause and see the wonders they were fighting against, they were possessed by their own rage. In forgetting that it had been Hashem who allowed them to get this far, for this same reason they’d go no further. The demise they had planned for the Israelites became their own, as the sea collapsed upon them and they were washed away, never to return.
This speaks a lot to the merits of Joseph, and how even in death he was still fighting for the Jewish people. Never did he forget who he was and where his loyalties lay. Yes, he could dress up like a fully fledged Egyptian, hair, makeup, clothing and all, but for him it was always a means to an end and never to a beginning. When he ruled, he ruled justly, and he never let his own power possess him.
He was truly a free person, and he never let the influence of his environment change his approach. Even when he was enslaved, he never had the mindset of a slave, for he never felt sorry for himself, and always he saw the bigger picture. It was never lost on him that everything came directly from Hashem, granted to him from blessings.
Therefore, we must always remember to emulate Joseph: strive for the greatest successes while never losing sight of where they come from. Our successes are indeed Hashem’s, and our goals are certainly His too. As long as we remind ourselves of this, never can we be possessed as the Egyptians were. We will always remain free people, able to sit around the table and eat our matzah with gladness.
Sadly, today there is a saying which unfortunately describes the life of too many: “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” The more power one achieves, the greater status one may give themselves. Eventually they may think themselves so important that they use the law against others while bending it in their own favor. The more they have in their possession, the more pressure they feel to acquire more. Yet still, regardless of all their fancy artwork, homes, and surroundings, they are only Pharaohs, possessed by their own flaws.
Yet the Messianic Age is indeed approaching, and as it draws ever nearer, may the day come when all will know what true freedom really is.
May these 25 hours of Shabbat be a reminder to all of you of how special Hashem’s freedom truly is.
Personally for me, I am so glad to be living here in Baltimore, for in being here I truly feel free. I aim to continue to grow here in my community and make my impact. May this Shabbat sow our hearts and uplift them with shalom. 😃