Pro-Life Torah Beshalach

In this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach: Exodus 13:17 - 17:16, Moses follows the pillars of cloud and fire, leading the Hebrews away from Egypt towards the Red Sea. The Egyptian army pursues the multitude to overtake and return them to enslavement. Caught between the Sea and Egypt’s military force, the newly liberated Jews feared capture and death. The splitting of the waters and the destruction of the pursing army demonstrates God’s power and dependability, celebrated with song, dance, and prayer. Jewish tradition tells us that even the babies in their mothers’ wombs sang for joy, a poignant reminder that Jewish tradition acknowledges life in the womb as spiritually vital and a valued member of the community of God’s children. 

The new nation journeys towards Mt Sinai enthused with great faith in God’s protection. Soon, many worry they will perish from hunger and thirst in the desert. HaShem miraculously provides daily sustenance of water, manna and meat. When Amalek wages war against the new nation, the Israelite warriors prevail due to Divine intervention as Joshua holds up Moses’ arms toward Heaven. 

Despite these profound experiences proving HaShem’s presence, concern and love for the Jewish people, many were plagued with doubts, fears, uncertainty, and anxiety. Unaccustomed to relying on a supernatural entity, they longed to be back in Egypt, where enslavement guaranteed food and shelter at the cost of freedom, liberty and Divinely guided autonomy.

Generations have passed since the miracles at the Red Sea and shortly thereafter. Our collective memory of these events slumbers in our sub-conscience. Our need for water is supplied through modern plumbing instead of a miraculous gushing of water from a rock; our need for food is guaranteed to be met at the grocery store rather than on a heaven sent flock of quail every evening; our bread comes from the bakery rather than the dew. Protection from our enemies comes in the form of high tech weaponry. Money, reputation, professional standing, political affiliation, and social position round out the myriad dependencies that have replaced a simple reliance on the God of our ancestors.

These dependencies turn out to be unreliable and untrustworthy. The human administrators of our modern supply chains lack accountability. Mismanagement of our municipal water systems and food processors results in polluted water and contaminated food. Allies and friends let us down. Money loses value. Politicians, social, and professional affiliations fail to deliver promised relief and success.

Torah provides an everlasting reminder that HaShem exists and is ever present in our lives. This reality presents itself to the degree that we relinquish worldly dependencies and adopt a faithful approach based on fundamental principles of Judaism: respecting life, protecting the vulnerable and innocent, helping our friends and neighbors with personal sacrifices of time and money, and speaking the truth in the face of criticism and cancel culture. While modern day slave masters manipulate and strategize to keep us dispirited and dependent, we liberate the world with our moral example and confidence in Hashem’s providence.

Cecily Routman

May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and good life upon us and upon all Israel. Amen.