2 Minutes on Torah--Parashat B'shalach скачать в хорошем качестве

2 Minutes on Torah--Parashat B'shalach

Picture this: you and hundreds of thousands of others stand at the threshold between now and the future. Behind you are militants coming after you. In front of you is the unknown. You are terrified, uncertain, and know you are in grave danger. Life and death hang in the balance—not just for you, but for your people. In Parashat B’shalach, this is the reality of the Israelites. Before them is the sea. Behind them is Pharaoh’s army, racing to drag them back to Egypt. The Israelites have no idea how they could possibly move forward. And I think that’s where so many of us are right now. Here in the United States, we are witnessing another people at the threshold—the people of Minneapolis—facing federal immigration agents deployed in large numbers to silence them. They are living under threat. People have already been killed—may their memories be for a blessing. And we are left asking: how can a community possibly move forward when fear and danger surround them? In B’shalach, G-d does not remove the danger immediately. Instead, G-d empowers the people to walk forward in trust. Moses is told to lift his staff—but our tradition also remembers Nachshon, the one who steps into the water before it parts. Change does not begin because the sea opens; the sea opens because someone steps forward. Jewish tradition teaches us to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with G-d. That means speaking truth to power, bearing witness to suffering, and standing with communities in pain. And the most repeated commandment in the Torah reminds us to care for the stranger—for we were strangers in the land of Egypt. This isn’t political. This is Torah. Just as the Israelites were called forward, just as Nachshon walked into the sea, so must we. We must seek justice. We must show compassion. We must support those affected—and yes, we must bring this crisis into our prayers. Parashat B’shalach reminds us that danger and uncertainty are part of life. Silence is not an option. Just as our ancestors sang on the other side of the sea, we too must use our voices—and whatever power we have—for good.