d’var torah
Step Toward the Promise
of a Better Tomorrow
Rabbi Geri Newburge
H Parshat B’shalach
ave you ever felt like you’re
between a rock and hard place?
What did you do, and how did you feel
when you felt like any choice was less
than desirable?
That is the situation our ancestors fi nd
themselves in during this week’s Torah
portion, B’shalach. Once God stiff ened
Pharaoh’s heart for the last time, and
Pharaoh told Moses to take the Israelites
out of Egypt, it was time for them to fl ee,
which they did expeditiously.

However, you might remember that
once they began their journey Pharaoh
had a change of heart, and then,
“Egyptians gave chase to them, and all
the chariot horses of Pharaoh, his horse-
men, and his warriors overtook them
encamped by the sea … As Pharaoh
drew near, the Israelites caught sight
of the Egyptians advancing upon them.

Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried
out to the Eternal.” (Ex 14:9-10)
The narrative continues to build the
tension as we read that the Israelites,
“said to Moses, ‘Was it for want of graves
in Egypt that you brought us to die in
the wilderness? What have you done
to us, taking us out of Egypt? Is this
not the very thing we told you in Egypt,
saying, ‘Let us be, and we will serve the
Egyptians, for it is better for us to serve
the Egyptians than to die in the wilder-
ness’?’ But Moses said to the people,
‘Have no fear! Stand by, and witness the
deliverance which the Eternal will work
for you today; for the Egyptians whom
you see today you will never see again.'”
(Ex 14:11-13)
Our ancestors proclaimed they’d rather
be in Egypt as slaves than die in the wilder-
ness! They see the Egyptians approaching,
and they are getting close enough to
spur the Israelites to cry out to God, and
wonder if they could be saved, from both
their oppressors as well as from drowning
in the sea. Our people saw two rather
dismal options, either slavery or death, and
failed to consider any alternatives.

Except for one person: Nachshon ben
Aminadav. There is a famous midrash, a rabbinic
story, about Nachshon. He is renowned
for being the fi rst of the Israelites to enter
Yam Suf, the Reed Sea, when they were
between that proverbial rock and a hard
place, or namely, between the sea and
the mighty Egyptian army. It was because
of Nachshon’s fi rst steps into the water
that the rest of the Israelites saw a new
possibility, and they followed suit.

While there are several rabbinic
commentaries that off er this midrash,
none seem to provide any insight into
Nachshon’s motivation. Was he driven
by fear or faith?
Not surprisingly, the rabbis pick up on
the notion of the Israelites’ fear. They
wrestle with what that does to the group.

Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (c. 1269-1343),
also known as Ba’al haTurim, asks, “Why
were these people not prepared to
defend their lives and the lives of their
children against this minuscule force of
Egyptians? The answer is strictly psycho-
logical. All the Israelites had been raised
from infancy to see in the Egyptians their
natural masters, and to willingly bear the
burden of being slaves to these masters.

They had absolutely no knowledge of
how to conduct a self defense.”
For Ba’al haTurim, the people had
no ability to problem solve; they did
not have the wherewithal to think for
themselves much less examine their
motivation for their behavior.

We still do not know the source of
Nachshon’s initiative, but his actions
proved inspiring and motivational.

Even the Eternal tells Moses to stop
praying and do something at this critical
moment. Our community is not enslaved
by tyrants and taskmasters, but that
does not mean we do not fi nd ourselves
in situations where the options are
undesirable. When we encounter such
moments, how can we take brave steps
into unknown territory?
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav taught,
“Kol ha-olam kulo gesther tsar me’od,
v’ha-ikar lo l’hit-pa-cheyd klal — The
whole world is a very narrow bridge;
the essential thing is not to become
paralyzed by [your] fear.”
Take the time to act out of hope, or
faith, or love, to take a step toward the
promise of a better tomorrow, even if we
do not know exactly what that means. ■
Rabbi Geri Newburge is the senior
rabbi at Main Line Reform Temple in
Wynnewood. The Board of Rabbis
of Greater Philadelphia is proud to
provide diverse
perspectives on Torah
social announcements
ENGAGEMENT BAT MITZVAH
24 FEBRUARY 2, 2023 | JEWISH EXPONENT
BERMAN-IATAROLA Pamela and John Berman of Merion and Cary
Berman of Margate and Denise and Mark Iatarola
of Doylestown announce the engagement of
their children, Logan Berman and David Iatarola.

Logan is a graduate of Penn State
University where she earned a degree in
telecommunications. David is also a Penn State graduate where
he holds a degree in fi nance from The Smeal
College of Business. He is an employee of
Johnson & Johnson where he is a fi nancial
analyst supporting the Janssen Pharmaceutical
business. Courtesy of the Berman family
Reva Rosard, 83, became a bat mitzvah in
December, achieving her long-held desire to
step up to the Torah in front of family and friends.

Reva, a lifelong Philadelphia resident who lives
at the Fountain View at Logan Square independent
living community in Center City, studied with Cantor
Naomi Hirsch.

Reva devoted her entire professional career to
teaching music, and she played violin often as a
member of several orchestras in Philadelphia.

She has always been musically inclined and
loves going to concerts and shows with her
friends from Fountain View.

Photo by Cindy Graul
REVA ROSARD