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



calendar
FEBRUARY 3–9
T H UR SDAY, F EB. 9
collection and enjoy Camuna Cellars
wine and fruits, starting at 1 p.m.

Contact Brittanie Sterner at
programs@laurelhillphl.com or
215-228-8200. 225 Belmont Ave.,
Bala-Cynwyd. TU E SDAY, FE B . 7
SISTERHOOD BOOK CLUB
The MBIEE Sisterhood book club will
discuss “The Only Woman in the Room”
by Marie Benedict, with conversation
led by Matilyn Einheber at 2 p.m.

For Zoom link, call the MBIEE office
at 215-635-1505.

W E D N E SDAY, FE B . 8
SISTERHOOD STUDY PROGRAM
WIND FELLOWSHIP EXHIBIT
InLiquid will host its second Thursday reception at 6 p.m. for the second annual Wind Fellowship Exhibition,
comprised of works from 10 noteworthy emerging artists from the Philadelphia area. For more information,
visit inliquid.org/inliquid-gallery-events/wind-fellowship-show-2023. 1400 N. American St., Philadelphia.

FRIDAY, F E B . 3
‘SERIOUSLY’ EXHIBIT
The Temple Judea Museum will exhibit
a unique trio of artists: Marlene Adler,
Diane Pieri and Dan Soslowsky. What
joins this disparate group together?
Find out at this exhibit, running through
March 15 and open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information, contact Rita
Poley at tjmuseum@kenesethisrael.

org or 215-887-8700. 8339 Old York
Road, Elkins Park.

‘THE CEMETERY CLUB’
Three Jewish widows meet once a
month for tea before going to visit their
husbands’ graves in “The Cemetery
Club,” a production of Colonial
Playhouse. The show runs until Feb. 5.

For more information, contact
Kate Sapsis at ksapsis@gmail.com.

522 W. Magnolia Avenue, Aldan.

JDAIM SHABBAT
You’re invited to Reform Congregation
Keneseth Israel’s annual Inclusion
Shabbat service. Our guests are
members of Association for Adults
with Developmental Disabilities and
their families, with services led by
congregant Heather Michaelson
accompanied by Cantor Amy Levy at
7 p.m. For more information, contact
contact@kenesethisrael.org or
215-887-8700. 8339 Old York Road,
Elkins Park.

clandestine bullet factory during
the War of Independence in the
documentary “Code Name: Ayalon,”
screening at Congregation Rodeph
Shalom at 10 a.m. The film’s producer,
Laurel Fairworth, will join us for
Q&A following the film. Contact
215-627-6747 for more information.

615 North Broad St., Philadelphia.

SUNDAY, FE B. 5
The Congregations of Shaare
Shamayim are hosting a Tu B’Shevat
lunch and seder, starting at 11:30 a.m.

Join us as we celebrate the holiday and
the fruits of the earth. $20. For further
information, call the synagogue office
at 215-677-1600. 9768 Verree Road,
Philadelphia. COMMUNITY BINGO
Join Tiferes B’Nai Israel for community
bingo: 12 rounds of bingo for $20,
starting at noon. There will be food,
daubers, additional boards, a special
round for purchase and a 50/50 raffle.

Contact Erica Douglas at
ejs145@comcast.net or 215-803-4840.

2478 Street Road, Warrington.

‘CODE NAME: AYALON’
SCREENING Discover the little-known story of
45 Israeli teens who operated a
TU B’SHEVAT SEDER
TU B’SHEVAT GATHERING
In celebration of Tu B’shevat, often
called the Jewish New Year for the
Trees, join the Weitzman National
Museum of American Jewish History
for a tour of Laurel Hill West’s living
The Congregations of Shaare
Shamayim’s Rabbi Sandi Berliner will
teach a class on “Words of Wisdom
from Jewish Ethics” as part of the
Sisterhood Study Program at 10 a.m.

on every Wednesday in January and
the first two Wednesdays in February.

For further information, call the
synagogue office at 215-677-1600.

9768 Verree Road, Philadelphia.

INTRODUCTION TO JUDAISM
Introduction to Judaism at
Congregation Kol Ami is an engaging,
multi-session course for anyone who
wants to gain a deeper understanding
of Jewish life, from Nov. 2-March 8 at
7-8:30 p.m. No charge for congregants.

$180 per device for non-congregants.

For more information, contact
Ruth Scott, director of community
engagement: ruth@kolaminj.org.

1101 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill,
New Jersey.

TH U RSDAY, FE B . 9
YIDDISH SHMOOZE GROUP
If you’ve got the chutzpah, get off your
tuches and join Congregation Kol Ami
for casual conversations and programs
in Yiddish. Yiddish Shmooze Group will
meet on Zoom from 10:30-11:45 a.m.

on the second and fourth Thursdays
of the month through June. Register:
kolaminj.shulcloud.com/event/ yiddishgroup. ■
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 25