Beshalach
Parashat Beshalach 5784
The Purpose of Nisyonot*
*Keriyat Yam Suf*
One of the major events in this week's parasha is keriyat yam suf. Bnei Yisrael had finally left Mitzrayim, and after less than a week of freedom, Pharaoh and his mighty army came chasing after them. This was truly a dramatic scene to behold; bnei yisrael were trapped between the Yam Suf in front of them and Pharaoh and his army behind them. And as Pharaoh and his army came closer and closer, bnei yisrael turned to Hashem and davened.
" YONATI " “My Dove”
The Midrash, in this week’s parasha, quotes the passuk in Shir Hashirim that compares klal yisrael to a dove: “Yonati bechagvei haselah” “My dove in the cleft of the rock”. The Midrash gives the analogy of a dove that is being chased by an eagle and finds a small fissure in a rock where it can escape to and protect itself from the eagle. The dove then realises that there is a snake in the fissure. The dove now finds itself in a terrible dilemma; to remain in the fissure and risk getting killed by the snake, or to leave the fissure and risk getting caught by the eagle outside. At this juncture Hashem says to the dove “Hashmi’ini et kolech” “Let me hear your voice” – i.e., “I want to see where you turn to when things get tough”.
So too, when bnei yisrael found themselves trapped between the Yam Suf and Pharaoh, Hashem wanted to see how they would react to the situation, and ultimately bnei yisrael reacted correctly, turned to Hashem and beseech Him to save them.
At this point, when salvation seemed impossible, the impossible happened and Hashem split the Yam Suf to allow bnei yisrael to escape from Pharaoh.
But their troubles were not yet over. A mere few days after keriyat Yam Suf, bnei yisrael find themselves in a place called Marah, and there is no drinking water .Bnei yisrael complain to Moshe, and Hashem instructs Moshe to cast some wood into the bitter water and this renders it drinkable.
And a third time in this week’s parasha, only three weeks after keriyat Yam Suf, bnei Yisrael realise that they have no bread left to eat. They are in a midbar, they have with them their families, their young children and other dependents and everyone needs food to eat. At this point Hashem begins to send the man which would become their diet for the next forty years in the wilderness.
We would like to discuss, in each of these three situations, why did Hashem wait until bnei yisrael were already in a difficult situation, and the future seemed bleak, even hopeless. Why did Hashem not provide the yeshu’ah (salvation) that was needed before the trouble befell them? If Hashem was going to perform a miracle anyway , surely He could have done so earlier and saved bnei yisrael from all the pain, the suffering and the anguish?
In order to answer this question, we need to analyse nisyonot and their purpose, and how to approach a nisayon in life.
*Challenges and Nisyonot*
We sometimes ask ourselves, why does life have to be so difficult for so many people? Why is there so much pain, suffering and hardships in the world? Why do so many people have to endure so much suffering? What is the purpose in this?
We first need to understand that all trials and tribulations that come in life are nisyonot (challenges from Hashem). Before we discuss how to approach a nisayon, we need to understand the purpose of nisyonot. The fundamental principle of a nisayon is that it is a challenge, sent by Hashem, in order to elevate a person and bring him to a new and higher spiritual level by overcoming the nisayon.
*A Supernatural Elevation*
The Maharal, in Derech Chaim, writes that a nisayon is a “supernatural” test, hence the word “nisayon” comes from the word “nes” which refers to a banner or flag, which represents this. Explains the Maharal, that the only way of facing up to the nisayon is to raise oneself out of his nature and his natural tendencies. This elevates a person.
*A Small Test before Greatness*
There is a fascinating Midrash in Parashat Shemot that says that Hashem does not bring greatness to a person until He has first tested the person with a small challenge. The examples brought by the Midrash of people who were first challenged and then greatness was bestowed on them was Moshe Rabbeinu and David Hamelech, both of whom were shepherds first, and then each became the leader of their respective generation.
This Midrash is important to keep in mind when facing a challenge. Although we usually don’t know why a particular challenge has been sent to a particular person, there always exists the possibility that the challenge is there as a “small test” sent to determine whether a person is worthy of “greatness” in whichever area it may be, and if a person stands strong and firm and “passes the test” he may be eligible for this greatness.
*The Purpose of a Nisayon*
The Ramban in Parashat Vayera asks what the purpose of a nisayon is. Surely Hashem knows a person’s capabilities and competencies, so why does He need to send a challenge? Explains the Ramban that the purpose of the challenge is not for “The Examiner” but rather for the person being tested. I.e., each and every person contains much potential which one may be unaware of, and the nisayon is an opportunity for a person to bring out some of his potential and raise himself to a more advanced level in a particular area.
Returning to the three difficult situations in this week’s parasha, of course Hashem could have pre-empted the difficult situation and sent His miraculous salvation before things became really difficult. But Hashem wanted to send a national nisayon to bnei yisrael, to challenge them and see how they would react to the situation. The various challenges were opportunities for the potential of klal yisrael to be actualised, and this was expressed by the tefillah before keriyat Yam Suf.
As we read through keriyat Yam Suf and the other trials in this week’s parasha, may we all empower ourselves with the understanding of what the purpose of a nisayon is, and this will help us face and overcome nisyonot in our lives._
*Shabbat Shalom!*
Rabbi Gad Bouskila
