Dear Friends,

In this week’s Torah portion, Beshalach, we find the Jewish people at a moment of crisis. They have just left Egypt, but now they stand trapped between the sea in front of them and the
Egyptian army behind them. Faced with fear and uncertainty, the nation splits into four groups, each proposing a different course of action.

Some say, “Let’s return to Egypt.” They see their freedom as a failed experiment and prefer the familiarity of slavery over the unknown. Others insist, “Let’s fight the Egyptians.” If they are to
die, they would rather do so in battle. A third group, overwhelmed by despair, suggests throwing themselves into the sea rather than returning to servitude. And a fourth group says, “Let’s pray.” They believe salvation will come from turning solely to G-d in prayer.

But G-d’s response, given through Moses, is surprising:

“Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Jewish people and tell them to go forward!”

None of the four reactions were the correct path. G-d did not want them to retreat, fight, surrender, or even just pray. He wanted them to keep moving forward—to trust in His word and
proceed toward receiving the Torah.

Nachshon Ben Aminadav exemplified this faith. According to Midrash, when everyone hesitated at the edge of the sea, he was the first to step forward. It was that act of trust—of moving
forward into the unknown with faith—that brought about the great miracle of the sea splitting.

In life, we often reach crossroads where no option seems clear. We may feel trapped between fear, resistance, despair, or passivity. The Torah teaches us that the answer is always to move forward in faith, following G-d’s will. When we do, the sea splits, revealing a path we could not see before.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Zushe Cunin