In the end of our Parasha (which discusses the exile from
Egypt, and the event of the splitting of the Red Sea in depth) the Torah tells
us the story of Am Yisrael and being away from Torah learning for three days
(the mepharshim explain this on Shemot 17:1). This caused the entire nation to
lose out on any water (which is a proof that an individual who learns Torah
will not lack any necessities and will be financially blessed). The entire
nation complained to Moshe and Moshe Rabbenu was so shocked from their behavior
he even though they would end up stoning him to death!
What does Hashem tell Moshe? He tells him: (Shemot 17:5-6) “Moshe, relax. Simply go with elders of
Israel and take the same rod you took for all the Makkot (plagues) in Egypt and
strike it on a rock. From a rock water will come out and everyone will receive
their water and everything will go back to normal.” Rashi explains on these
pesukim (verses) two things: 1) take some elders so they will testify to
everyone the water is really coming from the rock and there was no source of
water beforehand and 2) why does the
pasuk have to say to use the same rod that was used at the nile river for
the plagues in Egypt? Rashi explains it is because Hashem wants to
refute the claim that Israel had. What claim did they have?
Israel thought that this rod was given to Moshe only to do
bad things. They did not believe there was anything good from it. After all,
they did see months of plagues being thrown at Egyptians and it is known that
all the diseases in the entire world today was seen in the time of the plagues
in Egypt (learned from another verse in our Parasha). What can we learn from
this? Sometimes we think we do bad and there is NO WAY I CAN GO BACK TO GOOD! I
am filled with impure desires and filthy actions and my past is so spiritually
low and crooked. I am going to become good? NO WAY! This is completely false.
Hashem is telling us through the Torah HaKedosha that we have it in us to
actually turn around our actions 180 degrees!
We have the strength from Hashem to take the next correct
turn in our life and become positive people filled with Mitzvot like a
pomegranate’s seeds. The pasuk also continues to say that the water will come
from a rock. It is known that someone who is distanced from Hashem (like
Pharoah) lacks a heart, instead they have a heart of stone (very negative to
say about someone). However, Hashem teaches if you take your bad actions (the
rod that they all thought was for tragic events) and hit it on the rock (your
heart) only then water will come out. What does this mean? Take all your ma’asim lo tovim (your not-good deeds)
and learn from them not to return to them and to do positive with those same intentions you
wanted for negative things! Be’ezrat Hashem we should have an uplifiting
Shabbat Shirah (named after the song of Az Yashir read in our Parasha) and a
happy Tu Bishvat!
Shabbat Shalom &
Tu Bishvat Sameah!
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