By: Rolando Kahn
Director of Communications
In this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Beshalach, Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt to the Sea of Reeds. There, G*d informs Moses that he will harden Pharoah’s heart, causing him to chase after the newly freed slaves. As Pharoah and his army descend upon the panic-stricken Israelites, G*d says, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and watch how I will deliver you.” G*d then tells Moses to raise his hand toward the sea, which causes a swift wind to blow, parting the waters, and allowing the group to pass through on dry land. Once everyone is safely on the other side, Moses raises his hand a second time, and the walls of water crash down upon the pursuing Egyptian army.
There are times in our lives when we land in unexpected circumstances because of certain decisions we have made. We get that pit in our stomach as we realize how dire our situation might be, and our mind begins to race. Our emotions bounce around our heads like a pinball, lighting up every corner of our consciousness. “What should I do? How did I get myself into this? This was a huge mistake!” are just a few of the thoughts that show up in these moments, making it much more difficult to think calmly and rationally.
When I read this story, I compare the fearful Israelites to thoughts like the ones above that appear in our brains when we are stressed. I think of G*d as the other voice that breaks through the chaos and says, “Take a step back. Slow down. It’s going to be okay. There is a way through.”
If we allow ourselves to surrender to the panic and the fear in a situation, we risk missing the path forward, or rather, not hearing the other voice that knows the way through. Spending too much time and energy focusing on the chaos drowns out everything else when this is one of the most important times to use our thinking brain rather than our emotional brain. While the Israelites of the past certainly faced a very real imminent danger in the story, we in the present often grapple with internalized emotions, which is where G*d (abstractly or literally) comes in to calm the storms in our heads and part the waters that expose the way ahead.
Now more than ever it is vital that we do not give in to thoughts that materialize due to fear. They serve no other purpose than to increase our emotional dysregulation. Even with the constant bombardment of uncertainty, we must stand in our resolve to see the way forward, step into the parted sea unafraid of those who pursue us, and have faith that we will make it to the other side unharmed while our troubles wash away beneath the waves.
Shabbat Shalom.
Please email Rolando Kahn at rkahn@jewishcolorado.org with questions or comments.