Elian Kadar - Dvar Torah

Shabbat shalom everyone.

This week’s parsha is parshat beshalach from the book of Shemot or the book of Exodus.

The story starts with the Israelites’ escape from Egypt. Hashem guides them by a pillar of smoke during the day and a pillar of fire at night. Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, suddenly has a change of heart and decides he doesn’t want to lose his slaves so he chases after them with his whole army.

When the Israelites reach the Sea of Reeds, they panic. With a situation that can only end in tragedy, they fear they will not live another day, and they cry out to Moses, saying they would rather have stayed slaves in Egypt than die in the desert.

The Israelites are standing at the shore with an approaching army on one side and a roaring sea on the other. Hashem tells Moses to lift his staff over the sea. When the sea does not immediately split, Nachshon ben Aminadav bravely walks into the water. Only when the water reaches his nose does the sea finally part.

As the Israelites walk safely through the sea on the dry seabed, the Egyptians follow. When the Israelites reach the opposite shore Hashem tells Moses to lift his staff again, and when he does the sea brutally closes upon the Egyptian army, drowning their soldiers and horses. As it is כודבְְִִַַֹּּּּּּּ written: “ צָלְל ע פֶרֶת מַיִם אַ ירִים ” “they sank like lead in the mighty waters.”

After seeing that they are finally free, the Israelites sing a song of thanks to Hashem called Shirat HaYam, Song of the Sea.

This parsha is filled with miracles that God graciously gave the Israelites, but what really stood out to me in this text is that often physical actions took place before God’s miracles. For example, Moses had to lift his arm out, over the sea, while holding his staff in order for the sea to part instead of just parting at God’s demand. The miracle required Moses to take action for it to happen.

And in the Talmud, a book full of interpretations of the Torah, we find an additional story relating to this miracle. This is the story of Nachshon ben Aminadav, who bravely walked into the rushing waters of the Sea of Reeds ahead of Moses and the Israelites, trusting that something would happen. It was only when the water reached his nose did the sea part.

These two statements really stood out to me when I was first told the story by Rabbi Malcolm. It made me think of how the world would not be the way it is today if it weren’t for a few brave people who changed others’ perspectives with small symbolic acts and gave courage to let their first action completely change the world.

For example, Rosa Parks.

If you don’t know the story, Rosa was an African American woman who, in 1955, while riding a bus in Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Her arrest sparked a Bus

Boycott and became a key moment in the American Civil Rights Movement. Her action has led many people to stand up to discrimination and racism, and therefore has led the world to be a better place.

Another example would be Malala Yousafzai.

Malala was a young girl who wanted to go to school. She spoke up for girls’ education, even though it was very dangerous to speak out in her country, Pakistan. Because of this, she was shot in the head on her way to school while travelling on a bus. Miraculously, she survived. Instead of being silenced, Malala continues to speak out even more strongly. Her courage inspires people around the world to fight gender based discrimination and stand up for the right to education.

And, Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin was an African American leader who fought for equal rights in the United States. He led peaceful marches to stand up against unfair laws that treated people differently because of their skin colour. He believed in solving problems without violence. One of his most famous moments was his “I Have a Dream” speech, where he spoke about a future where everyone would be treated equally. His bravery and kind leadership inspired many people to stand up against discrimination and helped make the world a fairer place.

I think that the real point about these amazing stories of change is that you can sit around all you want, waiting for a miracle to happen and for things to be better, but if you really want change, you should take action yourself. No matter how small, words or tiny actions can really make a big difference.

You could stand up to a bully or say hi to someone and make a new friend. You might not know it, but that could really make a difference to someone just for a day or even for a lifetime.

If you know me well, you would know that I am passionate about surfing and that I’ve been attending surf camp for about two years now. But when I first started I didn’t have any friends there, but those friendly, over enthusiastic kids who came and said hi, who cracked a joke and made me laugh, or even a few coaches who said something somewhat questionable, really changed the way I participated, and they made me want to go back every summer from then on.

Now, each time I go surfing I can say hi to my coaches, and at camp, I can walk over to my friends and catch up about the tragically long school term while having a good laugh.

What this parsha really teaches me is that miracles and change often begin with one small act of courage. Moses lifted his staff before the sea split. Nachshon stepped into the water before anything happened. And people like Rosa Parks, Malala, and Martin Luther King Jr. also started with one simple, brave action that inspired others.

So the message is simple: don’t wait for the sea to split - take the first step. Even a small act of kindness or courage can open a path you didn’t expect and make a real difference in someone’s life.