Guest Rambler Sydni Burg
22 Days
Just twenty-two days ago I completed my last final exam of my very first semester in college. Just twenty-two days ago I packed up most of my belongings, rented a car for the first time and drove home to my family in Cleveland for winter break. Just twenty-two days ago I did not know whether I would be transferring schools within the month ahead, or if I would have to wait until next fall. Fast forward to just yesterday when I packed up my belongings, rented a car for the second time and drove back to school. Now I sit in my same dorm room at the same college and reflect upon just how much can change in only twenty-two days.
You may be wondering what changed. I returned to the same school, in the same navy rented Kia, and the same bursting duffle sat in the trunk. However, I returned with an extremely different perspective on these very same circumstances, and for that I am incredibly grateful.
This week’s Parsha, Beshalach, is a true testament of faith which highlights the insecurities of human nature. Parshat Beshalach begins with the grueling schlep from the land of Egypt and tells of the famous splitting of the sea. This part of the story is packed with crucial decisions, momentous occasions and a slew of diverse emotions. However, the defining moment for the Jewish people is ironically one that was saturated with doubt and uncertainty.
As Moses split the sea and prompted his people to cross, a nation that was so determined and faithful only moments before was suddenly frozen with fear and reluctance. The Mishnah explains that in this moment, the Jewish people had numerous opinions of how and even whether to move forward, which caused a great divide in the midst of this critically historic event.
The divine trust and faith that we saw at the beginning of the Parsha was suddenly lost, revealing the flaws of human nature. To further complicate matters, it is written that G-d led the Jews out of Egypt using an indirect path in order to avoid potential harm. Therefore, this moment in our history illustrates a divided and treacherous nation at only the beginning of what is to be the longest and most trying journey they will ever have faced.
Being the great leader that he was, Moses was able to unite and lead his nation through the split sea by re-instilling faith and reminding his people of the divinity that had carried them thus far. Ironically enough, it was not until the Jewish people looked back and saw the Egyptians drown in the water behind them that they had overcome all apprehensions. This is not because they encountered their enemy and biggest threat perish, but because they were able to summon true faith despite the legitimacy of their fear and uncertainty.
In their time of dire need, Moses delivered the precious gift of perspective to his nation. Perspective is the ability to open one’s mind to the bigger picture and capture glimpses of life from an aerial view. This allows us to not fret over the small things and maintain a vision of the end goal. Parshat Beshalach manifests perspective in the prevailing forms of faith and trust which are ultimately achieved through the diminishing of the human ego. Further, the indirect path upon which the Jewish people traveled to reach the promised land symbolizes the uncertainty that life may bring and how little control we may have. Perspective is a divine attribute that allows us to overcome such humanistic challenges.
So, twenty-two days ago I sat in the same bed that I am sitting in now, only now I have far less dread and uncertainty. Just like the path of the Jewish people during the Exodus, my path will remain indirect and unexpected; it may twist and turn, and I may encounter dirt roads that must be paved and even mountains that require climbing. Thankfully, maintaining perspective has given me the ability to persevere with a positive attitude. After all, as long as we have faith that God will bring us to our final destination, we should be able to relinquish fear and enjoy the ride.
Shabbat shalom,
Sydni
