Parshas Beshalach
During the petrifying moments immediately prior to Kriyas Yam Suf – with the Egyptian army rapidly closing in upon them, with wild animals roaring on both sides of their encampment (midrash), and with the frothing sea raging before them – B’nei Yisroel raised their eyes in desperate prayer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. However, almost without acknowledging their tefillos, Hashem asked Moshe Rabbeinu, “Mah titzak eilai, daber el B’nei Yisroel v’yisa’u – For what reason should you cry out to me, speak to the Jews and let them journey [onward through the Yam Suf].”
So directly does this exchange barrel into the face of perceived Jewish hashkafa that one cannot resist questioning the incident bluntly. From a frum Jew’s earliest childhood, he is taught that prayer is always desired by Hakadosh Baruch Hu. Hakadosh Baruch Hu pines for the tefillos of Klal Yisroel. When we are beset with a difficult situation, Hashem longs for us to pour out our hearts before Him in prayer. Why would Hashem suddenly wish for B’nei Yisroel to cease their davening?
The Ohr Hachaim explains that Klal Yisroel were on such a low spiritual level before Kriyas Yam Suf that they had indeed rendered tefilla an insufficient method of meriting Hakadosh Baruch Hu’s intervention. In a vehement protest against Hashem’s plan to split the sea, the prosecuting angels rightly objected that, “Mah eilu ovdei avodah zarah, af eilu ovdei avodah zarah – Just as they [the Egyptians] are idol-worshippers, so too are they [the Jews] idol worshippers.” Hence, the angels maintained that there existed insufficient justification for Hashem to rescue the Jewish people while leaving the Egyptians to drown in the depths of the Yam Suf. Considering the angels’ sadly valid argument, B’nei Yisroel could only be saved through something even greater than tefilla; they could only be saved by an active display of bitachon (trust) that Hashem would save them. Bitachon never loses its power to affect Hashem’s judgement. Hakadosh Baruch Hu therefore told Moshe to instruct B’nei Yisroel to continue forward into the dangerous, unsplit waters with the faith that G-d would rescue them, thereby earning the zechuyos (merits) necessary for Kriyas Yam Suf.
Yet, aside from being a tremendous zechus, an active display of bitachon in Hakadosh Baruch Hu can serve as a constructive method for solidifying even that very trust. Furthermore, if one performs even those acts of bitachon which in reality exceed his level of faith in Hashem, he ingrains within himself entirely new levels of faith. Indeed, the human psyche permits even actions found lacking in their true bitachon to affect one’s system of belief. Chazal say that a maidservant present at Kriyas Yam Suf experienced a greater revelation of Hakadosh Baruch Hu than did even the prophet Yechezkel ben Buzzi during his awesome vision of the Ma’aseh Merkavah – [Procession of G-d’s Heavenly] Chariots. Yet what could have enabled those simplest members of Klal Yisroel to attain heights of nevuah surpassing even the great prophet Yechezkel? Perhaps one can suggest that the very performance of an act symbolizing such outstanding levels of bitachon was what enabled Klal Yisroel to ultimately achieve their incredibly deep recognition of Hashem.
G-d constantly desires us to work on our bitachon. Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman, shlit”a, writes that Hakadosh Baruch Hu at times places a person in a difficult situation for the sole purpose of enabling him to strengthen his faith. Based on this concept, we can suggest that Hashem’s entire purpose in arranging for B’nei Yisroel’s route to include passage through the Yam Suf was to provide B’nei Yisroel with a chance to take the extra stride in bitachon. When plagued by the often difficult circumstances life can throw in one’s path, one has the opportunity to go the extra mile in his faith by realizing that there truly exists no-one else upon whom to rely but Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, zt”l, reached absolute greatness in his level of emunah through his constant attempts at strengthening his faith. The Chazon Ish declared that Rav Yechezkel felt his emunah so strongly that he literally held it in his hands. Rav Moshe Karlinsky related that when his cousin made the decision to leave yeshiva and begin attending college, he convinced the young man to discuss the matter with Rav Yechezkel. After the situation was presented before Rav Yechezkel, he asked one question – yet he asked it so strongly, and with such obvious fear of heaven, that it left a tremendous influence on Rav Karlinsky’s cousin. Rav Yechezkel asked, “Mah im hachayim hanitzchiyim – what will be with your eternal life?” Incredibly, the total emunah that the young man witnessed in those few words was so powerful that he immediately abandoned his college plans and decided to remain in yeshiva. Even after his parents travelled to Eretz Yisroel in a desperate attempt at changing his mind, he steadfastly refused. In fact, the young man remained in learning and is currently a well-known rosh yeshiva in America. Rav Yechezkel’s emunah was so strong that he had the ability to effect tremendous and long-lasting influence upon people with whom he was not even acquainted. Indeed, there are infinite levels of bitachon available to one who truly attempts to increase his bitachon.
Let us make every effort to grow in our bitachon and thereby be zoche to reach higher levels of faith in Hakadosh Baruch Hu.