BESHALLACH: Paving the Road to Heaven

There is a well-known Midrash (Mekhilta, Ex. 14:22) that when Am Yisrael stood at the banks of the Reed Sea they became transfixed. Caught, literally, between the devil and the deep blue sea (could this be this the origin of the phrase?), faced with a life-altering decision, they panicked and began shouting at each other ein ani yoreid tekhila le-yam “I’m not going to be the first to go down into the sea”. While they were all standing there motionless, each expecting his neighbour to act, one Nachshon of the tribe of Judah took the proverbial bull by the horns and plunged into the sea up to his neck whereupon the sea split. As a reward, Nachshon was eventually honoured to be the first head-of-tribe to make an offering in the to-be-erected mishkan (desert sanctuary).

Such is the view of R’ Yehuda. But there is another opinion regarding what transpired recounted in the name of R’ Meir. According to his version, everyone was shouting Ani eired tekhila le-yam “I will be the first to go down into the sea!” As they were jousting with each other to decide who should have this privilege, the entire tribe of Benjamin plunged in. As a reward, the Shekhina was destined to rest in the portion of land allocated to Benjamin where the Holy-of-Holies was to be located.

Leaving aside whether the initiators were Nachshon (followed in some versions by his tribe), or shevet Binyamin, a more fascinating question presents itself.

This ‘second’ version of the tale attributed to R’ Meir – which is actually recorded first in the Midrash – is little-known. The Nachshon midrash of R’ Yehuda, on the other hand, is very well known. Yet – and here’s the fascination – R’ Yehuda’s account presents Am Yisrael in a very negative light. No-one wished to be the first to take the plunge. “You go first, we’ll follow” was their cry. Hardly an expression of deep and abiding faith! Yet that’s the version that has achieved popular currency, the one that’s always cited – rather than R’ Meir’s according to which everyone was valiantly vying with each other to be the first to plunge into the sea.

Isn’t this latter interpretation a more positive, attractive and compelling image to proclaim – and shouldn’t we be attempting to view our ancestors in as favourable a light as possible?

If we examine both more carefully we see that the picture we have conjured up here is a false one.

In R’ Meir’s midrash, everybody said they wanted to be the first to enter the sea – but, as R’ Menachem Nachum of Chernobyl, the Me’or Eynayim (1730-1787) perceptively points out, the way to the sea was open and anyone could enter! Yet nobody, except shevet Binyamin, made a move! They were big talkers and debaters but were found wanting when it came to action. At least R’ Yehuda’s Bnei Yisrael were honest – they were too frightened to take the plunge. R’ Meir’s Israelites were braggers and dishonest ones at that! They could not progress from yap to zap.

“Deed, not debate, is the main thing!” (Avot 1:17). ‘Talking the talk’ is all very well as long as it leads to ‘walking the walk’!

The Sidra of Beshalakh invariably falls on or around 15^th Shevat (Tu b’Shevat – the New Year for Trees). Why are trees alone, of all creations outside humankind, allocated a New Year in the Jewish calendar? Because “a tree of the field is [like] man” (Deut. 20:19).

Tu b’Shevat divides one year from another with regard to ma’aser (tithing) and orla (prohibited status of under-three-year-old fruit). These duties embrace the produce of the tree, i.e. its fruit. We see therefore that Tu B’Shevat is actually the birthday of fruit-bearing trees.

Majestic maples, elegant elms, stately sycamores make significant statements in countless natural landscapes. But they do not give forth that precious commodity called fruit. They ‘speak’ eloquently but don’t produce the goods!

Only fruit-bearing trees does the Torah specifically forbid us to destroy – in the verse (Deut. 20:20) immediately following the comparison of man to a tree of the field. The allusion is plain. It’s the production that really counts. Articulation must give rise to action!

A popular proverb asserts that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. To which we would add – “and the road to heaven is paved with good actions!” The path across the Sea of Reeds was to lead the way to the life-giving Tree of Deeds at Mount Sinai!