‘Partly Cloudy’ Parashat Beshalach 5785

The Jewish People say goodbye to Egypt and as the Waze application was still in its infancy at the time, they need a way to navigate the long road to the Land of Israel. G-d takes care of this [Shemot 13:21]: “G-d went before them by day (yomam) in a pillar of cloud to cause it to lead them on the way and at night (layla) in a pillar of fire to give them light, [they thus could] travel day and night.” Using the SPIKE LR2 anti-tank missile as a metaphor, the Jewish People had a dual seeker, VIS in the day and IR at night, giving them full 24/7 performance.

Just as it is important to have Waze operating at all times, especially when traversing unknown and/or dangerous terrain, G-d ensured that one of the two pillars would always remain visible [Shemot 13:22]: “[G-d] did not move away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire at night [from] before the people.” Rashi[1], referencing the Talmud in Tractate Shabbat [22b], explains that the pillar of cloud handed off to the pillar of fire, and the pillar of fire handed off to the pillar of cloud, meaning that before one set, the other one rose.

Rabbi Joseph Yashar, the Chief Rabbi of Acco, notes a contradiction in the sequence of the Torah’s description of the two pillars. First the Torah describes the pillar of cloud that would lead them by day and then it segues to the pillar of fire that would lead them by night. But, wait a minute, doesn’t the Jewish day begin at nightfall? This is learned from the verse describing the creation of the universe [Bereishit 1:6] “It was evening (erev) and it was morning (boker), one day”. Would it not have proper to introduce the pillar of fire before introducing the pillar of cloud? Rabbi Yashar suggests that the reason that the pillar of cloud is introduced first is to separate the name of G-d from the word “night” so as not to besmirch in any way the Divine Name. In this essay, we will propose an alternate way ahead, but first we must understand the physics and the metaphysics of the two pillars.

Let’s return to the Book of Bereishit. The first thing in the universe that G-d creates is light. Our Sages in the Midrash explain that this was not the everyday kind of light, the one comprised of photons that travel in waves. According to our Sages in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabba 11:2), the initial light of Creation was metaphysical rather than physical. It was so powerful that it enabled a person “to see from one end of the universe to the other.” Our Sages teach this original light lasted only a short while in this world. To prevent its misuse by the evil, G-d bottled it up to be used by the righteous in the world to come. After G-d creates light, the Torah concludes: “G-d called the light ‘Day (yom)’ and called the darkness ‘Night (layla)’. It was evening (erev) and it was morning (boker), one day”. The Rashbam[2] has a very interesting take on this verse. Notice that two different words are used to describe night: “erev” and “layla”. Similarly, two different words are used to describe day: “boker” and “yom”. The Rashbam proposes that whenever G-d is recorded as mentioning “day (yom)” and “night (layla)”, this is a reference to the original supernal light created on the first day.

Now let’s reflect this idea back into the verse describing the two pillars. The Torah specifically says that the pillars ruled in the “day (yomam)” and the “night (layla)”, meaning that the original supernal light must be somewhere nearby. Clearly it cannot be found in the pillar of cloud that blocks out the light. It must be, then, that the pillar of fire was not a physical flame created by a combustion reaction of fuel and oxygen. It was a metaphysical phenomenon[3] whose source came from beyond our corporeal world. A similar phenomenon is seen in the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Abihu, who offer a “strange fire” on the day of their graduation ceremony as priests (Kohanim) serving in the Tabernacle (Mishkan) [Vayikra 10:2]: “Fire came forth from G-d and consumed them”. They were not “burnt”. There was no char or smoke. Indeed, Rashi notes that their souls were burnt but their bodies remained intact. The pillar of fire was comprised of this same Divine fire. Each night, the pillar of fire would streak down from heaven to light the way ahead.

The pillar of cloud was a physical phenomenon, a visible aggregate of minute droplets of water floating in the free air. Clouds “stick together” if there is rising air in the vicinity,. The first cloud was created during the first week of creation [Bereishit 2:6]: “A mist (eid) ascended from the earth and watered the entire surface of the ground.” This was not a spiritual cloud, but a real, misty cloud. Each morning, the pillar of cloud would rise up to the heavens to guide the way ahead. Our Sages in Midrash [Mechilta d’Rashi Shemot 14:20] explicitly point out that the pillar of cloud was a physical object. As the Jewish People flee from Egypt, they find themselves between a rock and a hard place, the Reed Sea on one side and Pharaoh’s army on the other. The Egyptians open fire on them with arrows and catapult-launched boulders. According to the Midrash, the pillar of cloud would swallow up the projectiles (mekablan). The cloud would not intercept the arrows and boulders, it would catch them. While highly improbable, this is not physically impossible. Very strong updrafts would be needed for a cloud to catch an arrow, but noting that the pillar of cloud rose from the ground all the way up to the stratosphere, there were obviously powerful updrafts already at play.

Now we can return to the question asked by Rabbi Yashar: Why is the pillar of cloud introduced before the pillar of fire, even though each day the pillar of fire would rise before the pillar of cloud? The pillar of fire was a completely metaphysical otherworldly phenomenon. It could not be explained away as some kind of scientific oddity. No doubt about it, the existence of the pillar of fire in our world was miraculous. The pillar of cloud was what we could call a “miracle cloaked in nature (ness b’derech ha’teva). It is not a lesser kind miracle than the in-your-face-forget-the-laws-of-physics miracle that was the pillar of fire. It was a different kind. The Ramban[4] in his commentary on [Shemot 13:16] lays out a profound theory on miracles. He posits that miracles serve as fundamental proof of G-d’s existence, omniscience, omnipotence, and providence. According to the Ramban, miracles are exceptions to the natural order and demonstrate G-d’s direct intervention in the world. He distinguishes between two types of miracles. The first type are great overt miracles. These are extraordinary events, like the splitting of the sea, which are meant to be undeniable demonstrations of G-d’s power. The second type of miracles are “hidden miracles”. These are everyday occurrences that might seem natural but are actually Divine interventions. The Ramban argues that by acknowledging the overt miracles, we can come to understand and appreciate the hidden miracles that happen all around us. According to the Ramban, there is no real difference between the two types of miracles on a metaphysical level; both are expressions of G-d’s will and of His involvement in the world.

The first pillar revealed to the Jewish People is the pillar of cloud, a hidden miracle. They had already seen their fill of overt miracles. The needed to recognize that G-d is hiding behind the cloud just as He is present in the pillar fire. They need to know this because one day, all we will have left is the cloud. Today is that day. The decapitation of Hamas and Hezbollah military and political leadership, the grim beeper, the outstanding performance of Iron Dome can all be attributed to the prowess of the IDF. But the implosion of Baath regime in Syria, taking with it one of our most vaunted enemies, well, that is an overt miracle, just like the walls of Jericho. The message of the sequence of the pillars is to know that both were miracles: The fall of Syria was the pillar of fire and the defeat of Hamas and Hezbollah was the pillar of cloud. Blessed be G-d, King of the universe, Who performed for me miracles in this place.

Ari Sacher, Moreshet, 5785

Please daven for a Refu’a Shelema for Shlomo ben Esther, Sheindel Devorah bat Rina, Esther Sharon bat Chana Raizel, and Meir ben Drora.

[1] Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, known by his acronym “Rashi,” was the most eminent of the medieval commentators. He lived in northern France in the 11^th century.

[2] Rabbi Shmuel ben Meir, known by his acronym “Rashbam”, was the grandson of Rashi, and lived in France in the 12^th century.

[3] See our shiur for Shemot 5785 where this idea is fleshed out further.

[4] Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, known by his acronym “Ramban”, lived in Spain and Israel in the 13^th century.