EXODUS XIII:17-XVII:16

THE BATTLE CONTINUES

The Hebrew people left, or perhaps were expelled from Egypt by Pharaoh, into the desert, to a destination unknown to them. But the Divine plan was to lead them first to Mount Sinai, where they would receive the Law that would guide their daily behavior and serve as a fundamental moral tool for social coexistence and emotional and spiritual development.

The exodus was not the consequence of a slave rebellion, the departure occurred because God inflicted ten plagues on the Egyptians, which bent the will of Pharaoh. Moshe (Moses) was God’s emissary, who warned Pharaoh of the consequences of his intransigence. Although the initial request used as an argument the desire to worship God in the desert, the basic reason for the exodus was clear: the breaking of the chains of slavery.

In this first stage of the history of the people, Divine intervention is present, clearly, always. It can even be argued that the plagues had a dual function. On the one hand, the superiority of the one God had to be demonstrated over the multiple Egyptian deities. But at the same time, it was necessary to give encouragement to an enslaved people, to convince them that freedom was a non-negotiable condition. Matza, the bread of poverty, was preferable to any delicacy and delicacy in the world of slavery.

Only a few hours had passed when Pharaoh regretted allowing the Hebrew slaves to leave and began his persecution to return them to servitude. The Hebrews were at a dead end. In front of them was the sea and, behind them, the chariots and horses, the Egyptian soldiers chasing them in hot heat. What to do? God tells Moshe to  lift up his hand with the rod to part the waters of the sea, which, in turn, obey the command. Thanks to this miraculous parting of the waters, the Hebrews manage to escape the Egyptian hordes, which perish when the waters come together again, once the Hebrews reach the opposite shore.

The story did not end there. They had been saved from the Egyptians, but they would have to take up arms to face the Amalekites. Divine protection was again present. Although he did not lead the Hebrew “army,” the Torah relates that Mosheascended a mountain from which he could observe the unfolding of the battle. If he kept his arms up, the Hebrews overcame, and when he let them fall, the Amalekites were the victors. 

According to the Talmud, the act of raising one’s arms was symbolic of focusing one’s gaze on heaven, becoming aware of the fact that everything depends on God’s help. There is, however, a difference. While in Egypt, God alone, through Moshe, was the actor, the factor that ensured the exodus through the plagues. On this occasion God also intervened through Moses, but the Hebrews had to fight, risk their lives against Amalek. This marks the beginning of a covenant, a partnership between God and the people, God and the person, echoing the colloquial saying: “Help yourself and heaven will help you.”

In addition, the stay in Egypt that included 210 years of slavery was punctual. The battle against Amalek represents an inconclusive war, the first chapter of which was written after the exodus from Egypt. In the course of history, other Amaleksappeared with different names such as Haman, Torquemada, Hitler, their contemporary version being the figure of the president of Iran, all with the purpose, in one way or another, of eliminating the Hebrew people.

Different theories have been offered to explain this constant viciousness against the Hebrews. Some argue that the Jewish people have become a kind of conscience of humanity because of the message it propagates, which is none other than the content of the Torah. The message of ethics and morality preached by the Torah does not allow for emotional tranquility when the weak are trampled on and what belongs to another is stolen. Whoever argues that force equals right, that the world belongs to the strongest, stumbles upon a theology or philosophy that emphatically suggests that solidarity and love should be the motivating forces of human action.

MITZVA: ORDINANCE OF THE TORAH IN THIS PARSHA

CONTAINS 1 PROHIBITION

24. Exodus 16:29 Do not go beyond the limit allowed on Shabbat