Two Minute Torah Podcast

B'shallah 5772 by Cantor Bob Scherr

What does it feel like to be scared? We have many fears in our lives—sitting for a final exam, a job interview, the biggest play of the game, a first date with an attractive new friend, illness. How do we confront fear in our lives? Some people hide, some seek the help of trusted friends, some people pray.

In our Torah portion, we stand with Moshe and the people of Israel at the shore of the Sea with Pharaoh’s army charging behind them, and the churning waters before them separating them from freedom. What to do? Moshe declares:

ויאמר משה אל העם אל-תראו התיצבו וראו את ישועת יהוה אשר יעשה לכם היום

Don’t be afraid, stand your ground, and witness the salvation which God will do for you today! (Exodus 14:13)

The people heard Moshe teach that this moment is not about their fear, but about the wonder of what God’s presence was going to mean for them. You are about to witness something you’ve never seen before. It sounds like something the Wizard of Oz might say. But Moshe is speaking to people who have witnessed the plagues and the amazing march right out of Egypt. Don’t they have a notion about yet another miracle from God? Maybe the great miracle before them is not another phenomenal event that God will engineer, but rather that they don’t need to be afraid.

In my lifetime as a performer, I’ve known the terror of standing on stage as the orchestra plays the introduction and suddenly I can’t remember the first line. What is faith? It’s knowing that you’ve worked hard to prepare—for an aria, the last shot at the buzzer, an exam, or that first date—and you believe that you will be well. The real miracle is that in five more seconds, you’ll stop sweating and do beautifully what you have prepared. The Israelites took that step into the sea because they believed in the Presence of the Divine One. That was miraculous—that they were able to step forward in their lives. At that moment, the Israelites were no longer Pharaoh’s slaves, but rather God’s faithful people, committed to following God on the journey before them.

The splitting of the sea was a great feat. But the strengthening of those human hearts, that was a miracle. Every time we step forward into the unknown, in spite of our fears, we relive the miracle of leaving fear behind, and walking in the Presence of God.

Cantor Bob Scherr has served Williams College as Jewish Chaplain since 2004.