Pesach
21st Nisan marks the day the Egyptians drowned in the Red Sea. The Talmud goes to length to stress that the Song of Moses and Miriam did not receive approbation in Heaven.
According to the passage in Tractate Megillah, God rebukes the angels who wish to sing to Him: “My handiwork (the Egyptians) are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing to me?!”
God mourns the pain of all humankind – Arab and Jew alike, Egyptian and Babylonian. Paradoxically, the struggle on earth – and the song of victory – persists. We all prefer to be closer to God, and repudiate anything that smacks of triumphalism. However, continues the Talmud, God does not expect that of us when we are caught in conflict. “He does not rejoice, but He causes others to rejoice.”
Did Israel sing vengefully, gleefully?
A closer examination reveals a very different scenario. Both Moses and Miriam are careful to introduce their song with a reason, explaining why they wish to sing. This indicates that prima facae the Israelites would have felt uneasy without knowing exactly why they should sing in response to a tragedy.
“I shall sing to God – because He threw the horseman and chariot into the sea”.
The point of rejoicing is not that the Egyptians drowned, but that God used a miraculous feat of nature to bring justice for Israel. If God is willing to make such a sacrifice for His love of justice over oppression, then in response we ought to sing in recognition, admiration and awe of Him. “This is my God”, the song continues “and I will glorify Him”.
A midrash further details how each and every Israelite saw the face of their own taskmaster, thrown up onto the shore. This might shed light on another curious midrashic claim that what even a maidservant saw by the shore even the great prophets of Israel (such as Jeremiah and Isaiah) saw not in their prophetic visions.
Whereas the prophets of Israel foretold the redemption of Israel and justice in the future tense, each and every commoner observed this at very close quarters in the present.
The second half of Pesach teaches us to cherish justice, and celebrate it when it is achieved, even if there was pain in the process. Much pain was endured by all sides in the war that led to Israel’s independence. This does not mean that Israel’s Independence Day should not be celebrated.
Ultimately, however we yearn for an age where the cause for celebration will be an end to conflict itself. May that day come speedily, with the final and total redemption for Israel and the entire world.
Chag Sameach!
Rabbi Ariel Abel is Rabbi of Radlett United Synagogue www.radlettus.org and Director of the Judith Lady Montefiore College London Semicha Programme www.montefioreendowment.org.uk/college/semicha.
