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Share(ה) וַיֻּגַּד֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם כִּ֥י בָרַ֖ח הָעָ֑ם וַ֠יֵּהָפֵ֠ךְ לְבַ֨ב פַּרְעֹ֤ה וַעֲבָדָיו֙ אֶל־הָעָ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ מַה־זֹּ֣את עָשִׂ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־שִׁלַּ֥חְנוּ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵעׇבְדֵֽנוּ׃ (ו) וַיֶּאְסֹ֖ר אֶת־רִכְבּ֑וֹ וְאֶת־עַמּ֖וֹ לָקַ֥ח עִמּֽוֹ׃ (ז) וַיִּקַּ֗ח שֵׁשׁ־מֵא֥וֹת רֶ֙כֶב֙ בָּח֔וּר וְכֹ֖ל רֶ֣כֶב מִצְרָ֑יִם וְשָׁלִשִׁ֖ם עַל־כֻּלּֽוֹ׃ (ח) וַיְחַזֵּ֣ק יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־לֵ֤ב פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּרְדֹּ֕ף אַחֲרֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יֹצְאִ֖ים בְּיָ֥ד רָמָֽה׃
(5) When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his courtiers had a change of heart about the people and said, “What is this we have done, releasing Israel from our service?” (6) He ordered his chariot and took his force with him; (7) he took six hundred of his picked chariots, and the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in all of them. (8) GOD stiffened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he gave chase to the Israelites. As the Israelites were departing defiantly,
- What is the difference between making a promise or declaring a goal and actually putting that idea into practice?
- Why might people or leaders say one thing while their actions tell a different story?
- How can we tell whether a person, organization, or government is actually committed to the values it claims to uphold?
- What makes it difficult to turn ideals or slogans into meaningful action?
- How should we respond when someone's actions contradict the values they claim to believe in?
- In our own lives, are there values that we say are important to us but that are not always reflected in our actions? What would it take to close that gap?
(כא) וַיֵּ֨ט מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶת־יָדוֹ֮ עַל־הַיָּם֒ וַיּ֣וֹלֶךְ יְהֹוָ֣ה ׀ אֶת־הַ֠יָּ֠ם בְּר֨וּחַ קָדִ֤ים עַזָּה֙ כׇּל־הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הַיָּ֖ם לֶחָרָבָ֑ה וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ הַמָּֽיִם׃ (כב) וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃
(21) Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and GOD drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split, (22) and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
- What makes something a miracle? Does a miracle require something supernatural, or can we experience ordinary events as miraculous?
- Moses raises his arm, but God divides the sea, and the Israelites still have to walk through it. What does this tell us about the relationship between divine help and human action?
- How do we respond when we are faced with something that seems impossible? What helps us take the first step?
- Do you think people need to believe something is possible before they can act? Or can action come before belief?
- What “seas” or seemingly impossible obstacles do people face today? What might it mean to “walk through” them?
- When have you experienced something that felt impossible at first but became possible once someone took the first step?
(כו) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה נְטֵ֥ה אֶת־יָדְךָ֖ עַל־הַיָּ֑ם וְיָשֻׁ֤בוּ הַמַּ֙יִם֙ עַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם עַל־רִכְבּ֖וֹ וְעַל־פָּרָשָֽׁיו׃ (כז) וַיֵּט֩ מֹשֶׁ֨ה אֶת־יָד֜וֹ עַל־הַיָּ֗ם וַיָּ֨שׇׁב הַיָּ֜ם לִפְנ֥וֹת בֹּ֙קֶר֙ לְאֵ֣יתָנ֔וֹ וּמִצְרַ֖יִם נָסִ֣ים לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַיְנַעֵ֧ר יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־מִצְרַ֖יִם בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּֽם׃
(26) Then GOD said to Moses, “Hold out your arm over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians and upon their chariots and upon their riders.” (27) Moses held out his arm over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state, and the Egyptians fled at its approach. But GOD hurled the Egyptians into the sea.
- What is the difference between justice and revenge? Is there a point at which punishment becomes revenge?
- The Egyptians who die are part of Pharaoh’s army. How should we think about individual responsibility when people are participating in a larger system or following a leader?
- Is it possible to celebrate your own liberation while also feeling uncomfortable about the suffering or destruction of others?
- How does the fact that the Egyptians are portrayed as the people pursuing and enslaving the Israelites affect how you understand what happens to them?
- When someone who has harmed us experiences suffering or consequences, how should we respond? Is it wrong to feel satisfaction?
- Are there situations today where the desire for justice can become a desire to see an opponent destroyed? How can we recognize the difference?
(א) אָ֣ז יָשִֽׁיר־מֹשֶׁה֩ וּבְנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־הַשִּׁירָ֤ה הַזֹּאת֙ לַֽיהֹוָ֔ה וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ לֵאמֹ֑ר אָשִׁ֤ירָה לַֽיהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־גָאֹ֣ה גָּאָ֔ה ס֥וּס וְרֹכְב֖וֹ רָמָ֥ה בַיָּֽם׃ (ב) עׇזִּ֤י וְזִמְרָת֙ יָ֔הּ וַֽיְהִי־לִ֖י לִֽישׁוּעָ֑ה זֶ֤ה אֵלִי֙ וְאַנְוֵ֔הוּ אֱלֹהֵ֥י אָבִ֖י וַאֲרֹמְמֶֽנְהוּ׃
(1) Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to GOD. They said:
I will sing to GOD, who has triumphed gloriously;Horse and driver have been hurled into the sea.(2)Yah is my strength and might, And has become my deliverance.This is my God whom I will enshrine;The God of my father, whom I will exalt.
- Why do you think the Israelites respond to this experience by praying and singing together? What might lead someone to pray?
- What are the differences between praying alone and praying as part of a community? Are there things we can experience in communal prayer that we cannot experience alone?
- What is the difference between praying in your own words and using words that have been written for you? Is one more meaningful than the other?
- Does prayer have to be spontaneous to be meaningful? What might be valuable about prayers that we say repeatedly or are required to say?
- Is prayer more powerful when we are moved to pray by something happening in our lives, as the Israelites were at the sea? Can prescribed prayer create the same feeling?
- What makes a prayer meaningful to you? Is it the words, the people you are praying with, the circumstances, the emotions you bring to it, or something else?
