Beshalach: Don’t Look Back | Rabbi Ari Kahn | January 29th 2026

And every week the shar is sponsored by Rabbi Michael and Jerry Laxmeter for the foolish name of the granddaughter Ai Gal Sarabat Shaina Harona. By the way, if anybody you know is feeling inadequate and they want to match them or up them a little bit. They're from Vegas. They will app they will appreciate this. You know, you could competition is on. You could put your all on uh >> Canadians are >> okay. and and additionally to their fu layma wish they had two great grandsons in the last couple of weeks and but she's but she said three babies so you're you're including my grandson my grandson who was named this week even though >> his name is Shakar Israel meaning it's a new dawn it's a new day >> and I'm feeling Okay. Um, yeah. No, that that was the I mean, he spoke. My son-in-law after spending over 300 days in uh in Aza and doing quite um quite combat type things. So, uh they actually had the bris down south in the place that his Golani unit used to come and and uh organize right after when they would come out. So, that that's where they had the bris. Anyway, Shakar Shakar Israel. >> So, speaking of new dawns and new days, I'm going to say a couple things here. I I think by the time I finish today, you're all going to say, "Yeah, I knew that. Yeah, I knew that." That was that was all that that was all that was all pretty obvious. Like, you didn't really add that much over here, did you? But, um, we'll see. We'll see. We'll see how obvious things are. for I just get to the next one as well. So I just want to pause over there. So we had one two in the first verse twice it says in it says it again and then inket it says it again. So and this you wouldn't have said afterwards. Yeah I knew that. I mean, actually, you didn't know this. When was the last time Elo the name Eloquin was used? For that matter, what name had been used throughout the Exodus, so now you'd have to go back and look cuz you don't know the answer. And and and it's interesting because it really had been about that you will know God and the name God over there has generally been throughout the Exodus story. I know in the very beginning there is one about vatana varena that the women who feared god but for most of the story where god being involved in history it's actually quite the opposite that's what we see from the beginning of era now god is going to be manifest and shame hashemat and so on that that's the shame which is used throughout the story so therefore every one of you as soon as I read the first persecution I said hold it what's going on over here why do we have this absolutely I'll edit in an editorial comment a dramatic shift and what happened it's not just one little turn a phrase it was 1 2 3 four different times the name elokim was used over here and that obviously is something which should alert us so it's dafka elim let's read this all over again generally what are we going to say that is so which is coming so now we can start thinking okay so what what is the involvement of Elimin and of course there's two possibilities. One possibility is that it's towards the Egyptians and the other possibility that it's towards the Jews and the other is that no it's midin which is the overriding mida at this particular point but of course last week we called the share judgment day and there was no miden in in the whole thing was all about a manifestation of mk so at least I hope that there is some kind of intrigue that you now note that is taking place over here kimaru is that that no there's a problem over here. So it's really interesting. Does that mean that would have said yeah guys go up the coast it's quicker that way and it was mean which is saying no. So I'm just saying think about that those who wonder. So this is like one of the like the really interesting things because there's three interpretations of Rashi and for some reason people always joke joke people always jump on the implausible mathematical one that only 20% left and 80% died and then 20% is some 600,000 that's only men between the ages of 20 and 60 which means and but that's just 20% of the population and I hope you realize that real this really is somewhat implausible but what's more interesting is why do people skip the other two interpretations of rashi. I mean, one of them I understand why they skipped them. Because it's militaristic and that is kamushim. They were armed. >> They were armed. Why were they armed? Because they think there's a war coming up over here. Why? Cuz the Egyptians may be chasing them. But that itself is interesting because they're being armed is going to be with arms which are not all that sophisticated. And and if Egypt comes, they're going to be coming with their extremely sophisticated weaponry. So, okay. So, that's just like part of the background over here. And God takes them this other way around and again. So I'm just going to say it again. The theological texture of this entire section is one over here of and there is this kind of really interesting issue because the Egyptians are going to be chasing after them now as we'll see very soon. Just a couple more things I want to point out. Posafov the Yumi Sukkot and they uh and they traveled from Sukkot. So yeah, I I can't help it. I mean, once this Sukkot over here, you got Okay, we just got to Pak why are we going directly to Sukkot? And why are we skipping over here? And I'm actually far more serious about that question than uh than you think I am. Okay, the Sukkot is interesting. Also, some of you would note that when Yakov leaves Lavan, and we've done that a couple of times, comparing the Yakov of Lavan with right with with Amisro leaving Egypt especially based on the villagon's commentary to the Zohar where he says everything is interconnected so their Yakov also almost right away gets to a place which is called Sukkot. So there's something interesting here and then is where you have your other dramatic shift. So over here we have our Ammud Anan. I'm sure we've had wars by that name recently. Amoud Anan but it but it shifted to Hashem. So here is God a protector taking care of them. It's God who goes in front of them and we're told with this Anan. So now when a moment ago I mentioned Sukkot I hope some of you know that the Sukkot is connected to the Ananha Cavote. And look what we just now noticed on the next pock. We know we we noticed over here that there are that there's a protective anan right over here. So I hope now you realize that my my what looked like an overreach and asking this question well why are we skipping shot and going why we skipping hari why are we going straight over here to Sukkot maybe was a little bit of a stronger question than you realize. By the way, let's let's now note something else. Had they gone, what would they have avoided geographically? Sai. If you go then you don't end up going where Senai is. So when I noted before that we have this really interesting conversation, maybe I didn't note it strong enough. Let me note it stronger. We have this really interesting combination between geography, right? going forward, what's behind us and the calendar chronology. It's the geography and the chronology. It's the calendar and there's this overlap of issues. I know and I said before that afterward you're going to say, "Yeah, I knew all of this." So maybe you didn't know all of this. Okay, maybe I I I over spoke a little bit, but then again, I may be guilty of what rabbis do all the time, and that's making really simple things sound over complicated. But I'm not. But but but I'm But I'm not. I'm not I I've just pointed out again organic it's the text you you should not have missed any of the things that I just pointed out again admittedly the sukot thing sounds like an overreach till you get to the next puzzle and that causes you to pause the shift over here between the elohim used multiple times and then we switch to Hashem and now there's another point that I didn't make clear enough and this is the one of the things that we have a hard time reading properly because there is some tension of potential contradiction. And what we do when there are potential contradictions is we tend to resolve them. And once we resolve them, we make believe that there was never any contradiction because no, it's it's just it's resolved over here as presented. Right now at this point, when they leave Egypt, we're told about the protective clouds. And if I talked about, let's say, geography, I also want to talk about the direction. And again, there's a north,s, south,outheast, and west, and we can more or less figure out which way they're traveling. I say more or less. Where exactly is the cloud positioned? Now, all of you going to say till you look inside, and so what are you talking about? The cloud is all over because it's a protective cloud. So, if it's a protective cloud, it's above, it's in front, it's right, it's going to be on all sides because that's what a protective cloud does. And then I ask you again to read the pok and see what it says. What does mean in front? Which means like it sounds very much even though so what's going to happen if they don't go the quicker way where they're able to escape quicker and they go the other way where I think some of you realize that sooner rather than later they're going to be trapped and there's going to be no way out because they're going to have water on various sides and then they're going to have the Egyptians coming at the other side. So they're going to kind of be stuck what it sounds like by a peninsula and that that's it. There's no way out for them. And that's and that is by the way what Elo Kim just now did because had they gone the other way around then they would have been able to continue going up the coast. And then I always imagine they go up the coast maybe again there's no dalination plants but you may be able to access fish and other things along the way if you're going up the Mediterranean coast. There's some nice beaches, nice fishing, and uh and not only that, you probably have all kinds of water sources that run off because all the water runs off to the ocean. Yes. >> But it's good to go, right? >> No, at that point who makes it doesn't make a it doesn't make a difference. >> So, so again to have gone up the coast, it it's interesting because you know, Elo came. No, but now I have a problem because I'm I'm going in a way which is which right I'm just saying to think about the geography again because the geography is connected to the calendar and it is connected all again it's the chronology and the geog and it's the holidays as well. So actually if you think about their need for protection in the desert again if you think about the need for protection in the desert the need is going to be heightened when they end up making this I'm not going to call it a wrong turn but kind of God is leading them in in this direction but if it led in this direction as opposed to going the other direction now they're going to end up needing that kind of protection which is not necessarily helping them in the back and it's only helping them in the front. Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do you realize now what I'm trying to say is that oh no excellent what very good if they go up the coast then they don't necessarily need the divine protection they don't they don't you also don't know you also don't need need anyone to tell you exactly which way to travel you know why >> you go up the coast >> this this should not be terribly complicated you just go up the coast and you just keep going up you see the big buildings of Tel a Viv okay now you Now, now you know you went a little Now you know you went a little far. Hang a right turn at some point. No, but you go up the coast. That that that seems to be the solution. You don't need anything anyone to guide you. And you don't need again I just want you to think this through a little bit more. Maybe we have not thought about this enough. Where is the divine protection in terms of the anakavode? It sounds very much like it's lift nahm. It's in front of them. So now if you're heading off instead towards your peninsula where you're going to be surrounded by water and there's no way out. So now you have a problem and now you're going to need some kind of divine intervention to help you. On top of all this, if I now go back and I told you I'm I'm skipping Shiva connected to Sai, even though I'm on the way to Sai, I'm just there's I'm just bumping into Sukot first. I'll tell you what occurs to me because I've already lost you all. So, it's okay. Maybe I'll get you on the way back. I don't know. Do you remember the famous question of the tour? By the way, you only say things like that. I'm going to say it again. I say simple things complicated way to make everyone feel inadequate and then they think that they need me. Right? That's that that's essentially do do you remember the famous question of the tour? The famous question of the tour is in in in the beginning of the laws of Sukkot. He says why is Sukkot in the fall and not in the spring? Now just to pause there, I mean it's a great question. His answer is the one which I don't like as much and therefore I kind of don't take this question all that seriously, but it's a it really is a good question. His answer is is because it's too nice to sit in the in the suka in the springtime, but in the fall it's cold and it's rainy and so on. So therefore, you're doing it as a mitzvah, not just because it's a nice thing to do. So, it was very clear to me that the tour never lived in Israel because Sukkot's a really nice time of year. Yeah, we have the occasional rain, but you can also have that in the spring. It's it's a really nice time of year and uh it's very very different sitting in the suka in Israel versus in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn, we're with our coats on. I can't even imagine what Chicago must have been like. probably had get a snow plow on top of the suka and uh and we had heat on inside it and it it it was not necessarily as nice and the tourist saying yes correct and but in the Middle East sukot is probably a really nice time of year so what what what can I what can I say that's why I never really connected with his answer but his question is much better than I mean that's why I was thinking this way his question really is very good because immediately after leaving Egypt is when we find the anan. their nan's right there protecting them which means so when should we celebrate sukot I mean if somebody would have told me I don't know anything let's say somebody would have said to me that pes is when we should be sitting in a suka right because we haven't gotten to the splitting of the sea yet I would have said yeah that makes perfect sense again ju just imagine somebody who doesn't know very much who's saying oh the is for the nana so this is where it comes in so this is part of it's part of that story it's part of the redemption story. It's part of leaving Egypt. So that's actually that that sukkot should be in the spring is actually a much better point when you when we're reading parish later on. If we're going to read, you know, the in the various holiday sections, it doesn't make a difference later on where it's going to be an amor or so on then you're going to say, "Oh, no, that's not really what that's not as good of a question." But it is a pretty good question why God put it in the particular place. Again, if you're going to look at the holidays in their other hat and that's the agricultural hat. So then things are completely different. But that I think is actually a part of the issue. So where where have I lost you now? I lost you because I made believe we're going up the coast and we ended up going the other way. If we go up the coast, that's that that's which is telling us not to go that way. And now we're going the other way. But is now going to be on top of us and protecting us as we go in a way that in which we need protection. So that that was the point where I lost you all before, right? On on that point because now going this way, they're going to need protection. But the protection, what do they need protection of? >> They need protection perhaps. I said perhaps of what's behind them. I mean, that that sounds like it makes a great deal of sense because who's behind them? We're going to learn very soon that Egypt's coming behind them. But where's the protection? The protection is in front of them. Well, we all know the story, and that is that we're going to have to need the sea to be split, and that's going to be this magical stuff going off in front of us. But it's interesting how there's the lack of attention to what's going on in back of us. Was all that clear now? >> Right. So, so you you realize what I then did is I took the Elohim versus Hashem, I took the Ana Cavode, I I tried to notice where they are again, which just in terms of the formation. We then planted all of this on top of our issues with geography and then geography in terms of security and security in terms of the protected clouds and those were all the moving parts till till this point. Good. See, that was easy. I told you you can say, "Yeah, I knew all that." Yes. In order to the concern is where they're going. It's it's future oriented. It's future both in terms of chronology and in terms of geography. It's future oriented. And then they have they have light lights up the night in order to help them. And again is interesting. Moving on now to the next par source number two. So now what do we we're continuing now even though the introduction was all about. So now we realize we moved right back to Hashem wrote. And again, now we're getting to this place. We're going to have some excitement. There's some theological issues going on. By the way, probably just what they don't want to hear. Egypt is going to chase after you. And there's an objective here that they will get to know, we will meet, but they will get to know God. But you got and they're told that the people have ran away and parro now has remorse. He can't understand what they did and his resolve is strengthened in. And again, you realize that we went right back to Hashem, right back to which was there throughout the Exodus story. They give chase, they catch up and so on is getting close and they look, they lift up their eyes and they see So obviously that's going to be frightening. They see Egypt is coming and they're quite frightened and they scream out to God. Okay. And by the way that part sounds very good that they scream out to God. But that's what they say to God. But to Moshe they say are there no graves in Egypt? anulbar. So, we'll just note this because this is the kind of thing that they're so used to. If I would have cut out that little uh phrase, are there no graves in Egypt? I say, when does that come up? You'd probably be scratching your head. Well, it could be in Schmo. It could be in Bidbar. Could also be later on in Bidbar. It could be another place in Bameidbar. It could also have been in Dvarum as a retrospective of what was in Bameidbar. So, that kind of phrase comes up lots and lots of times. But I'll know there is something over here which again I want to make sure we focus on. That's when they turn around and look backward. On the other hand, when you turn around and look backwards, that's exactly where they're vulnerable because the protection is in front. But they turn around, Egypt is coming. So again, what do you want from them? Already in Egypt, we said this. So this just like parro has remorse for having let them go. We see now that I'm Israel has remorse for having left to God. There was this scream which we don't hear what the words were if there were in fact words. And they said we we would be better off to be slaves. Slavery in Egypt is preferable than death in the desert. And Moshe tells them, "Don't be afraid that you that as you see them now, you will never see them again." Now, it's interesting. Is that a narrative or is that an instruction? is that is this part of this idea that you should never go back to Egypt and and by the way it is discussed within the basis as well and that's it Egypt is part of the past so let me already introduce another point which is going to be a little part of a tension that I I don't want you to misunderstand there's a mitzvah once a year for us to relive the exodus and that's obviously on the seder night there's also a mitzvah on a daily basis to remember leaving Egypt every day of our lives. Neither of those commandments require us to have remorse and to say we wish we never left and we wish we were slaves rather than live independent lives. Which means what they're articulating now, nobody tell me, but it's a mitzvah to remember that you left Egypt. This is not the mitzvah. This is remorse that they ever left. This is remorse. This is a lack of belief that there was God involved in history who ultimately has taken them out and they're part of some kind of incredible dramatic, you know, cosmic event whereby God re-enters into history. And part of it is about God. It's not all about them and and that's also that they need to pay attention to. But this is not the mitzvah. This is quite the opposite. This is if anything, this is a rejection of that narrative. So I I don't want there to be confusion because when it when I'm saying now don't turn back and I'll get ahead of myself now every sing not every single sin a good deal of the sins that take place a very good deal of the sins that take place in the desert moving forward will all be because they turn around and look back it's it's all about this regret of having left and things are better there and the food is better there and everything is better there and it's this nostalgia for either something real or imagined but it's always about looking back and over here again now you go back and think about the divine protection it's moving forward it's like back is not even an issue back is not your problem don't look back it's this this is not what the story is this story is about going forward and I got you by the way that's really important and I got you how can we trust go what do you mean have trust God I mean we've just now had a whole bunch of makod but this is all just just keep keep your eye forward and that is not your problem Moshe just now said, "What you've seen in Egypt, you're not going to see again." And I wonder how much this is a turn of phrase and how much, you know, this actually may be connected to uh to something else. Let me just throw something out at you. There's another part of the Torah which has a narrative which is remarkably similar to Mitsim, which if you've seen it, you can't unseen it. If you haven't seen it, then you say, "Oh, that's interesting." It's about a city which is rocked with plagues. Biblical events take place. There is then a small group of an Abrahamic family who end up being taken out. And by the way, they're taken out not due to their own merits, rather to the merit of Avam Ainu. And then along the way, as they're being taken out, what are they told? Don't look back. Don't look back. Right? and and on and just in case you want a little bit of icing on the cake, they actually eat matzah. >> They eat matzah that that that that day. So when I say, well, there there's a story over there which actually may be somewhat of a precursor and there actually may be even a little bit stronger than this. I I wrote an essay about this. I don't know how many years ago. I do know I published it in my second book. And I was just thinking about this this morning as I was joining the traffic with all my fellow Jerusaleites or people laying siege to the city. There was a breast of guy in front of me who was dancing in the car. Don't look back. >> I was he he wasn't looking forward. I don't know what he was doing, but he was happy. So he was happy. I was happy except when someone tried to get in front of him, then he sped up. So I'm just like, "Oh no. So what I was thinking is is that right when they get to the door they get hit with blinding light. So I always felt oh that's kind of like Makos because they get blinded but they get blinded by the light. Who actually wrote that? Blinded by the light. >> Okay. >> What? >> No. No. Okay. You guys got homework to do. So >> I didn't put in the sources. So So they they get they get blinded by the light, but there's actually a blinding by light over here that takes place now, but put but but hold on to a second. I I just got a little bit ahead of myself and let let's continue over here in source number two. I mean, they're chasing and they're scared. And then Moshe says, "As you saw them today, you're not going to see the game again. God's going to fight. Attend to Stoke. Be quiet. >> Springsteen. >> I know. >> You knew that. I knew that it was Springsteen, but then but it was made famous by someone else, but it was of course it's Springsteen. So, >> yes, Springsteen. I hope now you feel inadequate. God is God is going to fight. Let's just continue a little bit more here, right? But so speak to them and let's go forward again. It it's what's in back of you is not your problem, which is really interesting because it isn't the divine protection in front of them. So I'm I'm just saying is that I can understand why why they're frightened because they have something guiding them telling them where to go but on the other hand they're vulnerable from the back continue and God says you know go the sea is going to split and so on. Here's the one time it switches back to. So now just in case you thought you understood everything. So we just now switched the name of God and now it's Malik and not Hashem. And now instead of going the one that was going in front now is going in back. By the way, some of the commentaries say of course it's going in back. Why is it going in back? Why is it going in back? Because in front they know which way to go. Just follow the path. There's uh there's a path to follow. By the way, as I said before, had they gone up the coast, it would have been the same thing. It's only when you're traveling in uh in a desert, you know, they don't have the trees with the little like uh you know, yellow, they see my name on them and so on. This is not Israel or you you don't know which way you're supposed to be going. So, So, do you realize you would not have paid any attention to that Puk unless you had the whole introduction that I spent because because now there's some there's something really interesting which is taking place. But there's a shift from in front to back and the shift in the in the names of God being used and essentially everything that I've noted till now has now become even more complex. And by the way, those of you, anybody know the secret about this verse? There's a secret. No, this verse and the following verse and the following verse and kafal all of them have precisely 72 letters. And uh there is a rashi on the garra. It's not here in the on the pock that tells us that if you know how to reassemble >> these letters, it's the secret name of God with 72 announcements. It's you take the first letter of the first verse, the last letter of the second verse, the first letter of the first, and there's 72 triplets which need to be arranged and put together. And this is the secret name of 72 letters. If uh you don't want to go and find the you can just look at the source six does get to this right which is also then really interesting because if we're already noting some kind of divine involvement. H how you know good will this be that immediately prior to the splitting of the sea we have this manifestation of this shame of 72 letters which is right over here and that's the tradition that was known in the middle ages that this is the it's right over here immediately prior to the splitting of the sea and on top of all that the beginning of it is and then you have this shift from in front and back by the way also notice that that's what happened to the letters the ones in front going in the back and the ones in back in the front. If you understood this, then wonderful. If not, then obviously you're all too young for me to reveal to you any kinds of cabalistic secrets. Good. Good. And then there is and it lit up the night. So here you have this blinding light taking place from the anan. So I'm just going back again and saying but that's what happened when load leaves as well. You have this blinding light. You also have another thing there. The blinding light sanim the lights come out and blind all the people outside the door and and and who's there? There are these two malim which are there and over here you have the malashem over here and here. So I'm just pointing out that there's a little bit more that one needs to uh pay attention to and so on. And again, God wages war. It's kind of a line from James Bond. Egypt becomes shaken, not stirred. Very good. And and God saved them. And again, and that kind of gets to the end of the section, but but there is still some drama that we need to understand and some of it is going to be theological. So, let's try to unpack some of this. Now, when I first started thinking again, I told you what I do every week. I do and this year it's target time I try to do that as early in the week as possible note things that are interesting me and and the name names of God is something I always pay attention to but it was also this the things about where the clouds were the front and the back together with the shifted and so all of that as I said was initial thought and then what I honed on was a well-known but elusive teaching where if I have mid that taking place over here right in the back there's this mid and even the Malikim over there so we still have this mid between God sorry between Egypt and the Israelites so there's miden so there is a rabbitic teaching which I think that a lot of us know and that is the complaint of the malin who come back and say to God these people are idolattors and these people are idolattors which are essentially turning around and then asking so what right are are you saving there. Now, first of all, do any of us remember that? Yes. Yes. So, if we remember that, at least what I want you to appreciate is why a midrash like that would be articulated here, which means you always have to ask yourself this question. That's one of the the other things that I'm always looking for as I'm learning through the para that if there is a midrash, what's the hook in the words? What's the problem in the text? What's it coming to solve? What is it addressing which is there? So over here to say that there's midash where the angels are saying hold it this isn't fair where where did that come from? So now you start noticing that there's mid over here it's elim it's there is this lack of protection in the back until there is but there is this lack of protection in the back. So there is some kind of and I called it before there's some kind of drama which is taking place. So therefore for the midrash to come and then put words to this drama which means essentially that there is an attack being waged against amid what right do you have for survival where does this come from so I'll ask this again are any of us familiar with such a midash where the angels are are questioning so if yes good now do anybody actually remember then the resolution of the midash routines hold it we're here so So how did that happen? Like what h how did all of this get resolved? So one of the things that I recalled was because that that God essentially you you know why let's go back for a second. There is an interesting maharal which points out a contradiction between the benor versus when is in trouble and there it says right what's right that I think like wherever he is right now which means god there rashi notes that by who's going to end up being somewhat problematic throughout our history. It says that no, God judges him as he is right now as he is right now at this moment. On the other hand, when it comes to the benmor, what does it say that you treat him based upon future considerations? So now make up your minds when is it based on future considerations and when is it based upon who he is now. So if you want a resolution to this then you will look at the gurary the maharal's interpretation on rashi in both sukim because he talks about this in both places because that's a pretty good question what are the rules involved in this so if this was rashash shana then maybe I would talk about this if this was that para or that para I would talk about it you realize it's good to you can say in any of those places but the the answer doesn't bother me right now what what is interesting over here is when it comes to amuse do I say well in the future they're going to mess up again and again and again. So why save them now? Or do you say no in the future they're going to do some really good things? Or do I judge them based on if I judge them based on right now then what's the problem? Now some of the commentaries that hopefully we're going to see are going to address that and try to solve that and say it's not our fault. It's not our fault that we're over there. It's not our fault. We we we were placed in a very difficult situation and uh and try to exonerate us that way. We did not choose to be in Egypt. We did not choose to be in this dominant culture where all of this disbelief is all around. All this permeated with a vodar permeate with you know this terrible belief system. So we were stuck. It's not our fault. Some of them are going to say no the other way around. It's because in the future we're going to end up going to Hari and say nasma and that's why we're saved. Now either of these approaches are not really there in the sources that raise the problem. There is a fascinating midash. Did I say that strong enough? There's a fascinating midash which deserves a lot more attention and that that I'm going to give it and that is in source number three in Shimote Rabba here it's focusing on that like why you yelling at me and it says explain from his father it was like a shepherd who's bringing his flock through the river. You realize, of course, a flock through the river is not exactly the same as bringing amusel through the sea. And as a comes comes to attack the flock, what does he do? He takes one like scapegoat as it were and uh and gives it over here. Enjoy. And then I'm going to go back and save him even is known as a terrible destructive angel who's connected generally with as but it is more like the Satan and so on. There are those who won't even pronounce the name in order to create some kind of aug against accusations. These people till this moment they're adulters again just put this together. They stay one more second they're all going to disappear. So what does that mean? That means we're undeserving. That's what it means. So he comes and says you and it's interesting because understand the Satan as a prosecuting attorney. Where do you actually see that? There's a book in Tanakh that let you see this. Those of you who don't remember I spoke about it on Tishab. Which book in Tanakh is that? Eovio all the by the way all the angels come together all right. They all come together and they all sit down with God and and God says, "Oh, look how good my servant is." and oh he's only good because you do good things to him. Don't do good things to him. Let's see let's see how good he's going to be over there. So just keep that in mind for a second. So the satan in Judaism is generally not Satan at least is not a demonic force as much as it is an annoying prosecuting attorney asking for justice. Why is that annoying? Because we don't want justice. We don't want miden. What do we want? We want rahim. So, so and I hope you all now realize why this midrashic undertone is actually connected to theukim that we've been looking at. Yes. In terms of the shift of what what has been taking place. Excellent. So, it then goes on to say that this that the Satan comes, they're idoltors and you're going to go do these miracles for them. That that's completely unfair, undeserving. It's even there's a better word for it. It's unjust. Masarlo, he gives here. Take him. Go go go go go go and do to him what what you want. You know, keep keep busy. You you go and torture Eio a little bit. So, uh so he can one second. This is really interesting. And I'm I'm not going to give this the attention that it deserves. Although although I I stopped in the middle of the sentence because when it continues then it's a little bit better because he was one of parro's adviserss. Now according to the Gmorra that speaks about this it says that Pyro had three adviserss and essentially Pyro turns to them and says well what do we do about the Jewish problem? I need a final solution and Bum says I have a wonderful idea extermination. So that's b that's bum balam swallow them up that's bum and then it says that there was someone else on the other hand was one and yro says that's unethical and you can't go and kill people without any kind of justification and that's why then has to go and run away and then he comes back doubles back and joins and joins amisel then it says that there was a third one the third advisor was and I was silent because the silence of so was Switzerland and saying we don't want to take sides in this. Of course, some of us may recognize that neutrality in the face of genocide is not necessarily neutrality. So therefore, Io is punished for his silence because apparently he can't feel pain unless it's his own pain. So therefore, even though he's described as a very good man who doesn't do bad things, he also doesn't necessarily do good things. So therefore when when Midatin or the Satan or Sel comes and attacks after the Jews who by the way may have a very compromised past and maybe we are necessarily we are not necessarily worthy of being saved. God says, "Listen, you want to go after somebody who's uh, you know, deserved to go after here, take Eove. Take Eove and let's see uh let and then he goes, you're right, Eve only." And and then I'm saying we could just now move over back into the shot of the book of Eio, which again is really interesting. So over here it just just towards the end it says Don't worry. I've solved the theological problem. They're not going to attack him from the back. Mid has been neutralized right now. It's like we sent him off someplace else. He's you know where the you know where the book of Eve takes place of course in Eritz in the land of Oz. So therefore we sent we we we sent the wicked witch off. I'm I'm telling you that it's connected. We sent him off. We sent him off to land of Oz and and the wicked witch is there going after who's the wizard of Oz and and and so on. And therefore Amisro is essentially safe and that's the and by the way afterwards it says at some place in this m and God says you know after I get Amisel through then I'll go back and I'll bring Eio back. I'll I'll I'll help him you know get back on his feet afterwards. And that's then the resolution of book. So, so therefore according to this, the whole book of is essentially a distraction in order for God to to use midim to save am while miden is busy attacking somebody else who's somewhat deserving of it because of the neutrality. Interesting, right? >> Very interesting. Good source number four in the makila. You you realize we are so so not getting through the sources today, right? And you're thinking, "So why was I up so late last night till I sent you the sources if we're not even going to use them in the end? I was up late going down from nine pages or 11 pages at one point to four pages. That's why I should have just gone down to like a half a page." Source number four is the who actually asked the question as well. And so it's always that there was there was tension. That's why at that moment it's right there standing and again that it's going back to the pokim articulating our problem. Is ami Israel deserving to be saved or not deserving to be saved? Rashi quotes that more or less in source number five and he says it's also to absorb all of the attacks. So the tension it's right there. So you really should have known Ibanzra we already saw and I think that we'll skip some of these other sources going back now to source number nine which is load and that story and looking back and don't look back and she looks back and she had no right to look back and the problems when we look back we realize that that is uh exactly part of the uh of the issue. Let's see how much more we're skipping. the yalud and the yud is source 11 and this is the one that people generally quote in the connection with what I'd raised before but realize something again the is relatively late again it's not an early source The Jews did not do this of their of their own free valition. The Egyptians were the idolattors and the Jews were enslaved in this place of idolatry. And therefore God is exonerating us of our guilt within Egypt and says you can't compare deliberate sins with sins which are based upon circumstance. The other source that speaks about this which I think influences a lot of later discussion is source number 12 which is the zohar. This is and again it will ask the question but give a different answer. It's in right. It says this is now instead of the angel of As this is the angel of Egypt and says again wants justice. They're all guilty. And it continues and it says all the things that we're guilty of. And in the next paragraph, which again I just put together over here later on and it was hard for God. There's three lines to the B of the only thing that ends up saving us at the end is that God made a promise to Abraham. I made a promise which means that this is not the beginning of the story. I told him I'm going to take them down. They're going to be enslaved. I'm going to take them out. So what do you want from me? That that's that's which by the way and load is also as I said before also saved because of Avaram again just tightening up the parallel a little bit more. Now, this thing that I had in my mind about but Amnis is going to go to Senai. You're going to find that in a number of later, I'll even say relatively late formulations, which kind of got me thinking. So, where does that come from? Then, it's not I didn't find it in the midash. And uh I actually ended up giving up at some point after looking all week for it and finally saying, "Hold it a second. I have a book that lists all kinds of fictitious things and tells you who quotes them and where they're first quoted and in this and and I found in the book an entry on this and it just quoted the ones that exist that I all found ready but it didn't quote anything I wouldn't find. It's um so I don't believe there's any old source but but I want to get to a couple of newer sources that should help us in source 13 which is the very beginning of Moshe's being chosen. Moshe was a shepherd which you notice has been in the background and he goes off and he comes off to a place that we're later going to call. Hope you realize now why this is getting connected. It's harim and we have the different names right over here from the very beginning. He sees the tree which is not being or the bush which is not being consumed which is a manifestation of infinity and Moshe says I want to look at this incredible site he stops and Moshe finally questions after he's told about his mission and skipping to who am I to get involved I'll be with you which by the way is also interesting the same way that Obvious when they leave God is with them protecting the path and going forward and so on. But this will be the sign you will serve God on this mountain. So now the only question is what does that mean? You will serve God on this mountain. And there are various possibilities. One possibility is that you will uh you will achieve the Torah at Hari. Another possibility could be serve a could be really a corban that they're going to bring a Cororban when they get to Sai as well. Rashi writes, "Now you realize how somebody could have put this together with our question before." Our question before is asks what right do they have? What's >> you say that again? >> What right do they have? What's do they have? And here Rashi not answering that question but a much earlier question. But the earlier question I hope you realize is connected because this is what actually dictates the geography. Why are we going to the desert? Because you have to come back to this mountain. Why do we have to come back? Because of God's answer. What's the answer? So Rashi understands that what does serving God of this mountain means? It means matan torah which means of course that we have to travel this way we can't go the other way and and by the way is receiving the Torah is that an act of rahim or an act of den so now you realize that's a little complicated first of all it's an act of dento are actually introduced it's called it creates rules it creates punishment it create rule it creates laws it creates limitations But it also created for us the direction and it created for us that even though it looked like we're dealing with our ana cavode but of course we have to go in this particular path but it it's as if now if I were standing next to God at hari and I overhear midhen or whatever you want to call it saying why are you saving them and God will say because I already made a date with them. We have a date. It's in the calendar. The one who actually says this a little bit stronger is the safer. It's in source number 15 and he's talking about the mitzvah of counting the omare. This is great because he says here is the about counting the elmare. The purpose of Jews is Torah and that's why heaven and earth were created and he quotes a little bit we're skipping and that's the reason why we were redeemed and taken out of Egypt that the whole purpose of is to take them to this place. and this is even greater than actually taking them out from slavery. I'm going to you really do have to read all this. We're not going to read the whole thing. Now he goes on to say something which is not simple in the psokim that he believes that they counted that year when they got out of Egypt they were counting the days in order to get to it's not simple because the counting only comes in ember when it's dealing with when you come to land of Israel and deals with agriculture nonetheless that's the way that he is reading this right here so the response then that why is being saved and the answer is because again The simple thing to say is because they have to get to Arsenai. The more complicated way it is because God promised that they have to get to Sai. God said you're going to come to Sai which means the arrival at Sai is the conclusion of the story and and again we're not just not quite there. What I do want to point out because again we have a lot of things to do and very limited time that as we move further in the rest of this para I already said it every single time we mess up is because we're going to be looking backwards. Oh but in Egypt we had food. In Egypt we had this and every single time God's response is going to be about one of looking forward. What is notable if you now consider this is to deconstruct the Shira the Azy verse by verse and tell me how much of it deals with the past how much of it deals with the present and how much of it deals with the future the answer is zero past a bit present and a lot having to do with the future which means at that moment they are living this don't look back and and of course the present is the Egyp descriptions being drowned, but they're not dealing with the meaning. Couldn't you just as easily, okay, you're saying, "Okay, let's all think together. We want to write some lyrics over here for a great song, right? Well, what point in history?" Let's write a phil. Okay, let's talk about darkness. Darkness is great. Let's talk about frogs. And there were far again, you can put all kinds of lyrics having to do with the past, but not one word about that. Not one word about the past. It's all about the present moving towards the future. So that that I think is striking because that's what it's trying to take us to. What I'll add to this then is one the para ends up with the war against Amalik and again right before that there's no water going back to Egypt. there's no bread going back to Egypt and instead no we get bread mashim by the way the bread from is called over here the omare which I hope you realize that there at least some kind of irony in terms of the safer it's the omare that something is coming from heaven later and the omare itself the corban omare those of you who know is from what is from barley which has if anything to do with the corban which is brought by a sot which now you have to really think about something well the first time they come out when they come out of Egypt They're getting bread mashayam and then afterwards you start when we go into land of Israel we're going to bring a corban omare does that reflect what happened when we came out or what happened after sai when we messed up because you also have the whole sa process right when the drink and so on so that becomes much more much more interesting moving forward then at the end of the battle with a male it talks about god's name being incomplete the kay being incomplete the k instead of kay because as long as there's a malik in the world we have this lack of completion. So let me just now point out one more thing. Sukkot is about the future. Pak is about the past. Shivot is about the present and sukkot is about the future. the the sukode you start reading the especially the ha toas which are there in the future all the nations going to come and and there is this idea of people accepting God in the future of which means the completion of leaving Egypt is actually the holiday of sukkot I mean that is the completion when the entire world is going to know that there is one god so so I'm saying that doesn't all happen here the way that it's supposed to but it's it's sitting over And by the way, you also have a a very famous sukat David, right? Now, where does David come from? David comes from brute. Where does root come from? Root comes from Moab. Where does Moab come from? We're right back to the story of load again in order to get to that very end of history and therefore that whole completion. So therefore, this other story that I said, oh, it's kind of a parallel. It it seems to be, let's just put it like this. Leaving Egypt was partially successful and partially a failure. It's partially successful because God took us out and then took us to Cena and then set us on our way. It's partially a failure because we were undeserving at that point. It would have been much better if we're deserving. First of all, the fact that we're undeserving and God saves us anyway is just an unbelievable statement and one that we need to process and think about and I've said this time and time again. That's really important. The mid had attacks us on this and then God protects us about it. What's the protection? And the protection ultimately is well no this is not a case of that you judge somebody right what they're doing this moment future considerations are important and God essentially is saying when it comes to Amy's ro there are so many future considerations because what they can do as a people is absolutely incredible but it's off in the future what we needed to do to find that which the in the imagination tells us the medish already says it that god answers this no the media is zor at least no it's it's because of uh I mean the it's fascinating One med said that God just has to distract. Okay, go after Eio. You know, there is no answer. There is no answer right now. Why is God saving us? Other than God decides he wants to save us and God doesn't have to justify it. You want me, go after go after. Okay, go as much me as you want. But I'm Israel's different rules. Why? Because it is that protective cloud is in front of us and God jud and God takes us where we need to go. That's a really important statement. So therefore, in a sense, I love the midrash. God doesn't answer the the way that the Zohor puts it. Well, like I have a promise going all the way back to uh going all the way back to Avam. So, I made a promise. I'm taking them out. Oh, they sinned. That's not their fault. What do you want? You take them down to Egypt. What do you think's going to happen? They're going to end up doing the same things Egyptians are doing. You want the the other interpretation? You put together that rashi, which is the same thing really as I say for even though he says it in a stirring away, is that look back at theim. You can't question the beginning of Bashalah. Why is he taking them this way and not this way? Well, of course, he has to take them that way. If you go up the coast, you don't end up by Sai. We have an appointment. We have to get there. And therefore, why is he saving us? Of course, we have to get there. God made a promise. We have to get there. Do we mess up? Yes. Every time we mess up, what is part of the messing up is we're looking backwards. We're not supposed to look backwards. Don't look back. Where did we see that? Well, the truth is we should have learned our Bible stories and already have understood this. When Lot leaves stone, there are certain things you don't look back. You leave it. You don't want to take a little souvenirs from stone with you, right? You leave that. You leave that behind. That's not a part of where we're going. On on on the other hand, we remember leaving Egypt every day. We we celebrate the leaving Egypt. We were slaves. But that moment when we say, "Well, if only we were slaves again." No, if only we were slaves again. You want to be we want to be free people who have received a mandate from God at Sinai and leave and leave our lives if anything as being servants to God looking forward to the day that knowledge of God which didn't spread throughout the universe the way it was supposed to when we left Egypt but we want to get to this point that we can spread that ends up becoming the completion of the story of leaving Egypt when we get to this point where God's where knowledge of God becomes manifest throughout out the entire world. So essentially, God has chosen us for a purpose. The person isn't complete yet. So we still got to work on that completion.