Parashat Beshalach

After Pharaoh let the people go, Hashem led<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:17">Rashi Shemos 13:17</ref> the Jews towards Eretz Yisroel around through the desert by the Red Sea, rather then through the short path of the land of Plishtim, to prevent a retreat to Egypt in case they regret their exodus when they see war. The Jews left Egypt armed. Moshe takes the bones of Yosef with him and the Jewish camp is lead by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

Hashem chooses to lead the Jewish Nation to Eretz Yisroel through a long windy path in the desert, to the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds)<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:18"/> as opposed to the short simple route<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:18">Rashi Shemos 13:18</ref> through the Land of Phlishtim. This was to prevent the Jews from having thoughts of regret for leaving and will decide<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:17"/> to retreat back to Egypt when they encounter opposition such as the war of Amelek and Canaan.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:17"/> Since Egypt was near it would be easy to return.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:17"/> This concern proved itself valid as could be seen during the 'incident of the spies', where the Jews discussed appointing a new leader and heading back to Egypt. Had the path been short and simple, they would have immediately started retreating.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:17"/>

 

The Jews left Egypt armed since they were heading for the desert and would not be able to later acquire supplies like one traveling through civilized areas and needed to stock up in advance.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:18"/> These weapons were later used to fight the battles of Amalek, Sichon, Og and Midyon.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:18"/> Only a fifth of the original Jewish population left Egypt, the remainding 4/5ths having died during a three day period in midst of the 'plague of darkness',<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:18"/> because they lacked faith in the True Tzadik Moshe<ref>Likutay Halachos</ref> or preferred slavery to the intense spiritual course they were being led into.<ref>Shover Zadim Parshas Bo</ref>

Moshe took the coffin of Yosef with him, fulfilling the oath Yosef bound his brothers<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:19"/> with, forcing them to in turn to bind their descendants with an oath<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:19">Rashi Shemos 13:19</ref> to carry his coffin to Eretz Yisroel when they are redeemed. Unlike Yaakov whose son held the powerful position of viceroy allowing him to be transferred to Eretz Yisroel immediately, Yosef realized that his sons Menashe and Ephraim would be prevented by the Egyptian authorities from doing the same to him. He therefore made his brothers swear to transport him only when they were to be redeemed and leave<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:19"/> The Jews also brought with them the bodies of all the Shivatim,<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:19"/> Bilah and Yocheved.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parshas Bishalach"/> They later buried the Shivatim throughout Eretz Yisroel, while Bilah and Yocheved are buried in Teveria.

On the first day the Jews travel from Ramses to Sukkot.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:20">Rashi Shemos 13:20</ref> On the second day<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:20"/> they travel from Sukkot and camp in Essum at the edge of the desert. Hashem travels in front of them, navigating<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:21">Rashi Shemos 13:21</ref> the camp with a Pillar of Cloud during the daytime to show them the way and a Pillar of Fire at night to give them light. In essence, the Pillar of Cloud was a messenger being led by Hashem himself in order to lead them so they would know where to travel, as it was not meant for light.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 13:21"/> During the day the Pillar of Cloud never ceased from the Jews, nor the Pillar of Fire at night. There was never a time where one of the two was not present in front of the camp since they were replaced instantaneously.<ref>Rashi Shemos 13:22</ref>

On the third day Hashem spoke to Moshe commanding him to instruct the Jews to revert and return to Pi Hachirot, between Migdol and the sea and camp in front of the surviving deity Baal Tzaphone by the sea. During the entire third day the Jews reverted their direction traveling back towards Egypt.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2">Rashi Shemos 14:2</ref> This move was done to mislead Pharaoh.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/>. Upon hearing about the retreat<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:3">Rashi Shemos 14:3</ref> it will to cause Pharaoh to say about<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:3"/> the Jews, that they had become confused, trapped, sunk, tightened, squeezed and locked in<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:3"/> the desert, not knowing how to get out of it and where to go.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:3"/> This belief caused him to chase after them. The Jews were fully aware that they were heading back in direction of Egypt and such a move was likely to induce hostile activity from the their former masters, yet they followed the instructions of Moshe with full faith.<ref>Rashi</ref> Hashem says that once again He will harden Pharaoh's heart, allowing His name to become magnified and glorified as He wreaks vengeance upon the wicked.<ref name="Rashi Shemos  14:4">Rashi Shemos  14:4</ref> Retribution is to begin with Pharaoh, since he initiated the sin and then continue upon his entire army.<ref name="Rashi Shemos  14:4"/>  

Pi Hachirot was one of entrances of Egypt consisting of a valley running between two large upright boulders named the Chirot and was therefore known as the 'Mouth of the Chirot'<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/> It had formerly been named Pisom but its name had changed to 'the mouth of freedom' (חירת = בני חורין) after the recent exodus of the Jewish nation from Egypt through this passageway, making them free men.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/>

During the 'slaying of the firstborn' all the Egyptian idols had been destroyed. An exception to this was Baal Tzafone<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/> (master of the North)<ref name="Shover Zadim Parshas Bishalach"/>, one of their leading deities who was accredited with guarding the Northern border of Pisom,<ref name="Shover Zadim Parshas Bishalach"/> preventing the escape of any slaves. Survival of Baal Tzafon was allowed to mislead the Egyptians causing them to think their deity was powerful<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/> and fed the Egyptian belief that the 'Side of Holiness' also contained restrictions, limitations and power changes that were based on the dimension of time, just like all the forces they clung to. This opened the possibility of overcoming the Jews if these weakness could be exploited. Although the Jews had freely passed by him on their way out, their current retreat and movement towards Baal Tzafon indicted that he still possessed power over them which had now increased due to astrological time and energy shifts and he was now reeling them back into servitude.<ref name="Shover Zadim Parshas Bishalach"/> This was the exact intention of Hashem whose policy is to allow the wicked to stumble over their own mistakes and misleads them so they can be destroyed.<ref name="Rashi Shemos 14:2"/>

As the Jews stood by the sea, great judgments arose against them and the angel that stood before them sweetening all judgments, abandoned them.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Vyisa Malach">Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Vyisa Malach</ref> The arch ministering angel of Egypt demanded to know why the Jews deserved to be spared while the Egyptians were to drown, if they were both guilty of idol worship. These arguments were accepted and a debate started if the Jews should indeed be allowed to survive.<ref>needs source</ref> Sensing these judgments the Egyptians began to press forward.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Oy Yomar">Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D"H Oy Yomar</ref> Feeling the judgments as well, the Jews screeched from extreme misery in repentance to Hashem,<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Vyisa Malach"/> causing mercy to be awakened on high and the judgments to be slightly subdued, resulting in the pillar of cloud moving behind to protect them.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Vyisa Malach"/>

Despite this alleviation, the litigation continued throughout the night, leaving the Jews hanging between mercy and judgment, light and darkness.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Oy Yomar"/>

Seeing how the judgments were rotating back and forth the entire night, Moshe raised his arm, making an awesome unification that completely sweetened the judgments from the Jews, turning them into complete mercy.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Oy Yomar"/>

The Egyptians were well aware that they had been afflicted by the ten plagues while the Jews had been spared and logically had every right to assume that the same would happen were they to continue the case into the sea. Yet the entire night they had sensed the intense judgments and alternating litigation undergoing the Jews regarding their supremacy over them. This caused the Egyptians to assume that the hour was laughing in their favor, which in fact was the very reason Hashem had permitted the prosecution to rage against the Jews the entire night. Bolstered and prodded by a more confident ministering angle, the Egyptians consciously and willingly surged into the sea.<ref name="Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D'H Oy Yomar"/>

When a person sins, he flaws the pipe ways of influx and can only attain substinance and energy through bitterness, until the flaws are rectified. The Jews had all committed many personal flaws in Egypt and now experienced intense bitterness as their new states of influx descended through spiritual worship. Aside from its spiritual implications, physically this manifested as three days of thirstiness and the ensuing discovery of bitter waters.<ref>Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D"H Vlo Yochlo Lishtos</ref>

Moshe took a tree and threw it in the water, this also alluded to the advice he transmitted to the Jews involving an intense meditation to be used during times of prayers, where the initiate visualizes his soul in the Garden of Eden, completely diverse of any physicality. This allows a person to pray without any haughtiness or self interest. To reach this state, one first has to undergo great repentance from all his sins. Once this state is attained a person will surely not request anything physical and all his prayers will be for the glory of Hashem, causing them to be accepted and effective. In their efforts to attain these levels, the Jews underwent major repentance, thereby rectifying many of their flawed pipes, sweetening the bitterness and causing many of their prosecuting spiritual adversaries to rise, transforming them into defenders.<ref>Mivaser Tzedek Bishalach D"H Vyitzak</ref>

From the 'wilderness of Sin' the Jews journey and encamped in Rephidim, where there was no water to drink. The Jews aside for the Tribe of Levi<ref name="Rashi Devarim 33:8">Rashi Devarim 33:8</ref> quarrel with Moshe who questions them why they are testing Hashem. Once again they complain why to Moshe why he took them out from Egypt to have them, their children and livestock die from thirst. Moshe cries out to Hashem saying they are almost ready to stone him. Hashem instructs him to pass before the Jews and to take with him the elders of Yisroel and the rod with which he smote the river. Acting upon Hashem's instructions, Moshe hits a rock in front of the elders, producing a stream of water. Moshe names the location  Massah and Merivah after the quarrel of the Jews and their test to see if Hashem was among them or not.