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Why does Hashem (ה׳) tell Moshe "Why are you screaming to Me?" when the Jews are trapped between the Egyptians and the sea? The shiur develops the principle that true prayer in crisis is not crying out in pain, but asking "What should I do?" When people suffer, their complaints don't reflect their true beliefs—Hashem judges the Jewish people by their underlying merit, not their fearful words.
Rabbi Zweig analyzes the dramatic moment when the Jewish people stand trapped at the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army pursuing them. After experiencing the ten plagues and leaving Egypt, the Jews cry out in fear, complaining to Moshe that it would have been better to remain enslaved in Egypt than die in the desert. Moshe reassures them that Hashem (ה׳) will fight for them and they need only remain silent. Then comes the puzzling verse: Hashem tells Moshe "Mah titz'ak elai—Why are you screaming to Me?" Rashi (רש"י) explains that this teaches us Moshe was standing and praying, but Hashem responds "Now is not the time for lengthy prayer." Yet simultaneously, Rashi states that Hashem tells Moshe the sea will not stand in the Jews' way because they have tremendous merit—both the merit of their forefathers and their own merit from believing in Hashem when leaving Egypt.
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Up Next in this Series
Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Shemos 14:10-15 (Parshas Beshalach)
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