Mark Call

After the completion of the plagues of Egypt, the ‘Exodus’ itself of the ‘mixed multitude’ continues with Parsha B’shalach (Exodus/Shemot 13:17-17:16), from Pharoah, and his ‘tyranny’.

And, without question, this parsha contains the seeds of so many elements that highlight the rest of Scripture.

The Erev Shabbat overview of the whole parsha:

Mark again has to ask a question to set up the Sabbath day midrash:

We’ve heard the ‘central command’ of Moses phrased this way a thousand times, “Let my people GO!”

So, why is the title of this parsha, and the better translation of what REALLY happened, that what came to pass was not just when Pharaoh had done merely that, but had SENT THEM OUT, “shalach-ed’ ’em”? And, THEN, just to make sure they didn’t decide to head right back INTO Egypt and bondage, He brought ’em the long way around, instead of the obvious shortcut?

Certainly, the central theme of the story is so we – all – will know, “ki ani YHVH” – that “I AM Yahuah”. But the word used here for what happened is not simply “let’em go,” but that he SENT them out. And YHVH was very clear, even in the setup, about what must occur.

Here, too, the lesson not only echoes through the centuries, but should strike us, today, particularly, with just how important that distinction is.

“B’Shalach: Deep Fakes, Deception, and Demons”