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Bechala'h - en bref

Exode 13, 17 - 17, 16

Peu après avoir laissé les Enfants d’Israël quitter l’Égypte, Pharaon les pourchasse pour les forcer à revenir et les Israélites se retrouvent pris au piège entre les armées égyptiennes et la mer. D.ieu ordonne à Moïse d’élever son bâton au-dessus des eaux. La mer s’ouvre pour laisser passer les Israélites et se referme sur les poursuivants égyptiens. Moïse et les Enfants d'Israël entonnent un cantique de louanges et de reconnaissance à D.ieu.

Dans le désert, le peuple souffre de soif et de faim et se plaint à plusieurs reprises auprès de Moïse et d’Aharon. D.ieu adoucit miraculeusement les eaux amères de Marah, et, plus tard, fait couler de l’eau d’un rocher en demandant à Moïse de le frapper avec son bâton. Il fait tomber de la manne chaque matin avant l’aube et des cailles apparaissent dans le camp hébreu chaque soir.

Il est commandé aux Enfants d’Israël de récolter une double portion de manne chaque vendredi, car celle-ci ne tombera pas le Chabbat, le jour de repos décrété par D.ieu. Certains désobéissent et partent récolter de la manne le septième jour, mais ne trouvent rien. Aharon préserve une petite quantité de manne dans une jarre, en témoignage pour les générations futures(Chabad.org)

TOU BICHVAT :

On compte quatre « Nouvel An » :

le 1er Nissan est le Nouvel An pour le compte des années des rois et pour les fêtes de pélerinage ;
le 1er Eloul est le Nouvel An pour la dîme du bétail;
le 1er Tichri, pour le compte des années, des années sabbatiques, des jubilés, des plantations et des légumes ; le 1er Chevat est le Nouvel An pour l'arbre, selon l'Ecole de Chamaï, et le 15 du mois, selon l'Ecole de Hillel. » (Talmud Roch Hachana 1,1)

Tou Bichvat, Tou est composé des lettres Teth et Vav, dont la somme des valeurs numériques est 15. Tou Bichvat veut dire le 15 de chevat, la date d’aujourd’hui.

C’est la date de la fin de la saison des pluies. Cette année, on vient de finir un épisode pluvieux exceptionnel en Israel et ce matin le ciel est magnifiquement bleu.

Cette date est la date anniversaire du Nouvel An des Arbres. “tous les fruits qui poussent à partir de cette date comptent pour l’année à venir pour le prélèvement de la dîme des fruits de l’arbre.”

La date de Tou Bichvat est fixé a partir du cycle de la végétation en terre d’Israël. On considère qu’en fin de saison des pluies, la sève des arbres est montée et les arbres commencent à bourgeonner.

En Israel, la tradition est de planter un arbre pour commémorer cette fête.

Depuis sa création en 1948, plus de 200 millions d’arbres ont été planté. Dont les conséquences directes sont la création d’un micro-climat qui a favorisé la renaissance de la terre d’Israël qui nous a été rendue sèche et aride.

Cette fête est une alliance entre D.ieu, la Nature, le Peuple Juif et la Terre d’Israël qui lui a été promise.

La tradition est de dresser une table avec les 7 fruits bénis d’Israel et faire des bénédictions.

Les 7 sont : l’orge, le blé, l’olive, la grenade, le raisin, la datte et la figue

Egypt to Israel/Canaan via Gaza/Philistine?

When leaving Egypt, we must wonder why didn’t Hashem take Bnei Yisrael to the Promised Land via the land of the Philistines (modern day Gaza) which would have been a much shorter route? Bnei Yisrael were going from Egypt to the land of Canaan. To get there they would have to travel through the land of the Philistines to get to the promised land. It is clear in this passage that what we today call the Gaza strip is a land that they were likely not planning on conquering at the time. They did not conquer this land for hundreds of years. The verse tells us “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said: ‘The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt’.”

Rashi and Ibn Ezra both explain that if they took such a short route (a 3-day journey) they would be inclined to easily return to Egypt at the sign of any hardship as they would realize how close they were to Egypt.

Ramban explains differently based on the wording of the verse. If we read carefully it says that God did not take them via the short route because he was afraid that the Philistines would not allow them to pass through their land on the way to the Promised Land and would fight with them. If Bnei Yisrael encountered war with the strong Philistines, they may be inclined to return to Egypt. The problem wasn’t that the route was too short, rather the problem was that they may encounter the mighty Philistines before they were ready. For this reason, God took them the long way around to enter the land through the land of the weaker Amorites. The unanswered question is why didn’t God simply perform miracles to fight the Philistines as he did to the superior Egyptians, especially if the plan was to conquer the land of the Philistines? It seems that when God promised Abraham the Land of the Canaanites and the 7 or so associated nations, the Philistines was not one of the nations whose land was promised to them.

Beshalach Quiz

1)Q. What does it mean that Bnei Yisrael left Egypt “Hamushim”?

A. According to the Onkelos translation it means that they left fully armed with weapons. Ramban adds that they were armed to defend themselves from the strong Philistines should they come out to attack them. According to the Midrash, Hamushim means one-fifth. Only One-fifth of Bnei Yisrael left Egypt and the other four-fifth died during the plague of darkness.

2)Q. On what day did Yam Suf split?

A. The first night of Pesah was the plague of the first-borns (the night of the seder also known as Lel Shimurim – the night of protection since we were protected from the plague of the first-borns.) The next morning after sunrise (the first day of Pesah) they left Egypt. They had told Pharaoh that they would only leave for three days to worship God and then return to Egypt. On the fourth day seeing that they did not return, Pharaoh’s servants told him that they ran away. They chased after them on the fifth and sixth days, and the sea split on the seventh day of Pesach at daybreak. This is why we wake up early on the seventh day of Pesah and have a special learning in honor of the day.

3)Q. If all the Egyptians’ animals died during the plagues, where did they get horses for their chariots to chase after Bnei Yisrael?

A. From those Egyptians who feared the word of Hashem and kept their animals inside during the plagues. (midrash)

4)Q. Why did “fear seize the inhabitants of Pelashet”? (15:14)

A. The Midrash teaches us that Efraim escaped from Egypt, before the time for the exodus had come. The inhabitants of Pelashet fought them and won. Therefore, they feared vengeance for this act. In the beginning of the book of Joshua we read that many of the surrounding nations were afraid when they heard how the Israelites defeated Egypt.

5)Q. What was Moshe’s reward for taking the bones of Yosef with him out of Egypt?

A. Moshe was the greatest man in Bnei Yisrael, and he personally took out Yosef’s bones. Hashem rewarded him Mida K’neged Mida - measure for measure. When Moshe died, the greatest person should have taken care of his body, but since there was no one greater than him, Hashem took care of Moshe’s body.

PROVERBES :

Mieux vaut être seul que mal accompagné

On n'est jamais mieux servi que par soi-même

En matière d'aumône, il faut fermer la bouche et ouvrir le cœur

Il est plus facile de conseiller que de faire

Tant que la bouche est occupée à manger, la panse a de la joie

On n'apprend pas à nager à un canard

Dis-moi ce que tu lis, et je te dirai ce que tu es

Si jeunesse savait, si vieillesse pouvait.

Bonne renommée vaut mieux que ceinture dorée

Le monde est un spectacle à regarder, et non un problème à résoudre

JEWISH JOKES:

Sammy has stolen the rabbi's gold watch.

He didn't feel too good about it, so he decided, after a sleepless night.

to go to the rabbi. 'Rabbi, I stole a gold watch.'

'But Sammy ! That's forbidden! You should return it immediately !'

'What shall I do ?' 'Give it back to the owner.'

'Do you want it ?' No, I said return it to its owner.' 'But he doesn't want it.'

'In that case, you can keep it.'

A little Jewish boy was telling his mother about how he had won a part in a play that was being done at school. His mother asked, "What is the part you will play, Saul?" Saul responded, "I shall play the Jewish husband," to which the mother replied, "Well, you go right back to that teacher and tell her that you want a SPEAKING part!"

A man started to tell a joke at a party: "Two old jews were on their way..."
Suddenly he was interrupted by a sensitive guest.
"Why do so many jokes begin with Jews?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," apologized the story teller, "I'll start again.
Two old Chinese men were on their way to the Synagogue to see the Rabbi..."

Ginsberg never pays his bills and is seen bargaining with a supplier. "Hey, Ginsberg," Goldberg asks him, why are you knocking that man's prices down ? You're never going to pay him anyway. Listen, - answers Grinsberg,- he is a nice chap. I just want to keep down his losses!

CHABBAT CHALOM TOU BICHVAT SAMEYAH

Maghen Abraham

David Hasson