The looting of the sea lasted for several hours as men, women, and
children loaded an abundance of gold and precious stones onto their
donkeys.
Moses and Aaron stood at a distance, looking at their nation. A
pleasant sun warmed the heart, the sky as pure as on the day of creation.
Moses felt his soul overflowing with love for his Creator. His
lips began to hum a sweet melody, a pleasant tone like that of the ministering
angels singing before their Maker. The melody grew louder,
spreading across the wilderness that unfolded opposite the sky.
The people looked up toward Moses and Aaron, swept away
by the intoxicating melody. Moses’s eyes were serenely closed, the
humming emanating from a loving heart coming from the heights.
The people were listening to the voice, repeating the words of praise,
and gratitude burst forth from Moses’s lips.
“I will sing to God for He has acted gloriously, a horse and his
rider He has cast into the sea.
God is my strength and song, He was my salvation; this is my
God and I will glorify Him. He is the God of my father and I will
exalt Him.
God is a man of war, God is His name.
Pharaoh’s chariots and soldiers He cast into the sea, his choicest
captains were drowned in the Red Sea.
The depths covered them, they sunk to the abyss like a boulder.
Your right hand, O’ God, is gloriously powerful. Your right hand,
O’ Lord, shook the enemy.
With Your abundant excellence You destroyed those who rose
up against You, You sent forth your anger and consumed them like
straw.
With the breath of Your nostrils the waters piled high, the flowing
water stood erect as a heap. They were as if congealed in the depths,
in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will reach, I will divide the booty;
my soul will overwhelm them, I will draw my sword, my hand will
conquer them.’
You blew Your wind and the sea covered them, they drowned as
lead in the fierce waters.
Who is like You among the mighty ones, O’ God, who is like you,
exalted in holiness, awesome in praises, performing wonders?
You stretched forth Your right hand, the earth swallowed them.
You led in Your kindness this nation You redeemed, You led with
Your strength to the abode of Your holiness.
Nations heard and trembled, fear will take hold of the Philistines.
The princes of Edom will be amazed, the gods of Moab will be
overtaken by trembling, and all the inhabitants of Canaan will fade
away.
Fear and panic will fall upon them, with the greatness of Your
arm they will sink like a boulder until Your nation crosses, O’ God,
until the nation You acquired crosses.
You will bring them and plant them in the mountain of Your
inheritance, the place for Your dwelling which You erected, O’ Lord;
the sanctuary which Your hands, O’ Lord, established.
God will rule forever.
For Pharaoh’s horse, with his chariot and riders, went into the sea,
and God returned the waters of the sea upon them; the Israelites
walked on dry land in the midst of the sea.
The voice of song lasted for a long time, the voice of men singing
to their Savior.
The women, Miriam, sister of Aaron, at their helm, felt in their
hearts the joy of thankfulness. The desire to sing before their Savior
was intensifying, yet the recognition that it was not appropriate for
a woman to sing in front of men stymied their yearning to sing.
Miriam looked at the women and felt their souls’ despair. She took
out the drum on which she learned to play when she studied with
Serah, daughter of Asher; it was the instrument she would use to
bring herself to a prophetic state. All the women who saw what
she did understood her intention. Many musical instruments were
removed from their bags, instruments brought by the righteous
women who, even prior to their exodus from Egypt, believed within
that many miracles would be performed for them in the future and
that they would need the instruments to sing and thank their Rock
for their salvation. The women quickly erected a barrier of mats
and curtains between them and the men, knowing that the men
would not be able to withstand the temptation of lewdness during
holy dancing.
The singing lasted for a long time, a time of connecting and
joining of the people with their Creator. All eyes were closed, as if
blinded by the glory of God’s presence, becoming one with it. Every
soul desired to adhere to the Rock that chiseled it, the love of man
for his God. Little by little the song dissipated, and supreme bliss
filled the hearts of the people who sensed with absolute clarity the
providence of the Creator of All hovering over them. The atmosphere
was that of a child who met a father whom he hadn’t seen
for a long time; even though he was aware of his father’s existence,
he hadn’t felt his embrace.
Moses, Aaron, and Hosheia looked at the people. Some of them
seemed still enwrapped in holy meditation; others had returned to
the task of looting.
“What will they do with all of this?” Hosheia asked with a grin
upon seeing the people loading a huge amount of booty onto their
donkeys.
“Only God knows that…” Aaron answered with a smile. “The
desire for money is apparently the strongest human desire.”
Hosheia seemed thoughtful. “I searched among the piles of
corpses for the body of the king, but I didn’t find it. The other young
men also searched but didn’t find a thing.”
“Apparently his role has not yet been completed,” Aaron said,
hoping he would be proven wrong.
Moses looked behind him. The pillar of cloud began to move
and rise above the surface of the wilderness, ascending towards the
heavens. “Forward…” Moses said, still waving his hand toward the
Desert of Shur.
Hosheia and his aides ran to hurry the people to continue on
their way. There were a few refusals from among the men who
wanted to continue looting.
“We are now continuing onward!” Moses said to the men who
were trailing resentfully on the journey toward the unknown.
“Whoever so wishes may remain here on his own.”
“Father, I want a drink. I’m very thirsty!” was heard from a young
girl, walking bowed.
Her father’s face darkened. Three days had passed since they had
crossed the sea, three days of walking among the clouds of glory
hovering over them. The water he carried with him in the flasks was
depleted, and his own dry tongue bothered him; blood dripped from
his parched lips. “I know, my dear one, but all the water is finished.”
Tears flowed from the girl’s eyes. “But Daddy, I’m thirsty!” The
girl’s crying joined the crying of thousands of other children. The
endless desert sand dunes were parched and dry. The hope of finding
water to quench the growing thirst seemed doubtful. Tears of
doom and despair began to flow even from the father’s eyes.
“I told you that we didn’t need all this nonsense!” whispered a
friend walking alongside the father. “I don’t know how they convinced
us to leave for this death march. I know that we have seen
many miracles so far, but how will that help us if we’re dead corpses
in the heart of the desert?” The man plopped himself down and
refused to get up.
The father looked at his friend. Faith stirred within him that it is
not beyond God to save his people even in this time of trouble, yet
in his mind he understood that his demise and the demise of the
entire nation was approaching.
“Water! Water!” Sounds of joy were heard from those walking at
the front of the camp.
The father looked up, and in the distance saw several palm trees.
The entire thirsty nation ran amok. The oasis indicated a water
source from which the palm trees received their nourishment.
Running towards the hope, towards the impossible salvation, joyous
cries burst forth from the children when they realized that there was
solace for their suffering. The father carried his frail daughter in his
arms, running towards the desert water fountain.
Cries of frustration and final despair came from the men who
earned the right to be the first to reach the water, thirsty men who
disgustedly spit out the water they had just swallowed.
A variety of cries arose from the lips of the broken men. “It is
impossible to drink from these waters!”
“They are as bitter as wormwood!”
“Moses is making a joke out of us!”
“He wants to murder us all!”
The children who reached the edge of the long-awaited water
fountain sat down on the ground crying, realizing that indeed no
water source was found for their thirst.
“Enough! I can’t take it any longer!” whispered the father, with
despair completely overtaking him. “Either Moses will do something
− or I will do something to Moses!”
The father rose to his feet, his face determined to hold accountable
the man who brought his family to the gates of death. Thousands of
men who understood what he was feeling in his heart − and agreed
with his logic − began to follow him towards the man bringing destruction
upon their families.
A cadre of young men from Hosheia’s entourage saw what was
happening and realized that their leader was in danger of losing his
life. A few seconds passed, and a ring of young men surrounded
Moses and Aaron in order to protect their leader with their bodies.
“Moses, I’m telling you, if you don’t do something immediately,
these children will not be able to survive.” The father who, in an
instant, had become the spokesperson for a powerful group of men,
felt the power of the crowd that stood behind him.
“Our children are thirsty and are about to die… and you take us
to a source of muddy water? What will we drink? We will give you
a half-hour, and you’d better have water for us to drink! If not…”
The frustrated father turned around towards the group accompanying
him. “It’s better that we don’t explain to you what will
happen…” he added. He sat down on the ground. “We will wait
right here! We have nowhere to go…”
Moses looked at the crowd. A tear trickled down his cheek as
he felt the pain of the men for their children. Love and pity for the
sheep of his flock filled his heart, the love of a father for his children.
“Poor souls,” he thought. “The thirst and concern for their loved
ones has driven them out of their minds, and therefore they have
spoken so harshly.” Feelings of sympathy and responsibility flooded
his heart. Moses closed his eyes in prayer, crying out to his Creator.
“Please, God, have mercy upon Your children. Give the sheep of
Your flock pure water to drink.”
A pleasant feeling of connectedness swelled within Moses like
flames intertwined with one another. He sensed the voice speaking
inside him, showing him the path he must take.
“In order that I test My children, to see if they will believe that I
am able to cure the bitterness of their hearts that they endured while
in Egypt when they learned the false beliefs of the Egyptians; when I
give them the Torah and Commandments, which at times may seem
bitter and difficult − specifically for that reason, to cure their bitter
hearts and bitter nature, I will provide for them a Tree of Life. The
tree will at times seem bitter and as harsh as an olive, which only
after crushing it can one savor its sweet taste.”
With closed eyes, Moses lifted his feet, led by a higher force. A
small olive branch appeared in the heart of the wilderness with a
bitter olive tree next to the well. Moses severed a tiny branch from
the tree. The crowed stared in amazement, unable to take their awestruck
eyes off him.
With a confident stride, Moses walked, eyes closed, towards the
well. He threw the branch into the water, kneeled, and took a sip of
water from the palm of his hand. His eyes opened as he smiled at
the congregation affixed to the ground.
“Tttooo yyooorrr hhhealltthhh,” he told them, with a loving
smile.
The people rose hesitantly, having difficulty comprehending what
was happening − how a tiny branch from a bitter tree could sweeten
bitter waters. Cries of joy were heard from parents and children as
they quenched their thirst with the sweet waters.
The father − the one who had organized the rebellion − had still
not advanced towards the pure water. He appeared before Moses,
bowing in tears. “I am sorry, My Master. I don’t know what got into
me. I wasn’t myself… the children, my wife, the craziness…” he
cried loudly. “How could I not have believed in my Creator? How
did I not realize that He is always with us and concerned for us?”
Moses approached the man, took hold of his arm, and pulled him
to his feet. The firm hug of a father to his son regretting his deeds
surprised the man. “Go and drink,” Moses said lovingly.
For ten days the nation camped in Marah, days in which they ate
from the flat cakes they took with them from Egypt and drank from
the sweet waters of the fountain.
Moses sat and explained to Aaron certain statutes and ordinances,
the holiness of the Sabbath, the obligation to honor one’s parents,
and the Law of the Red Heifer.
Aaron explained Moses’s words to the congregation. “Observing
the holiness of the Sabbath day is one of the basic foundations of
our people,” he said to the crowd that eagerly crouched down to
hear his words.
“The Sabbath teaches us about the renewal of the world by the
Creator, . The nations of the world think that the entire universe
is dependent upon nature, and that were it not for the world there
would be no nature. However, we, the people of God, know that we
were all created at the will of the Prime Mover of All Things. Nature
is dependent upon nothing other than the Creator, . Therefore our
Creator commanded us to observe the sanctity of the Sabbath,
the day on which He completed creating His world. There is no
nation or people in the entire world that was so commanded, other
than our people. Because of the Creator’s abundant love for us, He
has given us this day of rest, a day on which we must rest from all
work and busy ourselves with and only with our all-encompassing
faith in Him. As we are a legion of the King of Kings, we must act
accordingly.”
The people sat still and internalized Aaron’s words. All eyes
looked with love and admiration at he who conveyed to them the
words of the Rock of the Universe.
“Man has three partners: his father, his mother, and the third
partner is God, . From his mother and father, man’s body is formed,
yet God breathes into him his soul,” Aaron said with a smile. “It is
obvious that were it not for the will of the Creator, a body could be
transformed into a person. Yet, in His modesty, the Creator leaves
the creation of the body to the father and mother; this is why God
has commanded us to honor our parents as we honor Him.
“The third command we were privileged to receive from God
for now,” Aaron said to the crowd that was thirstily drinking in his
words, “we are not yet able to perform…”
A stunned voice arose from the crowd. “If we cannot observe it,
why do we need to receive it?”
Joyous laughter erupted from Aaron’s lips. “That’s a good
question, but first I will tell you the commandment. It is the Law of
the Red Heifer.”
“What is a red heifer? What does it accomplish?” one of the gathered
asked.
“A red heifer is a completely normal heifer. It is forbidden, however,
for it to have even two hairs that are not red, and it is forbidden
for it to have a blemish. In the future, we will need to slaughter such
a heifer and burn it together with cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet,
and mix its ashes in living well water. We will sprinkle the water on a
person who became impure by coming in contact with a dead body.
The person upon whom the water is sprinkled will become purified
from the impurity of the dead, and yet the one who sprinkles the
water, or for that matter anyone who touches the water, will himself
become impure until the evening,” Aaron said, eager to perform
this command.
Several questions were asked. “But, My Master Aaron, I don’t
understand. How does it work? How can the ashes of a red heifer
purify someone? And why does the sprinkler become impure?”
“How does it work?” Aaron said, giggling. “Tell me, how can it be
that a small branch of an olive tree can turn bitter water to sweet?
How can it be that the waters of the Red Sea were split in half? How
is it that the sun shines in the morning and the moon at night? You
understand all of that? They are all decrees from on high. By the
will of God, may He be exalted! He carved out creation! He created
nature! He and only He decides what will work and function, and
what will not. This law is not at all comprehensible, and there is no
one who can truly understand how it functions. The only possible
way to understand it is through simple faith − faith that there is no
nature in the world! For everything that seems natural and understood
is only so because we have become accustomed to it. Is there
any understanding of how the seed of a tree planted in the ground
will be given water to drink, and then after a time it will grow and
blossom? That it will grow fruits that themselves contain seeds that
will be able to grow new trees?”
Aaron eagerly closed his eyes, as if gazing at the ancient sky. “All
the commandments, statutes, and laws that the Creator has commanded
are not binding because of man’s simple common sense.
Even the reality that our minds are able to understand one idea or
another, at its core we do not uphold God’s Commandments because
of our understanding, rather because of our faith in Him. We are not
considered true believers until we believe that everything we have
and all that happens to us is a miracle. There is no nature or way
of the world in them, whether regarding a group or an individual.
Rather, if one carries out the Commandments, his reward will be
success; if he transgresses them, his punishment will doom him.”
Aaron opened his eyes and looked at those staring at him with
great astonishment. “All the laws we are commanded and will be
commanded in the future are only due to the greatness of the love
of our Creator for us. All is given to us in order to prepare us to be
fitting for the eternal good He wishes to bestow upon us.”
My Master Aaron, when will we be able to fulfill it?” asked
Hosheia, sitting opposite Aaron, thirstily lapping up his words.
“My dear friend,” Aaron said softly, recognizing that Hosheia
hoped to fulfill the word of God. “Today we counted twenty days
from the day of our exodus from Egypt. Another thirty days remain
until we will earn the event that God has promised us – to worship
Him at the end of fifty days.”
Aaron winked mischievously. “It seems that until then we will
have to wait patiently.”
