Haysah Yehudah l’kodsho, Yisrael mamsh’losav.
Then the tribe of Yehudah became His holy nation (for jumping into the threatening Yam Suf first), and klal Yisrael became under Hashem’s rule (and no longer under the Egyptians’ rule).
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According to one understanding of our pasuk, the tribe of Yehudah became the catalyst to generate “k’dushah.” Nachshon ben Aminadav, the leader of the sheivet, was the first one to jump into the Yam Suf, declaring his bitachon – his trust and reliance – upon Hashem. He was followed by the rest of the tribe, and subsequently was followed by all of B’nei Yisrael. This m’siras nefesh of Sheivet Yehudah is what generated the kiddush Hashem (the sanctification of Hashem’s Name) through the Splitting of the Sea and the many miracles that ensued. The world saw that Hashem, having created nature, continues to control it and can override it at will. [Based on the Malbim, T’hilim 114:2]
This is a very important lesson that we need to learn and remind ourselves of constantly. Every decision we make to do or not to do something, to say or not to say something, to think or not to think something, has an impact not only on us, but on the world.
Ha’yotzeir yachad libam, ha’meichin el kol maaseihem.
He Who fashions their hearts together, Who comprehends all their deeds. [T’hilim 33:15]
While we cannot know what effect our deeds have, Hashem understands precisely where they will have an impact. The word el (to) seems out of place in the above pasuk. Hashem understands to (?) all their deeds? It means that Hashem understands “to where” our deeds are going. He understands the cause and effect of every action, speech, thought.
Nachshon realized that he was performing a great act of m’siras nefesh. However, he likely did not comprehend the dramatic kiddush Hashem that his courageous act was going to lead to.
Most of the time, we do not consider the impact of our deeds. Baruch Hashem, we perform many mitzvos. We learn Torah, daven, perform acts of chesed, give tz’dakah, and much more. So often, we are on “auto-pilot.” We perform our mitzvos perfunctorily, without much thought or heart.
Imagine that one day we meet a rosh yeshivah whom we don’t know, and he tells us that we had a dramatic impact on his life. After our initial shock, we ask how that could be, since we don’t even know him. He informs us that, 40 years ago, he was a young child who had recently lost his father in Israel. His family was very poor to begin with, and now with their father gone, things looked hopeless. An organization stepped in and provided for the physical and emotional needs of the family. He relates to us, “That organization saved my life. I wanted to find out who had made it possible for that organization to provide what we needed, and I found out that you were one of the people who helped make that possible. You saved my life and enabled me to become whatever I am today.” How would we feel? If we saw the results of our acts of tz’dakah and chesed, how would that change the degree of effort, thought, and heart we expend?
While most of us are not in a position to make such a material contribution, we all daven. Imagine that, after 120, we are shown what our tefilos or acts of chesed on a particular day accomplished. We were the catalyst that “caused” Hashem to save a family from a missile that would have killed the family and destroyed their home. If we were shown in advance, in this world, what our next tefilah could accomplish, what would that tefilah look like, compared to our average tefilah?
What can we do to energize ourselves to rise to daven with greater mind and heart, reminding ourselves of the awesome potential each tefilah possesses?
Hallel 5
Ha’yam raah va’yanos, haYardein yisov l’achor.
The Yam Suf saw klal Yisrael going in and fled (split), (and at that time) the Yarden River (and all the waters in the world miraculously) turned backwards.
He’harim rakdu k’eilim, g’vaos kivnei tzon.
The mountains skipped like rams (at Matan Torah), (and) hills skipped like lambs.
Mah l’cha ha’yam ki sanus, haYardein tisov l’achor?
What is with you, Yam Suf, that you flee; (and) the Yarden River, that you turn backwards?
He’harim tirk’du k’eilim, g’vaos kivnei tzon.
[What is with you] mountains that you skip like rams; hills, [that you skip] like lambs?
Mi’lifnei Adon chuli aretz, mi’lifnei Elokah Yaakov.
(The answer is:) From before the Master, Who formed the earth (we are frightened and therefore act so strangely), from before the G-d of Yaakov (Who made the miracles of Y’tzias Mitzrayim)
Ha’hofchi ha’tzur agam mayim, chalamish l’ma’y’no mayim.
(Just like He turned the water into dry land, so, too,) He can turn a rock into a pool of water [Sh’mos 17:6], (and) a harder rock into a spring of water [BaMidbar 20:11] (which shows Hashem’s mastery over everything).
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What is the significance of the Yarden turning backward when the Yam Suf split? Midrash Shocher Tov comments that, in fact, all the bodies of water all over the world split. That is how the nations of the world, even in remote areas, learned of the splitting of the Yam Suf.
In the first perek of Hallel (T’hilim 113), the contrast between the belief of the nations and the emunah of B’nei Yisrael was highlighted. This second chapter began, as well, with a contrast between Yisrael/Beis Yaakov and Mitzrayim. We now present HaRav Shamshon Raphael Hirsch’s understanding of this second perek of Hallel and how it flows beautifully, continuing the theme of Hashem being “on high,” causing an upheaval of the earth’s nature, but at the same time “very near” (mi’lifnei Elokah Yaakov – from before the G-d of Yaakov). We have previously indicated that the Name “Elokim,” or here “Elokah,” represents Hashem’s Divine Providence, in every aspect of the world and of our individual lives.
When we became Hashem’s Sanctuary and kingdom on earth (his understanding of pasuk 2), He caused all the physical supports to sense the coming of that great moment (p’sukim 3-4). If you ask (p’sukim 5 and 6) the fleeing sea (the Yarden that flows backwards), the hills and mountains that rise and sink again: “What is the meaning of this moment? What does the upheaval of the earth’s nature proclaim?”
From The Hirsch Psalms (Feldheim Publishers):
They will answer (pasuk 7 and 8): mi’lifnei, etc. – “It is the Lord, Who at this moment begins His dominion over all the earth; it is Elokah Yaakov, the G-d of Jacob, Who has just taken out for Himself that most powerless of peoples, which had sunk below all the nations of the world. He has done this in order to demonstrate through Israel the omnipotence and presence on earth of His rule, and that men and nations do not live simply for the purpose that they might unfold their power.” It is before Him, Who is “on high,” but at the same time “very near,” before the “Lord” and “G-d,” that the earth is to go into travail; it is to feel the birth pangs of a life that renews its vigor. He changes tzur – the most compact, solid rock – into agam mayim, a receptacle for the collection of fresh waters, and chalamish, the hard pebbles into a spring that pours forth from within them.
Should this not perhaps also proclaim to the earth that, in view of this work of G-d, begun with Israel’s entry into the history of nations, the hearts of men, which had hitherto been solid and closed like rocks, will eventually open to receive the Divine truths, and that the Divine spark dormant within the stony human heart will be caused to awaken and unfold?
To access print versions of previous Tefilah segments, please visit OU Torah’s Search portal, select the Topic of “Tefillah,” and then select “Weekly Tefilah Focus” from the Series list.
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