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Beshalach (2026)

 

Shabbat Beshalach

Dvar Torah
After decades of slavery, what would you pack when leaving Egypt? The Exodus story offers surprising details. The Israelites carried Joseph’s remains to honor his final wish, weapons for self-defense, and matzah, since there was no time to let bread rise. The list goes on.

One item, however, stands out: drums and tambourines. After the splitting of the sea, in a dramatic end to a dramatic scene, thousands of women suddenly take out these instruments as Miriam leads a song of gratitude. It is a powerful moment—but it raises a question. In a rushed escape where there was not even time to bake bread, who thought to bring musical instruments?

The medieval commentator Rashi explains that the righteous women of the generation were confident they would witness miracles, and prepared in advance to celebrate them. This reflects not only deep faith, but also deep personal responsibility to fulfilling Hakarat Hatov (recognizing the good) a core Jewish value that gratitude must be actively expressed, not just passively felt. In their transition from slavery to freedom these remarkable women use their newly found expression in a noble fashion - offering lasting inspiration not to take the wonders we’ve been given for granted.

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 16:32/17:50
Tel-Aviv 16:51/17:52
Paris 17:27/18:37
NYC 16:53/17:55
Dallas 17:40/18:37
Buenos Aires 19:44/20:42
More shabbat times here

Shabbat Shalom!

This week’s Dvar Torah is dedicated to the speedy and full recovery of my sister Leora Channa bat Shulamit Nechama



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