B’shalach 5772

In this week's parsha, the Sea of Reeds miraculously splits, allowing the Israelites to flee from the Egyptians. "Moshe (Moses) caused Israel to journey from the Sea of Reeds and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur; they went for a three-day period in the Wilderness, but they did not find water. They arrived at Marah, but they could not drink the waters of Marah 'ki marim hem' -- because they were bitter; therefore they named it Marah (bitter.) The people complained against Moshe, saying, 'What shall we drink?' He cried out to Hashem and Hashem showed him a tree; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There He established for [the nation] a statute and a judgment, and there He tested it."

How can we explain that so soon after witnessing the miraculous splitting of the Sea of Reeds, the people complain? Why does G-d test the people with the lack of water, and what does He expect them to do?

Rashi writes: "He tested the people and saw the stiffness of their neck, for they did not consult with Moshe using lashon yafeh -- gracious language – saying 'pray on our behalf that there should be water for us to drink.' Rather, they complained."

Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich on www.aish.com states that the people's complaints are legitimate, justified and correct – the people need potable water. G-d tests them to see how they will approach the problem. G-d expects them to use lashon yafeh. Instead of a calm, appropriate and respectful approach, the people complain with anger, resentment and a sense of entitlement. In fact, they are quite bitter.

The Kotzker Rebbe remarks that the simple meaning of the expression ki marim hem is "because the waters were bitter." However, the Kotzker interprets the pronoun hem (they) as referring to the people. The people were bitter and they complained about the water. Because they, themselves, were bitter, nothing was good in their eyes.

Rabbi Stephen Baars on www.aish.com notes that G-d could have sent the people to an oasis instead of to the desolate Marah. He suggests that if the people had been directed to an oasis, they might have had to do battle with its inhabitants in order to gain access to sweet-tasting water. Instead, they stop at an unpopulated area and G-d has Moshe miraculously transform the bitter water.

As parents, we may find many things to complain about. However, we cannot afford to be bitter, angry and resentful when things appear not to be going our way. We can decide what our attitude will be. But we must remember that if everything appears bitter in our lives, it may well be ki marim hem – because we ourselves are bitter.

Excerpted from an article by Rabbi Yissocher Frand. Read it in its entirety at http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5766/beshalach.html.