ב"ה
What's going on? Hasn't Pharaoh come running in his pajamas in the middle of the
night, literally begging Moses and Aaron to take their people out of his land as
quickly as possible? Who, then, is this mighty Pharaoh materializing like a
mirage in the desert, hot on our heels with an army of war chariots and
horsemen?
Exodus 13:17-17:16 Torah Reading for Week of February 3 - 10, 2001 
In Beshalach the sea splits, manna rains down from heaven, water is extracted
from a rock and war is waged on Amalek--but all that happens all the time
inside our souls.
The Parshah in a Nutshell
Full Parshah summary with commentary More on the Parshah from the Chassidic Masters
My hair, thank G-d, is growing back. Hair, beard, eyebrows, eyelashes, the works. My color has returned, or at least transformed from a yellow brown pallor to a more healthy tone. I'm lookin' good. At least that's what everyone says.
The death of a thousand cuts would have been preferable. I briefly considered
crawling, until I realized that everyone would be able to see me anyway. Somehow
I made it to the semi-secluded haven at the back of the cabin and tried to
collect myself. The only prayerful thought that I could muster was a fervent
hope that the rear emergency door would blow open, and I would be mercifully
sucked out of the aircraft.
Tu BeShevat - The New Year for Trees 
Do you have grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates growing in your
soul? You do, if your life is blessed with joy, intimacy, action, struggle and
tranquility.
Of course, you could always paint pictures on the walls. Perhaps even illuminate them from behind. Or use mirrors, even a battery of television screens. You would imagine that you see beyond while staring at your renditions of what is within.And so we need our precious mothers and other pure souls of simple faith to tell us, “Don’t be a fool. There are windows, and you can tell them easily from paintings on the wall.” |
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