B"H
Wednesday, Shevat 10, 5780 / February 5, 2020
Today, the 10th day of Shevat, is the 70th yartzeit of the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, zt”l. It is also the day in which Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, zt”l, took over the leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch. May their merit and memory be a blessing to us all. One of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak’s directives was that each day of the week we should study the section of the Parsha of the week as pertaining to that day and realize the lessons we can take from it.
Here are a few lessons from this week’s Parsha, B'Shalach. After expelling the Jewish people from Egypt Pharaoh had a change of heart and chased after them in order to force them to return. When the people saw Pharaoh and his army they were frightened and complained to Moshe, "Were there not enough graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? It is far better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."
“Were there not enough graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness?” When G-d took the Jewish people out of Egypt, He intended to bring them into the Promised Land. However, a year later, after they sent spies to scout the land and then refused go into the land, every man who was over twenty years old at the Exodus, ended up dying and being buried in the desert.
Lesson: The Midrash states that from this story we learn that a person must be very careful to use only positive expressions. Unfortunately, their words, "You took us out to die in the wilderness," were prophetically fulfilled, as mentioned before, and most of that generation died in the desert.
In this Parsha we read how G-d provided the people with manna - bread from heaven, when their provisions which they took out with them from Egypt ended. They had nothing to eat and complained. G-d told Moshe, "I will cause it to rain bread from heaven; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion each day, that I may test them to see whether they will follow my laws or not".
The manna came down each morning and they were to gather a measurement of one omer per person. If someone collected more or less, when they brought it home it was still exactly one omer.
Lesson: Our sages tell us that our sustenance is determined from Heaven. We have to do our part and our effort, but in the end, no matter how much a person will try, they cannot make more than has been ordained from Heaven. Thus, a person should make time to pray and study Torah each day. The time spent on prayer and study will not diminish from one’s income.
Q. How do we commemorate today the miracle of the manna?
A. Each Friday they received a double portion of manna, one for Friday and one for Shabbat. The two Challot we place on the Shabbat table commemorate the double portion of manna which came in honor of Shabbat.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY