בס "ד

EIN GEDANKE ÜBER PARSHAT BESHALACH 5786

A People Who Saw

“And they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant”
(Exodus 14:31)

When Israel stands at the shore of the Sea of Reeds, the people find themselves at a turning point. The greatest national revelation, that of Sinai, has yet to come, but the event at the sea forms a crucial preparation. It is a moment in which a vast community, as the Torah states, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides the children (Exodus 12:37), witnesses with their own eyes that G‑d intervenes in history and that Moshe Rabbeinu is the true bearer of His will.

The Torah describes the moment succinctly:

“And Israel saw the great hand which Hashem had used against Egypt; and the people feared Hashem, and they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant.”

The commentators note that this verse describes not only an external miracle, but a profound inner transformation.

From Fear to Awe

Ibn Ezra explains that the “fear” experienced here is not simple terror, but deep awe, the kind of reverence King David felt when confronted with the overwhelming presence of G‑d (II Samuel 6:9). Israel comes to recognize that Hashem is truth itself, and that history is not governed by chance or human power.

Crucially, this realization is inseparable from Moshe. The people now understand that Moshe does nothing independently. Every act, every word, every movement is an expression of the Divine will. From this moment onward, Moshe is nationally recognized as a faithful and transparent servant of G‑d.

Belief That Becomes Enduring

The Malbim notes that the Torah’s language here signals a profound change. Until now, Israel’s relationship to G‑d had been shaped largely by fear of punishment and uncertainty about the future. At the sea, that fear transforms into awe , a recognition of G‑d’s majesty, authority, and active guidance of events.

The same shift occurs with belief itself. The Torah does not describe belief in a particular message or promise, but belief in G‑d Himself. This is no longer faith dependent on a single miracle or moment of salvation, but a lasting recognition of Who G‑d is and how He acts in the world.

And the verse adds something just as radical: the people also come to believe in Moshe. Not merely in his words or abilities, but in his complete integrity as G‑d’s servant. They recognize that Moshe does not act on his own initiative , he functions entirely as an instrument of the Divine will.

Clearing Away Misunderstandings

The Malbim further describes the social reality of Israel before this moment. Some had believed that the miracles were primarily the result of Moshe’s personal greatness, wisdom, or spiritual power. Others believed in G‑d, but distrusted Moshe, assuming that he acted independently or misrepresented the Divine command.

These doubts surfaced repeatedly: when Moshe’s first appearance seemed to worsen the slavery (Exodus 5:20–21), and again at the sea itself, when the people cried out in despair: “Were there no graves in Egypt…?” (Exodus 14:11).

The splitting of the sea dissolves both misunderstandings at once. Israel sees with its own eyes that G‑d responds directly to Moshe’s actions, and that nature itself bends in accordance with Moshe’s movements. As Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz explains, this visible harmony between Divine command and prophetic action removes every remaining doubt. Moshe is not an autonomous miracle worker; he is a channel through which the Divine will is revealed.

Healing the Relationship with Moshe

The Nesivos Sholom emphasizes that this moment also heals the strained relationship between the people and Moshe. Until now, their trust had been fragile, frequently overshadowed by frustration, fear, and accusation. At the sea, Israel gains a new perspective on the entire process of redemption. What had appeared as delay, hardship, or misjudgment is now understood as purposeful, compassionate leadership carried out in absolute obedience to G‑d.

Moshe’s devotion, patience, and love for the people become unmistakably clear. The words “Moshe, His servant” are no longer a title alone, but a truth experienced and internalized by the nation.

From the Sea to Sinai — and Beyond

This recognition lays the groundwork for Sinai. While the revelation at the sea is not the ultimate national revelation — that distinction belongs to the giving of the Torah — it prepares the heart and mind for it. Israel learns that G‑d guides history and that Moshe Rabbeinu is His uniquely faithful messenger.

This insight has lasting halachic significance. Maimonides formulates it as the seventh principle of faith: that the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu is true and unparalleled. Moshe spoke with G‑d without intermediary, on a level no other prophet attained. For this reason, Jews recite daily: “I believe with perfect faith that the prophecy of Moshe is true, and that he is the father of all prophets.”

Based on this principle, the Rambam rules in Hilchot Melachim (chapter 9) that the Seven Noahide Commandments attain full religious significance only when they are accepted not merely as rational laws, but as Divine commands given by Hashem and transmitted through Moshe in the Torah. Their authority ultimately rests on the same national testimony that established Moshe’s prophecy at the sea and later at Sinai.

A Foundation for Humanity

Thus, the event at the Sea of Reeds becomes more than a moment of rescue. It is a foundational revelation — one that teaches Israel, and through Israel all of humanity, that G‑d is active in history and that His will is faithfully conveyed through Moshe Rabbeinu.

Through this shared foundation, the Noahide mission is connected not only to ethical reason, but to the living G‑d of Israel and the Torah of Moshe — a connection rooted in what a people once saw with their own eyes.

Von Angelique Sijbolts
With thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton for the feedback

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