In Parshas Beshalach, the events of the Exodus take a dramatic turn with the splitting of the Reed Sea, the safe crossing of the Bnei Yisrael through the damp sea bed, and the drowning of the Egyptians in the churning waters (Shemos 13:17-Shemos 14). After their miraculous salvation, the Children of Israel sing the famous Song of the Sea, known for posterity as Az Yashir. While Moshe leads the men in song, Miriam the Prophetess leads the women in song (15:1-22). 

Later in the parsha, the Bnei Yisrael arrive at Marah, where the waters are bitter. Moshe sweetens them by teaching them a number of mitzvos and throwing a tree (an allusion to the Tree of Life that is Torah) into the waters (15:22-27). 

In Chapter 16 we learn of the mannah and its relevance to Shabbos. And in chapter 17, we learn of the people’s thirst for water and the battle with Amalek, our eternal foe.

The pasukim tell us that when the Bnei Yisrael arrive at Marah: וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ מָרָ֔תָה וְלֹ֣א יָֽכְל֗וּ לִשְׁתֹּ֥ת מַ֨יִם֙ מִמָּרָ֔ה כִּ֥י מָרִ֖ים הֵ֑ם עַל־כֵּ֥ן קָֽרָא־שְׁמָ֖הּ מָרָֽה, And they came to Marah, and they could not drink water from Marah because they were bitter; therefore, it was named Marah. And the people complained against Moshe, saying, What shall we drink? וַיִּצְעַ֣ק אֶל ה’ וַיּוֹרֵ֤הוּ ה֙’ עֵ֔ץ וַיַּשְׁלֵךְ֙ אֶל־הַמַּ֔יִם וַיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם, and Moshe davened to Hashem and Hashem commanded him regarding a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet… (Shemos 15:23-25).

It is compelling to note that the verse describing the bitter waters is ambiguous. If we pay close attention to the lashon of the pasuk, it becomes clear that we are unsure of what, or who, was bitter. The pasuk tells us: “And they came to Marah and they could not drink the water from Marah because they were bitter.”

While at face value, the Torah is describing the bitter waters, the Medrash teaches us that it was the people themselves who were bitter, “and they were bitter,” therefore the water was unpalatable to them. While it is true that that water was bitter, had the people not been bitter in mind-frame and attitude, the water would have been pleasant and drinkable. 

From here we learn the importance of seeing the good in the world all around us, in our fellow man, in ourselves and in our lives. Admittedly, it is not always easily, for life presents us with challenges and ups-and-downs - sometimes those challenges are small, sometimes - may G-d spare us - they are big. The work of “mind over matter” is such an important tool for success in life, and in our strivings for contentment and life-satisfaction. When we reframe situations to remove the bitter and focus on the sweet, we will bring inner peace to ourselves, and goodwill to those around us. 

There are so many insights to learn, speak about, write about and highlight in Parshas Beshalach. Why did I choose this specific insight to share with you?

Admittedly, it is one of my favorite on this parsha, and every year, when I learn these pasukim, I think of this insight. However, on a more personal note related to this past week… This week was challenging for many of us who traveled for a few days of rest and respite away from home. While many of us were away in sunnier climates and warmer weather, a huge winter storm hit home. Amongst its many effects was massive travel disruptions across many states. 

Our first flight of Sunday evening was canceled. Our flight of Monday evening saw us sitting at the gate for over 7 hours, till our flight was officially canceled at 1:45am. At that point we learned that our luggage would not be returned to us (!), the airline gave us a flight for a full THREE days later, and we were pretty much on our own.

Arriving back at our hotel at 2:30/3am, sans luggage, exhausted and dejected, it was very easy to become “bitter.” How the airline could take our luggage, cancel our flight, not return it to us (ongoing as of the time of this writing) and not communicate at all is frustrating and non-sensical. 

However, the situation is what it is and I could not - and cannot - change that. What I can change, and am trying to change, is my outlook at attitude. The whole week I am saying, “thank You Hashem for a place to stay,” “thank You Hashem for the new clothing basics and toiletries we were able to buy here,” “thank You Hashem for a toothbrush and toothpaste,” “Thank You Hashem for zoom so I could still teach my classes this week!”, “thank You Hashem we are in a place with kosher food,” “thank You Hashem that my Mac and charger were in my knapsack carry on,” “Thank You Hashem the Lyfts back and forth to the airport were safe,” “Thank You Hashem that my spare hearing aids and batteries were in my carry on,” “thank you Hashem for the bed, pillows and blankets in the hotel,” “thank You Hashem for the shampoo, conditioner, body wash and hot water in the hotel,” “thank You Hashem for Rabbi Gidon Moskovitz and YICBH for a room in the Shul where I could teach and work Wednesday morning (from where I’m writing this dvar Torah!),” and the list goes on.

I am not writing this for effect; I have literally been speaking it to myself all week, because when we focus on the good, and reframe even a challenging situation, bitter waters can become a little less bitter and maybe even “drinkable.”

If reframing is true for the small things in the grand scheme of things, how much more so for the big situations in life. It is not easy, for life realities can be difficult and painful, but if we try to find the nekudas ha’tova - a point of goodness - “וַיִּמְתְּק֖וּ הַמָּ֑יִם, the waters became sweet.”

If there’s any lesson I’ve learned from this week, it’s to thank Hashem for all the small things in life - every single one of them, and to remember that He has a plan and His will will always be done.

What we can do is our best efforts, offer Him our tefillos, reframe our life situations and allow the wisdom of Torah to always guide, and uplift, us.

בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום