One Who Does a Mitzvah Does Not Lose Out:
The Gemara states (Sotah 13A): “Come and see how precious mitzvos were to Moshe Rabenu. While all of Yisroel were busy with the booty of the sea, he was busy with mitzvos. This is as is stated (Mishlei 10:8): ‘A man with a wise heart takes mitzvos.’”
We learn from this that one who busies himself with mitzvos never loses out as a result. When everyone else was gathering gold and silver, Moshe was busy taking care of Yosef’s bones but he did not lose out, as, in the end, he became richer than anyone else, as the Gemara says (Nedarim 38A) that he became wealthy from the leftover ink of the luchos.
Don’t Miss a Chance to do a Mitzvah:
We can also learn from this that one should never miss an opportunity to do a mitzvah. If a chance to perform a mitzvah comes one way, he should grab it and do it immediately. Even if one thinks that he could make a big monetary profit right now if he just delays doing the mitzvah for a short while, he should still run to do the mitzvah first. We learn this from how Moshe Rabenu ran to take care of Yosef’s bones, rather than first gathering wealth from the booty and then doing the mitzvah. This idea is illustrated from the following story:
A tavernkeeper once came to the Bach zt”l and told him that he had leased his tavern from the local paritz for many years. However, his livelihood was now threatened by a Jewish man who decided that he wants to usurp the tavern from him. This man was visiting the paritz every day for weeks, trying to convince him that he should lease the tavern to him instead. He had gone so far as to offer a much larger amount than the current leaser was paying.
The Bach sent the distraught tavernkeeper to a student of his who was very wealthy and generous with his money, telling him to ask him in his name to go to the paritz and to advocate for the man to be allowed to keep his tavern.
The tavernkeeper went to the wealthy man and told him the entire story, and the man promised to speak to the paritz when he had a chance. However, this was not enough for the tavernkeeper. He insisted that the rich man go right away, before his rival had the opportunity to finalize any deal.
The rich man told him, “You will need to wait a couple of days. I first must take care of my business at the fair in Leipzig. If I don’t do that, I stand to lose a fortune.”
The tavernkeeper began to cry. He said that he didn’t have the time, as it was probable that he would lose his tavern by then. In response, the wealthy man urged him to have bitachon. He said, “Aren’t you a Jew? You need to trust in Hashem and believe that He is the source of all parnassah. If you strengthen your emunah, I’m sure that everything will be okay. And I will speak to the paritz on my way back from the fair and, with Hashem’s help, everything will work out.”
The tavernkeeper returned home and told his wife what the rich man said. She was not consoled by the man’s promise of assistance and she began yelling and screaming at her husband. She said that it was his fault for not insisting more strongly that the rich man must speak to the paritz immediately, and he should not have left until he agreed. Thus, the next few days in this home were full of screaming and arguing between husband and wife.
After the fair in Leipzig ended, the wealthy man kept his word. On his way home, he stopped by the paritz’s mansion and he convinced him to allow the tavernkeeper to remain at his post. As soon as he left, the paritz summoned the tavernkeeper, and he signed a new contract to lease the tavern to him for the next ten years.
Years later, the rich man died and moved on to the next world. One night, he appeared to the Bach in a dream and said, “I came to you to let you know what happened to me after my death. A host of angels came to greet me and an announcement rang out, ‘So-and-so will now appear before the Heavenly Court.’
“When I heard my name being announced, I started to tremble in fear, but I thankfully was judged to be virtuous. Immediately after the judgment was read, a group of angels started to escort me with much pomp and ceremony, and the gates of Gan Eden were opened for me. I could see the great light and smell the Heavenly aroma, which was a pleasure that cannot be imagined in this world.
“As I walked through the gates of Gan Eden, I saw an angel hobbling towards me while sighing and groaning. He approached me and stood in my way. I asked, ‘Who are you? Why are you blocking my way?’
“The angel answered, ‘I am the angel that was created by the chesed you did for the tavernkeeper.’
“His words confused me and I asked why a malach created by a mitzvah would stop me from entering Gan Eden. Didn’t I do a great thing by saving the tavernkeeper and his wife from losing their only source of parnassah? Didn’t I save an entire Jewish family?
“The angel replied, ‘Yes. You did a favor for a Jew. But you also caused many tears to be shed and many arguments to be fought between the man and his wife because you delayed going to the paritz. All of this was written on your account and will be held against you.’
“I defended myself by saying that I didn’t delay out of disregard for the man. I did it to save myself a huge monetary loss. Had I not gone to the fair, I would have lost a fortune. But my claims did not help me. I was brought back to the Heavenly Court, who judged me again and ruled that I could sit by the gates of Gan Eden but I could not enter for the same amount of days I made the tavernkeeper wait until I returned from Leipzig.
“As soon as the new judgment was announced, two angels grabbed me and returned me to the gates of Gan Eden, where I had to wait for several days. I may have only been a few days but it felt like an eternity. The pain and anguish I felt during those days was indescribable. Every second was pure torture. I could see my place of menucha but I could not enter!”
The next day, the Bach related the dream to his kehilla, and he said, “We should learn from this story how important it is to do mitzvos right away, without delay. This certainly is true of mitzvos like tzedakah and chesed, which people depend on. One should do them with alacrity, without waiting a moment!”
Hashem Raised Them From Their Lowliness:
Rav Henoch of Alexander zy”a (Sefer Chashbah L’Tova) explains that since Klal Yisroel was sunken into the depths of depravity that was prevalent in Egypt, they were unable to see their own lowliness. This is hinted to in the pasuk that says that “the Egyptians were chasing them”, which can be understood to mean that the depravity of Egypt was pursuing them.”
The pasuk then says that they were very afraid. He explains that they were afraid because they had been under the impression that once they left Egypt, they would rise from their low level to a lofty one. However, they now saw that the depravity was still pursuing them, which led them to cry out to Hashem and say “were there no graves in Egypt?”
Moshe answered them: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see Hashem’s salvation that He will make for you today.” He was saying that although they still say the “today” – the current lowliness – of Egypt, they need not be afraid, as the very fact that could now see the lowliness would lead to the salvation.
His intent was that they previously couldn’t even recognize how lowly they were, and, therefore, they could not improve. Now that they were able to see that they were on a low level of ruchnius, they could improve and draw close to Hashem. He told them: “Hashem will fight for you and you will be silent.” Hashem will help you rise to higher levels, and you can be silent, knowing that His help is here.
Do Not Fear:
The Dubno Magid zt”l (Sefer Mishlei Yaakov) explains this pasuk with a moshol:
There once was a distinguished rich man who had daughter. He found her a chosson who was an excellent bochur who came from a very poor family. When the wedding day arrived, a great feast was arranged in honor of the scholarly young man who was joining the wealthy family. Everything was organized in a very fancy and classy way, as befit such a prestigious family. The entire extended family came to the affair and presented themselves with all of their elegance.
The chosson, however, was uninterested in all of the relatives and all of the goings-on. Since he was so poor, he hadn’t eaten a good meal in a long time, and he was completely absorbed in the food. He didn’t take his eyes off his plate the entire evening.
A few days later, the groom realized that he should find out some more about his father-in-law and his family. But when he asked about his new relatives, his father-in-law said, “Everyone was present at the simcha but you didn’t pay any attention to them.”
The nimshol is as follows: When the nation arrived at the sea, Moshe Rabenu warned them not to be afraid. The reason he did so is because it is known that fear obstructs a person from using his common sense. When a person is running in fear and panic, he is unable to take note of his surroundings or even see items right in front of his eyes. Therefore, Moshe told them not to be afraid but, rather, to stand firm with bitachon in Hashem. He told them that if they did this, they would be undistracted and they would be able to see His salvation and the miracles on that day.
Emunah After Acquiring Wisdom:
Sefer Zera Kodesh notes that the pasuk places yirah (fear of Hashem) before emunah (belief in Hashem), when it first says “and they feared” and then says “and they believed”. He asks how one can fear Hashem before he believes in Him? Doesn’t one first need to believe He exists before being able to fear Him?
He answers by quoting the Medrash (Tanchuma Beshalach 9) that says that Klal Yisroel “grabbed the handiwork of their fathers in their hands.” Sefarim Hakedoshim (see Gur Aryeh, Shemos 14) explain that when they first cried out to Hashem it was done in a way of “mitzvos anashim m’limuda”. They were doing it out of habit, as they had a tradition from their forefathers that one should cry out to Hashem in times of distress. Thus, the Medrash is saying that they learned this “handiwork” from their fathers and were accustomed to doing it, but they didn’t really understand what they were doing.
In truth, this is the way one should start serving Hashem. He first should accept to do what he learned from previous generations, who taught him that Hashem exists and He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. Once one accepts this, he will fear Hashem. After that, he can rise to higher levels until eventually understanding on his own that Hashem exists and controls every aspect of the world, which is the level of attaining true emunah.
Accordingly, the pasuk first says that the nation feared Hashem, which was the result of the tradition they had from their father. Afterwards, they reached the level of having emunah in Hashem through their own understanding.
Emunah in Techiyas Hameisim:
Sefer Zichron Shmuel writes in the name of the Meor Vashemesh zy”a that the concept of emunah does not apply to things that one can see with his eyes. Rather, emunah applies to belief in things that one can one not see.
Our emunah in things that we cannot see is an inheritance we received from the Avos. This is as he explained the words of Chazal (Shabbos 31A): “Emunah is Seder Zeraim.” Emunah is something that is planted (“nizrah”) in us by our forefathers.
The Meor Vashemesh continues: At the splitting of the sea, Hashem revealed himself to the entire nation. Even a maidservant at the sea saw more than Yechezkel Hanavi ever saw. If so, how could this be considered emunah? If they saw it with their eyes, how could it be real emunah?
The answer is: “And they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant. And then Moshe sang...” Chazal say about this (Sanhedrin 91B) that the verse actually says that “Moshe will sing” in the future. This is a hint to techiyas hameisim.
Accordingly, the emunah the nation had was in techiyas hameisim, which they had not yet seen with their eyes.
Emunah for Generations:
Sefer Zichron Shmuel adds another answer to the Meor Hashemesh’s question by quoting the Medrash that says that Hashem told Moshe that he would instill emunah into the hearts of Klal Yisroel.
He says that the pasuk can be understood to be staying that they believed in Hashem and in Moshe, His servant, through the power of the Shira. Hashem put power into the Shira to grant emunah to Klal Yisroel. Therefore, whenever we say the Shira, we bring emunah into our hearts. That generation saw everything with their eyes and did not need emunah for themselves, but they created the Shira that would provide emunah for all subsequent generations, even in times when we cannot see the miracles with our eyes.
Control Over Yissurim:
Rav Boruch of Oshpitzim zy”a (Sefer Divrei Tzadikim) asks why the pasuk uses the word “ailecha” (upon you), rather than simply using the word “becha” (with you”), and saying that Hashem will not “place sickness with you.” He further asks the well-known question of why Hashem says that he will heal us. If He first says that He will not place any sickness on us, why would we need to be healed?
He answers by quoting the Gemara (Bava Metziah 84B) that says that in the evening, Rav Elazar ben Rav Shimon called for yissurim to come to him, and in the morning, he told them to leave him. This indicates that he was in control of his own suffering and he could send for them or send them away as he saw fit. Such yissurim are good for a person but when a person’s yissurim are in control of him and he cannot send them away when he wants, they are not as beneficial.
Accordingly, the pasuk is saying that Hashem will not give us the type of yissurim that are “upon us”, meaning He will not give us suffering that we cannot control. Rather, we will be in control of our yissurim, and we will have the ability to send them away. He then says that He will heal us, meaning that if connect to Him, although we will have yissurim, we will be able to send them away when we want.
The Mann Influenced Their Speech:
Sefer Igra D’Kallah quotes Rav Menachem Mendel of Rimanov zy”a as asking why the pasuk refers to the mann as a “d’var”. He answers that this is because the mann affected the people’s speech (dibbur) and caused them to speak to Hashem properly and to avoid unnecessary or hurtful words. Thus, the people would “gather words” every day, as each day required its own pure and new words to be said to Hashem.
Concentrating on the Brachos:
The Agrah D’Kallah also offers the following alternative explanation of this pasuk:
When Klal Yisroel were in the midbar, they had no food besides the mann. Thus, they also used it for mitzvah purposes, such as for matzoh on Pesach, when there is a requirement to make the bracha of “al achilas matzoh”, and for Kiddush on Shabbos and yomtov. Thus, we may ask how they could recite the appropriate brachos on the mann. Although it tasted like matzoh, it was, in fact, mann - so how could they make the blessing of “al achilas matzoh” on it?
He answers that when they gathered the mann in the morning of that day, they had intentions to use it as matzoh and fully believed that it would taste like matzoh. Thus, it was, in fact, matzoh for them, and they were able to make the bracha of “al achilas matzoh” on it.
Accordingly, the pasuk is saying that they gathered the man as “d’var” of each day – meaning that it became the thing that was needed for that day and upon which a bracha needed to be recited.
The Mann Strengthened Their Emunah:
The Chidushei Harim zy”a (quoted in Sefer Siach Sarfei Kodesh) explains that the reason a portion of mann was preserved for future generation was to serve as a lesson about emunah and bitachon. When people would look at the mann, they would be reminded that just like Hashem cared for the nation in the desert, he will take care of us as well. Therefore, we need not worry about how we will earn a living, as we know that Hashem will provide for us.
He goes on to say that if someone runs around looking for parnassah, thinking that his efforts are what provides him with sustenance, he actually causes himself to lose and to receive less Divine assistance.
In a similar vein, Sefer Noam Elimelech quotes the explanation of his brother, Rav Zushe of Anipoli zy”a, on the verse (Vayikroh 25:20): And if you should say, “What will we eat in the seventh year if we will not sow, and we will not gather in our produce?” Rav Zushe asks why the pesukim are in a question and answer format. Why does it say: If you will ask what you will eat, the answer is that Hashem will send His blessings. Why doesn’t it just say that Hashem will send his blessings without the need for the question?
He answers that the nature of the world is that everyone is provided with as much as he needs. But if someone lacks bitachon in Hashem, the pipeline of goodness is blocked for him and he stops receiving his full share of sustenance. In this case, if the people are asking what they will eat, they are causing their pipes to be blocked.
