R'egah B'ivrit: Parashas Beshalach

Parashat Beshalach followed by Parashat Yisro on the giving of Torah.

Q: What is Torah?

Tav - Vav - Resh - Hey

(ד) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם לֶ֖חֶם מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתוֹרָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃

(4) And the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread for you from the sky, and the people shall go out and gather each day that day’s portion—that I may thus test them, to see whether they will follow My instructions or not.

אנסנו: means "Test" or "Trial" come from the word נס (miracle) or ניסוי (Experience).

Hashem often bring tests and trials in our life for us to experience His miracles and see whether His people will believe in Him.

The Word "בתורתי" is mentioned twice in Exodus chapter 16, v4 and v28.

(כח) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה עַד־אָ֙נָה֙ מֵֽאַנְתֶּם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר מִצְוֺתַי וְתוֹרֹתָֽי׃

(28) And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you men refuse to obey My commandments and My teachings?

מצותי ותורתי: "My Mitzvot (commandments)" and "My Torah (teachings)". When a word ends with the letter "י", it has a obsessive meaning.

Here G-d is making a distinction between His Torah and the people's Torah.

Before receiving HIS Torah תורתי and be transformed to be תורתנו OUR Torah as part of our life and walk into the covenant of Torah with the G-d of Israel, we must first go through trials (אנסנו) and overcome it through experiencing (ניסוי) the supernatural miracle (נס) by the mighty hand of G-d, as He delivered the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Amidah "because your miracles are with us evening, morning"

Modeh Ani