Parshat Beshalach: Mud and Miracles
February 7, 2025
Exodus 14:22
וַיָּבֹ֧אוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל בְּת֥וֹךְ הַיָּ֖ם בַּיַּבָּשָׁ֑ה וְהַמַּ֤יִם לָהֶם֙ חוֹמָ֔ה מִֽימִינָ֖ם וּמִשְּׂמֹאלָֽם׃
and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.
At the climax of the most awesome of miracles to befall the children of Israel, the splitting of the sea of reeds, our Rabbis teach a midrash that tells the story of two Israelites, Reuben and Shimon:
“It was precisely at the moment that the Israelites went down into the sea bed, that they found it full of mud, because it was still wet from the water. There were two Israelites Reuven and Shimon who were among the Israelites. As they walked through the sea, all they could talk about was the mud. Reuven said: ‘In Egypt, we had mud, and now in the sea we have mud. In Egypt, we had clay for bricks, and here too, we have an abundance of clay to make bricks.’ They rebelled at the sea, even though this was the parting of the Sea of Reeds! They didn’t notice the water, they only saw the mud.”
When faced with life’s challenges, it is easy to fixate on what is difficult or frustrating rather than the larger picture of what is unfolding in our lives. We dwell on the metaphorical mud, the imperfections, the setbacks, the struggles, while failing to notice the miracles that surround us. The key to shifting Reuven and Shimon’s perspective, and our own, is gratitude. Not the passive kind, but an active, intentional effort to recognize the good even when it is mixed with frustrations. Had they paused for a moment and looked up, they would have been awed by the towering walls of water on either side. Instead, their gaze was downward, locked onto the inconvenience of the mud beneath their feet. How often we do the same!our hours when read aloud. Would the Moses of the burning bush ever have believed he could give such a speech? When we have the courage and faith to push ourselves beyond what we deem possible, we discover strengths we didn’t know we had, realizing a potential that God saw all along even when we had our doubts.rt us in our times of need, and when things are well, helps us maintain gratitude and a check on our ego. I understand the desire of the officers in Catch 22 to have a break from God. But the Jewish way is to embrace God in all aspects of life, not as an intrusion but as a companion, a guide, and a source of meaning.t that in a moment our lives can change for the better too. Our job is not only to hope, but expect that good will come when we least expect it in stature and authority in Egypt and save an entire region from famine.