Beshalach 5786 - The Choice at the River

Picture the moment: After centuries of slavery, Bnei Yisrael are finally free. The entire nation is running through Egypt, gathering gold, silver, and precious treasures from their former oppressors. Unimaginable wealth is there for the taking. But one man—Moshe Rabbeinu himself—is doing something completely different. While everyone else is focused on material riches, Moshe stands at the edge of the Nile River, calling out to retrieve the coffin of Yosef HaTzaddik. In this episode, we explore why Onkelos translates "vayikach" not as "took" but as "brought up," uncovering the Gemara's account of how the Egyptians hid Yosef's metal coffin in the Nile. The Maharsha teaches that Moshe made a profound calculation—weighing temporary pleasure against eternal reward. Through this dramatic contrast between Moshe's mission and the nation's activities, we discover the transformative power of zerizus—acting with alacrity and enthusiasm when it comes time to perform mitzvos. This lesson challenges us to examine our own spiritual priorities: Do we approach our mitzvos with the same immediacy and dedication that Moshe showed, or do we let even legitimate distractions push our spiritual growth aside? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit notarabbi.substack.com