Parshat Beshalach
Shabbat Shira

The connection of this week’s haftarah from Sefer Shofetim to our parasha of Beshalach requires little explanation. We have previously discussed the many parallels between our parasha and haftarah, including the miraculous victories over Israel’s enemies, the defeat of the foes’ chariot brigades and the respective songs of praise that followed the victories. But we would be mistaken were we to equate both events and ignore the important difference between these two momentous miracles that brought forth such memorable songs. My dear brother-in-law, Rabbi Bienenfeld, shared with me an approach of Rav Soloveitchik regarding Hashem’s miracles, explaining a subtle, but crucial, difference between wondrous events. In doing so, we can also gain an insight into our observance of Tu B’Shevat, that we mark each year during this week of Shabbat Shira.

The Mishna in Masechet Rosh Hashanah (1:1) enumerates the four “new years” (Roshei Shana) in the annual Hebrew calendar, the days that mark the beginning of a new “cycle” for specific halachot. They include: the dates that begin the count of a king’s reign (necessary for proper dating of legal documents), the date that starts each year of the Shemitah cycle count and even the specific day when the count for animal tithing (Ma’aser B’heima) begins. These are all days of halachic import with little connection to the world of nature. However, Tu B’Shevat seems to be an exception. According to the Gemara, Tu B’Shevat marks the date when the majority of the year’s rainfall has already accumulated and, therefore, is responsible for the development of last year’s fruit (it is actually the new year for fruit rather than for trees). As a result, Tu B’Shevat is a day of “demarcation,” defining in which year the fruit is to be tithed. But, as this is a simple result of nature, why do we “celebrate” this new year more so than the others? Why do we rejoice over a natural phenomenon that occurs each year?

The Rav addresses this question by raising his own query:

Who would we regard as being “greater”: Moshe or Avraham?

Moshe Rabbeinu, the greatest of all prophets [Devarim 34:10]

Or Avraham Avinu, the first of all prophets? [Bereishit 20:7]

The Rav felt that Avraham was greater for one clear reason. He explained that there are two ways for an individual to fully recognize the greatness or the magnitude of Hashem. One way is in the wake of the miraculous, for when God performs miracles, one can hardly help but acknowledge His existence and believe in His Providence. Moshe’s path to his recognition of Hashem’s omnificence and acceptance of His mission was brought through the wonder of a burning bush. The second path — that of Avraham — was reached by the recognition of a Divine Being in the wonders of nature. Avraham “discovered” God through the natural order; indeed, the Rav pointed out, there are no miracles to speak of in the entire Book of Bereishit. And so, it was this one attribute that made Avraham even greater than Moshe, for when Hashem acts through the cosmic and universal laws He created, His Presence is not that obvious; it demands significant effort and sharp perception to notice it and cannot be hurried.

Perhaps now, we may see the significance of Tu B’Shevat in a new light. Once a year, we are asked to peer behind the curtain of nature and, there, to discover God. The plain fruit, the common tree, beckons us to look beyond the obvious. It asks us to make a simple blessing and to recognize “Mi bara es eileh— Who created it all” (Yeshayahu 40:26)…and to celebrate!

Which, finally, brings us to the difference between our haftarah and our parsha.

Yes. B’nai Yisrael sang praises to God after they witnessed the wondrous splitting of the Red Sea and the miracle of their escape from her waters. But the Israelites of Devorah’s time sang their praises to Hashem after witnessing no more than simple acts of nature: a heavy rain that soaked the banks of Nachal Kishon, caused it to overflow, which, in turn, made the enemies’ chariots useless—and Israel’s army victorious. These were simple acts of nature which Devorah and her army recognized as wondrous acts of God.

So. Whose song was greater?

Indeed, as Rabbi Bienenfeld subsequently commented, if we can learn to detect Hashem in the workings of nature, we might also learn to see Hashem ever active and deeply involved in our own human affairs.

Rabbi Neil Winkler is the rabbi emeritus of the Young Israel of Fort Lee, and now lives in Israel.