Most
people see this week’s Torah portion, Beshellach as a celebration of the defeat of Pharaoh and
Egypt. While the text of Shirat Hayam – the song of the sea – is
triumphalist in its tone and tenor, it also provides us with a stark message: a
warning against the worship of power and self-aggrandizement. BeShellach is the grand culmination of
the conflict between Pharaoh and Moses. If you