Actions speak louder than words

We learned yesterday that Joseph sanctified God’s name in private. Today’s daf TB Sotah 37 explains how Judah sanctify God’s name in public. Before studying this sugiyah, I’m sure you would have pointed to the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar is accused of adultery and Judah decrees the death penalty for this sin.

“About three months later, Judah was told, ‘Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot; in fact, she is pregnant from harlotry.’ ‘Bring her out,’ said Judah. ‘She should be burned!’ As she was being brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law, ‘It’s by the man to whom these belong that I’m pregnant.’ And she added, ‘Examine these: whose seal and cord and staff are these?’ Judah recognized them, and said, ‘She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.’ And he was not intimate with her again.” (Genesis 38:24-26) (Sefaria.org translation) Judah had the courage to admit his wrong and accept responsibility for it in public. That also was sanctifying God’s name in public.  Too bad some of our modern politicians don’t follow Judah’s example and sanctify God’s name in public.

However, today’s daf presents a different story where it is not Judah himself who sanctifies God’s name in public, but one of his descendants. This sanctification God’s name takes place on the seventh day of Passover right before the Sea of Reeds splits.

“Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Meir: That is not how the incident took place. Rather, this tribe said: I am not going into the sea first, and that tribe said: I am not going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the prince of Judah, Nahshon ben Amminadab, and descended into the sea first, accompanied by his entire tribe, as it is stated: “Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit, and Judah is yet wayward toward God [rad im El]” (Hosea 12:1), which is interpreted homiletically as: And Judah descended [rad] with God [im El].

“And in this regard, the tradition, i.e., the Writings, explicates Nahshon’s prayer at that moment: “Save me, God; for the waters are come in even unto the soul. I am sunk in deep mire, where there is no standing…let not the water flood overwhelm me, neither let the deep swallow me up” (Psalms 69:2–3, 16).

“At that time, Moses was prolonging his prayer. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: My beloved ones are drowning in the sea and you prolong your prayer to me? Moses said before Him: Master of the Universe, but what can I do? God said to him: “Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward. And you, lift up your rod and stretch out your hand” (Exodus 14:15–16).

"For this reason, because Nahshon and the tribe of Judah went into the sea first, the tribe of Judah merited to govern Israel, as it is stated: “Judah became His sanctuary, Israel His dominion. The sea saw it and fled” (Psalms 114:2–3). The baraita interprets the verses in this manner: What is the reason that Judah became His sanctuary and Israel came under His dominion? It is because “the sea saw it and fled.”” (Sefaria.org translation)

But this is not the only story of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds when another of the tribes takes the initiative and jumps into the sea first.

“As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: When the Jewish people stood at the Red Sea, the tribes were arguing with one other. This one was saying: I am going into the sea first, and that one was saying: I am going into the sea first. Then, in jumped the tribe of Benjamin and descended into the sea first, as it is stated: “There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them [rodem]” (Psalms 68:28). Do not read it as: “Ruling them [rodem]”; rather, read it as: Descending [red] into the sea [yam]. And the princes of the tribe of Judah were stoning them [rogmim otam] for plunging in first and not in the proper order, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “The princes of Judah, their council [rigmatam]” (Psalms 68:28).

"Therefore, Benjamin the righteous was privileged to serve as host to the Divine Presence of the Almighty, as the Temple was built in the territory of Benjamin, as it is stated in Moses’ blessing for the tribe of Benjamin: “The beloved of the Lord shall dwell in safety by Him; He covers him all the day, and He rests between his shoulders” (Deuteronomy 33:12).” (Sefaria.org translation)

As you can see from these two accounts of the Israelites crossing the Sea of Reeds, actions speak louder than words. God reminds the Jewish people there is a time to pray and there’s a time to act. We should not rely solely upon prayer to solve our problems. The Holocaust and the rebirth of the state of Israel have taught us this lesson. We must take matters in our own hands and be masters of our fate. When we do, heaven will award us just like God rewarded the tribe of Benjamin having the Temple built in its territory and Judah becoming the leader of the Israelite people.