Welcome to the short, practical Lelamed Weekly Dvar and Daily Aliyah. As always, you can Order The Daily Aliyah <https://mosaicapress.com/product/the-daily-aliyah/> and receive your hard copy of these daily practical and relevant Torah thoughts (all proceeds go to Daily Giving), or join this Whatsapp group <https://chat.whatsapp.com/GFRNDpSWoFHGhHYziqAGYv> to receive one per day. I hope you find this meaningful... _______________________________________________ This week’s parashah, Beshalach, is filled with miracles, transitions, and complaints. The Jewish people’s inaugural complaint involves their fear of being overrun by the pursuing Egyptian army, to which Moshe responds, “Stand firm and watch…” how God will save us (14:13). The word used to instruct the Jews to stand firm is “hityatzvu,” a word seldom used in the Torah. Why would it be important for us to stand firm while God fights our battle, and what’s the significance of that special word? Rabbi David Fohrman explains that the word “hityatzvu” was used when Miriam stood watching him by the river to see what would happen to Moshe. Her actions demonstrated her trust that things would work out despite the perilous risk to Moshe’s life. There’s a difference between mindlessly observing something and knowingly watching while having a strong conviction about a certain outcome. Moshe’s message was not only to have faith in Hashem but to teach the Jewish People to have steadfast faith in the result. When we encounter struggles in life, God reminds us, through one word, to have not only faith but also belief that God will help us through them. Just watch. Shlomo Ressler _____________________________________________ Quotation of the week: "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."