Believe in Yourself, Hashem Loves You

 From “Torah Wellsprings,” Rav Elimelech Biderman, shlita

     Despite witnessing the makkot and many miracles, shortly thereafter, am Yisroel rebelled against Hashem right as they approached the Yam Suf.

      Tehillim 106:7 says, “Our fathers in Egypt did not contemplate your wonders, they did not remember your abundant kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, at the Sea of Reeds.”

     The rebellion against Moshe took place when Dasan, Aviram, and their followers demanded of Moshe, “Why have you taken us out of Egypt? We told you already in Egypt to leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians. It would have been better for us to die during the Plague of Darkness.”

       After all the many wonders the Yidden saw, they should have had complete emunah and loyalty to Hashem. Why did they panic?

      Rebbe Moshe Mordechai of Lelov, zy'a, answers, "The Yidden believed in Hashem, but they didn’t believe in themselves." 

    What the Rebbe means is that they did not believe that they were unique to Hashem and chosen from all the nations: That was their mistake.

         People sometimes question themselves, and think "Hashem is so great, and I am so small. Why should Hashem choose me?" 

    Reb Tzaddok HaCohen (Tzidkas HaTzaddik 154) writes, “Just as one must believe in Hashem, one must believe in himself.

       “Every Jew must believe that Hashem wants him or her for a specific purpose.

    Jews must know that their souls come from Hashem, who feels pleasure when we serve Him.

     The Yidden rebelled at the sea because they could not recognize how special they were.

      While B’nai Yisroel could not see their own greatness, however, the gentile nations did. The parsha tells us that the non-Jews were filled with “immense fear until am Yisroel passed through,” even though, as Rashi explains, they had no reason to fear because the Yidden were not coming to conquer their lands. 

     The Yesod v'Shoresh HaAvodah (3:7) says that when we hear the words in the parsha, “Until your nation passes through” we should allow ourselves to feel immense happiness that we are B’nai Yisrael: the nation chosen from 70 other nations.

    When we hear, "This nation whom You acquired," we should think of Rashi's explanation that “acquired” means “loved.”

     We should feel extremely happy that Hashem loves us more than all of the other nations.

     No one is more important to Hashem than us, the Jewish nation.

   Although the entire world is Hashem’s, and He has so many malachim and creations, His heart is with us, with every Yid, whose essence is pure and holy.

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