Beshalach, Beshallach, or Beshalah (—Hebrew for "when [he] let go" (literally: "in (having) sent"), the second word and first distinctive word in the parashah) is the sixteenth weekly Torah portion (, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the fourth in the Book of Exodus. It constitutes Exodus 13:17–17:16. In this parashah, Pharaoh changed his mind and chased after the Israelites, trapping them at the Sea of Reeds. God commanded Moses to split the sea, allowing the Israelites to escape, then closed the sea back upon the Egyptian army. The Israelites also experience the miracles of manna and clean water. Although they were attacked by the Amalekites, the Israelites were still victorious.
The parashah is made up of 6,423 Hebrew letters, 1,681 Hebrew words, 116 verses, and 216 lines in a Torah Scroll (Sefer Torah).
Jews read it the sixteenth Sabbath after Simchat Torah, in January or February.Fred Reiss, The Standard Guide to the Jewish and Civil Calendars: A Parallel Jewish and Civil Calendar from 1899 to 2050 with Parashiyyot and Haftarot and Candle-Lighting Times for Selected Cities (West Orange, New Jersey: Behrman House, 1986); “Parashat Beshalach,” Hebcal. As the parashah describes God's deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt, Jews also read part of the parashah, Exodus 13:17–15:26, as the initial Torah reading for the seventh day of Passover. And Jews also read the part of the parashah about Amalek, Exodus 17:8–16, on Purim, which commemorates the story of Esther and the Jewish people's victory over Haman's plan to kill the Jews, told in the book of Esther.. Esther 3:1 identifies Haman as an Agagite, and thus a descendant of Amalek. Numbers 24:7 identifies the Agagites with the Amalekites. A midrash tells that between King Agag's capture by Saul and his killing by Samuel, Agag fathered a child, from whom Haman in turn descended.Seder Eliyahu Rabbah, chapter 20. Targum Sheni to Esther 4:13.
The parashah is notable for the Song of the Sea, which is traditionally chanted using a different melody and is written by the scribe using a distinctive brick-like pattern in the Torah scroll. The Sabbath when it is read is known as Shabbat Shirah, as the Song of the Sea is sometimes known as the Shirah (song). Some communities' customs for this day include feeding birds and reciting the Song of the Sea out loud in the regular prayer service.
Readings In traditional Sabbath Torah reading, the parashah is divided into seven readings, or , aliyot. In the Masoretic Text of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Parashat Beshalach has eight "open portion" (, petuchah) divisions (roughly equivalent to paragraphs, often abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (peh)). Parashat Beshalach has four further subdivisions, called "closed portion" (, setumah) divisions (abbreviated with the Hebrew letter (samekh)) within the open portion divisions. The first open portion divides the first reading. The second open portion covers the balance of the first and all of the second readings. The third open portion is coincident with the third reading. The fourth open portion covers the fourth and fifth readings. The fifth open portion is coincident with the sixth reading. The sixth and seventh open portion divisions divide the seventh reading. And the eighth open portion is coincident with the maftir () reading that concludes the parashah. Closed portion divisions separate the fourth and fifth readings and divide the fifth and sixth readings.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, The Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus (Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2008) pages 88–119.
First reading—Exodus 13:17–14:8 In the first reading, when Pharaoh let the Israelites go, God led the people roundabout by way of the Sea of Reeds..
Moses took the bones of Joseph with them.. God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night.. The first open portion ends here with the end of chapter 13.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 90.
In the continuation of the reading in chapter 14, God told Moses to tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp by the sea, so that Pharaoh might think that the Israelites were trapped and follow after them.. When Pharaoh learned that the people had fled, he had a change of heart, and he chased the Israelites with chariots.. The first reading ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 92.
Second reading—Exodus 14:9–14 In the short second reading, Pharaoh overtook the Israelites by the sea.. Greatly frightened, the Israelites cried out to God and complained to Moses.. Moses told the people not to fear, for God would fight for them.. The second reading and second open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 94.
Third reading—Exodus 14:15–25 In the third reading, God told Moses to lift up his rod, hold out his arm, and split the sea.. Moses did so, and God drove back the sea with a strong east wind, and the Israelites marched through on dry ground, the waters forming walls on their right and left.. The Egyptians pursued, but God slowed them by locking their chariot wheels.. The third reading and the third open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 97.
Fourth reading—Exodus 14:26–15:26 In the long fourth reading, on God's instruction, Moses held out his arm, and the waters covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the Egyptians.. Moses and the Israelites—and then Miriam—sang a song to God, celebrating how God hurled horse and driver into the sea.. The fourth reading and a closed portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 105.
Fifth reading—Exodus 15:27–16:10 In the short fifth reading, the Israelites went three days into the wilderness and found no water.. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the bitter water, so they grumbled against Moses.. God showed Moses a piece of wood to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.. God told Moses that if he would diligently hearken to God and obey God's commandments, then God would give the Israelites none of the diseases that God had given the Egyptians.. A closed portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 107.
In the continuation of the reading, the Israelites traveled to the springs and palms of Elim, and then came to the wilderness of Sin and grumbled in hunger against Moses and Aaron.. A closed portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 108.
In the continuation of the reading, God told Moses that God would rain bread from heaven, and twice as much on the sixth day.. Moses and Aaron told the Israelites that they would see God's glory, for God had heard their murmurings against God, and the Israelites saw God's glory appear in a cloud.. The fifth reading and the fourth open portion end here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 110.
Sixth reading—Exodus 16:11–36 In the sixth reading, God heard their grumbling, and in the evening quail covered the camp, and in the morning fine flaky manna covered the ground like frost.. The Israelites gathered as much of it as they required; those who gathered much had no excess, and those who gathered little had no deficiency.. Moses instructed none to leave any of it over until morning, but some did, and it became infested with maggots and stank.. On the sixth day they gathered double the food, Moses instructed them to put aside the excess until morning, and it did not turn foul the next day, the Sabbath.. Moses told them that on the Sabbath, they would not find any manna on the plain, yet some went out to gather and found nothing.. A closed portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 114.
In the continuation of the reading, Moses ordered that a jar of the manna be kept throughout the ages.. The Israelites ate manna 40 years.. The sixth reading and the fifth open portion end here with the end of chapter 16.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 115.
Seventh reading—Exodus 17:1–16 In the seventh reading, in chapter 17, when the Israelites encamped at Rephidim, there was no water and the people quarreled with Moses, asking why Moses brought them there just to die of thirst.. God told Moses to strike the rock at Horeb to produce water, and they called the place Massah (trial) and Meribah (quarrel).. The sixth open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 117.
In the continuation of the reading, Amalek attacked Israel at Rephidim.. Moses stationed himself on the top of the hill, with the rod of God in his hand, and whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; but whenever he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.. When Moses grew weary, he sat on a stone, while Aaron and Hur supported his hands, and Joshua overwhelmed Amalek in battle.. The seventh open portion ends here.See, e.g., Menachem Davis, editor, Schottenstein Edition Interlinear Chumash: Shemos/Exodus, page 119.
In the maftir reading that concludes the parashah, God instructed Moses to inscribe a document as a reminder that God would utterly blot out the memory of Amalek.. The seventh reading, the eighth open portion, and the parashah end here.
Readings according to the triennial cycle Jews who read the Torah according to the triennial cycle of Torah reading read the parashah according to the following schedule:See, e.g., Richard Eisenberg, "A Complete Triennial Cycle for Reading the Torah," in Proceedings of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement: 1986–1990 (New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2001), pages 383–418. Year 1Year 2Year 32023, 2026, 2029 . . .2024, 2027, 2030 . . .2025, 2028, 2031 . . .Reading13:17–15:2614:15–16:1014:26–17:16113:17–2214:15–2014:26–15:21214:1–414:21–2515:22–26314:5–814:26–15:2115:27–16:10414:9–1415:22–2616:11–27514:15–2015:27–16:316:28–36614:21–2516:4–717:1–7714:26–15:2616:8–1017:8–16Maftir15:22–2616:8–1017:14–16
In inner-biblical interpretation The parashah has parallels or is discussed in these Biblical sources:For more on inner-Biblical interpretation, see, e.g., Benjamin D. Sommer, "Inner-biblical Interpretation," in Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler, editors, The Jewish Study Bible: 2nd Edition (New York: Oxford University Press, 2014), pages 1835–41.
Exodus chapter 15 Noting that the Hebrew Torah cited the events at the Sea recounted in Exodus 15:1–18 repeatedly—in Psalms 66:6, 77:17–21, 78:13, and 114:3; and Isaiah 51:9–10 and 63:11–13 (among other places)—Reuven Hammer argued that the Bible treated those events "as proof of God's wonderous salvation."Reuven Hammer, Or Hadash: A Commentary on Siddur Sim Shalom for Weekdays (New York: Rabbinical Assembly, 2008), page 27.
Exodus chapter 16 Exodus 16:22–30 refers to the Sabbath. Commentators note that the Hebrew Bible repeats the commandment to observe the Sabbath 12 times.Abraham E. Millgram, editor, The Sabbath Anthology (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1944; reprinted 2018), page 203.
Genesis 2:1–3 reports that on the seventh day of creation, God finished God's work, rested, and blessed and hallowed the seventh day.