In this week’s reading, the Torah tells us that Moshe spread out his hand over the sea, a wind blew all through the night, the waters divided, and the Children of Israel walked through on dry ground [Ex. 14:21-22].
The Medrash, however, fills in an important detail. In the Talmud [Sotah 37a], Rebbe Yehudah teaches that although the children of Israel were told to travel through the sea, the water was still there, frothing in front of them. Each person said “I’m not going in first,” and so no one went in. They stood there, though the Egyptians were chasing after them, and the water remained.
Nachshon, the son of Amminadav of the tribe of Yehudah, saw what was happening and jumped into the water. This was the leadership that Hashem was waiting to see, and so then the sea split. This is why Nachshon’s descendent, David, became King over Israel, and the future anointed King will be from his line.
What Nachshon saw, that others did not, was that since G-d had told them to travel through the water, they had to make the attempt and trust in Hashem to make it work.
That lesson had traveled with us through history: that it is worth doing what you know to be right, that Hashem wants, even if others would call it risky. We are fortunate to have Nachshon as our model, teaching us that when following what Hashem wants, a risk may be the path that leads to success.
