[Translation: EF/Everett Fox, The Five Books of Moses. We are not yet featuring the usual commentaries, we’re simply updating to the new translation from the former. The commentary here is by NSB@S6K. —Admin1]
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Cecille B. DeMille of Hollywood epic cinema fame probably deserves credit for bringing to the movie-viewing public the most memorable imagery of the parting of the Red Sea by Moses (Charlton Heston), as well as the drowning of the Egyptian charioteers as the arrogant Pharaoh (Yul Brynner) watched in regretful awe.
His 1956 remake of his 1923 silent film “The Ten Commandments” depended on set designers who had to recreate the biblical narrative in an (by now) antiquated way without the aid of today’s visual computer technology. The film is resurrected for reshowing every Easter or Holy Week, so generations after the 50’s are familiar with reruns of that film, not just the baby boomers.
A bit of trivia about Mr. DeMille: his father was an Episcopalian pastor, his mother was of German-Jewish descent who converted to her husband’s faith. The point? His parents’ faith and his own exposure to the Bible must have impacted his career, for how many filmmakers would invest in biblical films if they want to make money? And yet, this film did become a box office hit, enough to be followed by other less successful epic films.
So what is the connection of this discussion with this chapter? Well, if movie-goers got a biblical education through this film and applauded at the man-made artificial parting of the Red Sea, can you imagine what the Israelites witnessed of the actual display of their Liberator’s divine power orchestrating forces of nature to create a walkway through water till the last slave had crossed over, and not to be content with that, follow it up with the spectacle of the wall of water crashing down to drown the pursuing Egyptian army right before their eyes? What an awesome God is YHWH indeed and in deed!
This chapter is undoubtedly the most exciting action-filled segment of the children of Israel’s flight from Egypt. The biblical narrative itself needs no further interpretation, read for yourself!
Update 12/2014
There is yet another film that, from the preview visuals being shown, promises to outdo any previous Hollywood set/camera tricks that by now appear antiquated and totally superseded by computer technology that can do anything visually in photos or on film. The title: EXODUS: Gods and Kings. The brouhaha over this film is not what you would expect—faithfulness to the biblical record—no, no, no. Instead, it’s all about: why, if the film is about Israel’s liberation from Egyptian bondage according to the book of Exodus in the Torah of the Hebrew Scriptures, why there is not one Jewish actor among the cast? So now, this controversy is getting the film more publicity than it already is. Strangely, these days, filmmakers have returned to Biblical stories; the film on Noah and the flood made big bucks at the box office. Perhaps majority of moviegoers/rerun-televiewers watch these for the sensational special effects; perhaps others, to get a crash course on biblical stories, who knows!? Hopefully a remnant will be curious enough to seek out the Hebrew Scriptures and read the original account there. The Liberator of the Hebrews, the Redeemer of Israel, the One Who Parted the Sea of Reeds—He has his ways of getting one’s attention. Hopefully some of the movie-viewers will seek Him out if they never did before.
Here’s a review by one of our favorite writers Rabbi Benjamin Blech of aish.com: http://www.aish.com/ci/a/Exodus–Hollywood.html : Exodus & Hollywood by Rabbi Benjamin Blech: “Why the new film is a disgrace”
Exodus/Shemoth 14
1 YHVH spoke to Moshe, saying:2 Speak to the Children of Israel,
that they may turn back and encamp before Pi Ha-Hirot, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-tzefon, opposite it, you are to encamp by the sea.3 Now Pharaoh will say of the Children of Israel:
They are confused in the land! The wilderness has closed them in!4 I will make Pharaoh’s heart strong-willed, so that he pursues them,
and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians may know that I am YHVH. They did thus.5 Now the king of Egypt was told that the people fled, and
Pharaoh’s heart and (that of) his servants changed regarding the people, they said: What is this that we have done, that we have sent free Israel from serving us?
This is from The Torah for Dummies by Arthur Kurzweil, one of our MUST OWN recommended books:
The Torah explains that 2 to 3 million Israelites, 600,000 of whom were men, left Egypt. And so ended 430 years of bitter servitude by the children of Israel in Egypt. But trouble from the Pharaoh wasn’t completely behind them. God directed the Israelites as they fled but took them on a circuitous route. the Pharaoh learned of their path, and one last time God hardened the Pharaoh’s heart, causing him to change his mind about letting the Israelites go. The Pharaoh realized that he had released millions of people who provided free labor to Egypt—what a mistake! About 2000 years ago, the historian Josephus wrote that Pharaoh gathered 600 chariots, 50,000 horsemen, and 200,000 foot soldiers and went after the Israelites.
The Israelites wound up caught between the Egyptian army on one side and the Red Sea on the other. The Torah calls the sea the yam suf (yahm sof; Sea of Reeds); it’s better known as the Red Sea, which is the erroneous Greek translation. They protested to Moses, saying “How could you do this to us?” Moses reassured the people and told them that they were about to see something amazing.
God instructed Moses to raise his staff and arms. The sea split, dividing the waters. The Israelites entered the dry sea bed and the water formed as two walls, one on each side of them. The Egyptian army followed them into the sea bed, where the wheels of their chariots got stuck and they all drowned. As the Torah says, “Not a single one was left.”
7 and he took six hundred selected chariots and every (kind of) chariot of Egypt,
teams-of-three upon them all.8 Now YHVH made the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt strong-willed, so that he pursued the Children of Israel,
while the Children of Israel were going out with a high hand.9 The Egyptians pursued them and overtook them encamped by the sea,
all of Pharaoh’s chariot-horses, his riders, and his army, by Pi Ha-Hirot, before Baal-tzefon.10 As Pharaoh drew near, the Children of Israel lifted up their eyes:
Here, Egypt marching after them! They were exceedingly afraid. And the Children of Israel cried out to YHVH,11 they said to Moshe:
Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us out to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?12 Is this not the very word that we spoke to you in Egypt,
saying: Let us alone, that we may serve Egypt! Indeed, better for us serving Egypt than our dying in the wilderness!13 Moshe said to the people:
Do not be afraid! Stand fast and see YHVH’S deliverance which he will work for you today, for as you see Egypt today, you will never see it again for the ages!14 YHVH will make war for you, and you-be still!
15 YHVH said to Moshe:
Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the Children of Israel, and let-them-march-forward!16 And you-
hold your staff high, stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, so that the Children of Israel may come through the midst of the sea upon the dry-land.17 But I,
here, I will make Egypt’s heart strong-willed, so that they come in after them, and I will be glorified through Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and his riders;18 the Egyptians shall know that I am YHVH,
when I am glorified through Pharaoh, his chariots and his riders.19 The messenger of God that was going before the camp of Israel moved on and went behind them,
the column of cloud moved ahead of them and stood behind them,20 coming between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel.
Here were the cloud and the darkness, and (there) it lit up the night; the-one did not come near the-other all night.21 Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea,
and YHVH caused the sea to go back with a fierce east wind all night, and made the sea into firm-ground; thus the waters split.22 The Children of Israel came through the midst of the sea upon the dry-land,
the waters a wall for them on their right and on their left.23 But the Egyptians pursued and came in after them,
all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his riders, into the midst of the sea.24 Now it was at the daybreak-watch:
YHVH looked out against the camp of Egypt in the column of fire and cloud, and he panicked the camp of Egypt,25 he loosened the wheels of his chariots and made them to drive with heaviness.
Egypt said: I must flee before Israel, for YHVH makes war for them against Egypt!26 Then YHVH said to Moshe:
Stretch out your hand over the sea, and the waters shall return upon Egypt-upon its chariots and upon its riders.27 Moshe stretched out his hand over the sea,
and the sea returned, at the face of dawn, to its original-place, as the Egyptians were fleeing toward it. And YHVH shook the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.28 The waters returned,
they covered the chariots and the riders of all of Pharaoh’s army that had come after them into the sea, not even one of them remained.29 But the Children of Israel had gone upon dry-land, through the midst of the sea,
the waters a wall for them on their right and on their left.30 So YHVH delivered Israel on that day from the hand of Egypt;
Israel saw Egypt dead by the shore of the sea,31 and Israel saw the great hand that YHVH had wrought against Egypt,
the people held YHVH in awe, they trusted in YHVH and in Moshe his servant.
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