Do You Remember? Parshat Beshalach

Pasha's bishalik is about memory and forgetting. How can a people who've just witnessed miracles that shook the world, the plagues, the exodus, the splitting of the sea, and yet only days later they forget? They panic. They complain. They say, "Was it for lack of graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the wilderness?" How can you forget something so overwhelming? But parasik isn't really about forgetting facts. It's about forgetting presence. A Malik attacks them bad on the way in the moment when the Jewish people are tired, disoriented, and unsure of themselves. And the Malik's power is always the same to make you forget that Hashem is with you now, not just in the past. Towards the end of her life, my mother, may she rest in peace, began to forget things. For the last five years, communication became harder and harder. Anyone who's been through that knows how painful it is. Visiting can feel like a one-way conversation. And if I'm honest, I sometimes found it very difficult. Perhaps my one regret is that I didn't always stay there a bit longer. I could have read a book. I could have just been there. But here's the thing. Even when memory goes, presence remains. Before her memory faded, someone from the local health authority came to test her to test her memory. He gave her a long oral memory exam. And when he left, he forgot his umbrella. My mother said, "That's the kind of person they sent to test me for my memory." She hadn't lost herself, and maybe she never did. Paras Bashak reminds us, "Imuna isn't remembering yesterday's miracles. It's choosing to be present now, even when the conversation feels one-sided, even when clarity is gone. Because Hashem doesn't forget us. And sometimes just being there is the greatest act of faith.