Segula of Parashat Beshalach

How to Unlock the Closed-Off Areas of Your Life During the Week of Parashat Beshalach

Parashat “Beshalach” is one of the Torah’s most important portions. It recounts some of the most momentous events in the history of our people—events that also serve as channels for drawing strength into every area of life: - the Exodus of our people from Egypt (yeshuot); - the pillars of cloud and fire (protection from Heaven), - the splitting of the Yam Suf (the opening of paths, finding one’s soulmate, and parnasah), - the falling of the manna (parnasah), - the Song of Moshe and Miriam (a source of gratitude), - the miracle of sweetening the water (thirst for Torah), - the war with Amalek from generation to generation (the survival of Am Yisrael).   The book “Shorshei Ha-Shemot” presents segulot through which one can resolve dead-end situations and seemingly impossible problems, and gather strength—all through reading verses of Tanakh with kavanah. It is interesting that the source of both segulot is the weekly Torah portion of “Beshalach”, from which we draw strength through “Shirat HaYam” and “Parashat HaMan”.   1. The first segula from Parashat “Beshalach” (16:16): זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה לִקְטוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אִישׁ לְפִי אָכְלוֹ עֹמֶר לַגֻּלְגֹּלֶת מִסְפַּר נַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם אִישׁ לַאֲשֶׁר בְּאָהֳלוֹ תִּקָּחוּ - “Ze hadavar asher tzivah Ado-nai liktu mimenu ish lefi ochlo omer lagulg olet mispar nafshoteichem ish laasher be’ohalo tikachu”— (this is what G-d commanded: gather it, each person according to how much he can eat—an omer per person, according to the number of your souls; each person shall gather for those in his tent).   2. The second segula consists of 12 pesukim from Tanakh. The first pasuk is also from “Beshalach” (16:8), and it begins “Parashat HaMan”: 1. וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה בְּתֵת יי לָכֶם בָּעֶרֶב בָּשָׂר לֶאֱכֹל וְלֶחֶם בַּבֹּקֶר לִשְׂבֹּעַ בִּשְׁמֹעַ יי אֶת-תְּלֻנֹּתֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר-אַתֶּם מַלִּינִם עָלָיו וְנַחְנוּ מָה לֹא-עָלֵינוּ תְלֻנֹּתֵיכֶם כִּי על-יי - “Va-yomer Moshe betet Ado-nai lachem ba-erev basar le’echol ve-lechem ba-boker lisboa bi-shmoa Ado-nai et telunoteichem asher atem malinim alav ve-nachnu mah lo aleinu telunoteichem al Ado-nai.” And Moshe said: G-d will give you meat in the evening to eat, and bread in the morning to your fill, for G-d has heard your complaints that you utter against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us, but against G-d. 2. (Isaiah 40:26) שאו מרום עיניכם וראו מי ברא אלה המוציא במספר צבאם לכלם בשם יקרא מרב אונים ואמיץ כח איש לא נעדר׃ - “Se’u marom eineichem u-re’u mi bara eleh—the One who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; because of His great might and mighty strength, no one is missing.” Lift your eyes heavenward and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name. Because of His great might and mighty strength, no one is absent. 3. (Leviticus 25:38) אֲנִ֗י יי אֱלֹ֣קיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר-הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֤ת לָכֶם֙ אֶת-אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹקים - “Ani—Ado-nai Elo-heichem asher hotzeiti etchem me’eretz Mitzrayim latet lachem et eretz Kena’an lihyot lachem le-Elo-him.” I am G-d, your Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan, to be your Lord. 4. (Deuteronomy 11:17) וְחָרָה אַף-יי בָּכֶם וְעָצַר אֶת-הַשָּׁמַיִם וְלֹא-יִהְיֶה מָטָר וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת-יְבוּלָהּ וַאֲבַדְתֶּם מְהֵרָה מֵעַל הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר יי נֹתֵן לָכֶם - “Ve-charah af Ado-nai ba-chem ve-atzar et ha-shamayim ve-lo yihyeh matar ve-ha-adamah lo titen et yevulah va-avadtem meherah me’al ha-aretz ha-tovah asher Ado-nai noten lachem.” Then G-d’s anger will flare against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain, and the earth will not yield its produce; and you will quickly perish from the good land that G-d is giving you. 5. (Exodus 33:15) וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אִם-אֵין פָּנֶיךָ הֹלְכִים אַל-תַּעֲלֵנוּ מִזֶּה - “Va-yomer elav: im ein panecha holchim al ta’alenu mi-zeh.” And he said to Him: If You Yourself do not go, do not take us up from here. 6. (Genesis 22:22) וְאֶת-כֶּשֶׂד וְאֶת-חֲזוֹ וְאֶת-פִּלְדָּשׁ וְאֶת-יִדְלָף וְאֵת בְּתוּאֵל - “Ve-et Kesed, ve-et Hazo, ve-et Pildash, ve-et Yidlaf, ve-et Betuel.” And Chesed, Hazo, Pildash, Yidlaf, and Betuel. 7. (Tehillim 109:20) זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יי וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ - “Zot pe’ulat sotnai me-et Ado-nai, ve-ha-dovrim ra al nafshi.” This is the recompense from G-d for those who hate me and speak evil against my soul. 8. (Genesis 30:23) וַתַּהַר וַתֵּלֶד בֵּן וַתֹּאמֶר אָסַף אֱלֹקים אֶת-חֶרְפָּתִי - “Va-tahar va-teled ben va-tomer asaf Elo-him et cherpati.” And she conceived and bore a son, and she said: G-d has taken away my disgrace. 9. (Genesis 31:42) לוּלֵי אֱלֹקי אָבִי אֱלֹקי אַבְרָהָם וּפַחַד יִצְחָק הָיָה לִי כִּי עַתָּה רֵיקָם שִׁלַּחְתָּנִי אֶת-עָנְיִי וְאֶת-יְגִיעַ כַּפַּי רָאָה אֱלֹקים וַיּוֹכַח אָמֶשׁ - “Lulei Elo-hei avi, Elo-hei Avraham u-fachad Yitzchak hayah li, ki atah reikam shilachtani; et oni ve-et yegia kapai ra’ah Elo-him va-yochach amesh.” Had not the G-d of my father, the G-d of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed by now. G-d saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rendered judgment last night. 10. (Song of Songs 8:6) שִׂימֵ֨נִי כַֽחוֹתָ֜ם עַל־לִבֶּ֗ךָ כַּֽחוֹתָם֙ עַל־זְרוֹעֶ֔ךָ כִּֽי־עַזָּ֤ה כַמָּ֙וֶת֙ אַהֲבָ֔ה קָשָׁ֥ה כִשְׁא֖וֹל קִנְאָ֑ה רְשָׁפֶ֕יהָ רִשְׁפֵּ֕י אֵ֖שׁ שַׁלְהֶ֥בֶתְיָֽה׃ - “Simeni chachotam al libecha ka-chotam al zero’echa, ki azah ka-mavet ahavah, kashah chi-Sheol kinah; reshafeyha rishpei esh shalhevet-yah.” Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is as strong as death, jealousy as harsh as the grave; its flames are fiery flames, a blazing fire of G-d. 11. (Tehillim 55:23) הַשְׁלֵ֤ךְ עַל־יי ׀ יְהָבְךָ֮ וְה֪וּא יְכַ֫לְכְּלֶ֥ךָ לֹא־יִתֵּ֖ן לְעוֹלָ֥ם מ֗וֹט לַצַּדִּֽיק׃ - “Hashlech al Ado-nai yehavcha ve-hu yechalkelecha; lo yiten le-olam mot la-tzadik.” Cast your burden upon G-d, and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous falter. 12. (Deuteronomy 10:20) אֶת-יי אֱלֹהֶיךָ תִּירָא אֹתוֹ תַעֲבֹד וּבוֹ תִדְבָּק וּבִשְׁמוֹ תִּשָּׁבֵעַ - “Et Ado-nai Elo-hecha tira, oto ta’avod u-vo tidbak u-vi-Shmo tishave’a.” You shall fear G-d, your Lord; Him shall you serve, to Him shall you cleave, and by His Name shall you swear.   (based on a lesson by Rabbi Alexander Tzvi Sypkov)