We often imagine nature as this passive backdrop to the human drama, but Jewish tradition sometimes paints a very different picture. A picture where creation itself has a voice, a will, and even... fears?
Let's dive into a fascinating passage from Midrash Tehillim, a collection of interpretations on the Book of Psalms. Psalm 114 describes the Israelites' exodus from Egypt and the miraculous splitting of the Red Sea (or Reed Sea, Yam Suf) and the subsequent crossing of the Jordan River. But the Midrash takes this literally and asks: why did the Jordan River turn back? What's the big deal?
The text pointedly asks, "What is the value of the Jordan, and what does it matter to him? Were people standing in the Jordan?" It seems almost dismissive, doesn't it? But that's just setting us up for a deeper point. The Midrash suggests the Jordan's reaction isn't about the river itself, but about leadership. The key is this: "if the leader flees, all will flee."
Think about it. The Jordan saw the Sea fleeing, and then it turned back. It’s like a ripple effect. But why was the Sea fleeing in the first place? That's where things get even more interesting.
According to the Midrash, Moses confronts the Sea. He asks, "You did not say, 'I will not split,' yet now you are fleeing? What is it to you, Sea, that you flee?" Can you imagine Moses, the ultimate leader, questioning the very fabric of creation?
And the Sea answers back! It isn’t fleeing from Moses, it insists. "I am not fleeing from you," the Sea explains, "but from the Master of the Universe." This is a crucial point. The Sea acknowledges God's power and authority. It's not just some natural phenomenon; it's responding to the divine will.
The Sea elaborates, reminding Moses that God instructed the dry land to emerge from it on the third day of Creation, while Moses (and humanity itself) was created later, on the sixth day. In other words, the Sea recognizes its place in the cosmic order, its subservience to the Creator. It says, "I am not fleeing from you, Moses, but from Jacob's God, the Rock who transforms a desert into a water spring."
Wow.
So, what does this all mean? It's not just a literal account of a fleeing sea and river. It's a profound lesson about power, authority, and the relationship between humanity and the divine. The Sea's flight highlights the ultimate authority of God, an authority that even the most powerful forces of nature must acknowledge.
And the Jordan? Well, maybe it just needed a strong example to follow. Maybe we all do.