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Parashat Beshalach – From Nothingness to Somethingness

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And the Children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left.” (Shemot 14:22)

Commentators have puzzled over the passage describing the crossing of the Sea of Reeds as “walking into the midst of the sea on dry land”.[1] Does it mean that the Israelites walked on the dry land when they were in the midst of the sea after it was split?

Or is this a paradox: how can one walk in the midst of a sea, but still be on dry land? After all, either you are in the sea, or you are on dry land! You cannot be both at the same time!

But perhaps there is no problem. Perhaps there is no dichotomy.

Perhaps there can be both simultaneously. Just as one can be biologically alive but spiritually dead, one can walk on dry land while being in the midst of water.

How so?

Think of the case of light. Physicists tell us that light is both a particle and a wave, two very different phenomena. Logically it should not be possible for both of these states to exist........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)