Welcome to Torah in Real Time with Rabbi Shlomo Gemara. Parashat Beshalach is remembered for thunder and miracle— for a sea split open, for walls of water, for a people finally breaking free from centuries of slavery. It is remembered for Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea— for faith erupting into poetry, for a nation finding its voice. But before any of that— before the water parts, before the singing begins— the Torah tells us something quieter, heavier, and more demanding: “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him.” The people do not leave Egypt empty-handed. They do not rush forward in triumph alone. They carry their dead. They carry a promise made generations earlier. They carry the weight of unfinished redemption. Beshalach teaches us that freedom is not only about escape. It is about responsibility. It is about refusing to build a future that forgets those who were lost along the way. The Exodus is not only a story of running. It is a story of carrying. Only then do they reach the sea. Only then does Pharaoh chase. Only then does terror rise and faith is tested. The people cry out. They feel trapped—with water in front of them and an army behind them. This is not yet the song. This is the moment before the miracle, when courage is demanded without guarantees. And it is precisely there—at the edge of fear— that redemption takes its most honest shape. This week, Beshalach is no longer only a Torah portion. It is a living reality. As Israel receives the final hostage, Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, Beshalach is unfolding in real time. Ran Gvili was a police special forces officer who ran toward danger on October 7th to defend Israeli civilians. He was killed in battle and taken into Gaza. After 843 days, his remains were finally brought home for burial—closing a chapter of captivity for the Jewish people. Like Joseph’s bones, Ran Gvili’s return reminds us of a hard truth: A people cannot truly cross forward while someone is still missing. A nation cannot fully sing while one soul is left behind. Only after the sea splits does the Torah say: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord.” The Song of the Sea is not just a song of victory. It is a song that comes after responsibility. After memory. After carrying the weight of covenant. The Torah describes the sea parting “by the breath of God’s nostrils.” In the Torah, nostrils—af, apayim—are the gateway of breath and life, but also of power, anger, and divine force. The same breath that gives life is the breath that reshapes the world. And only then do the words rise: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously… The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” Beshalach teaches us that redemption is not measured only by miracles. It is measured by memory. By dignity. By who we insist on bringing with us. Today, as Israel brings home Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, z”l, we are living Joseph’s bones in real time. We are being reminded that true freedom is not only about who walks out— but about who is carried out. This is not ancient history. This is Beshalach. This is the sea in front of us. This is the weight we carry. This is now. ——🎧 The Avrum Rosensweig Show —— A one-of-a-kind, intimate schmooze-fest, hosted and produced by the endlessly curious veteran radio and TV personality, Avrum Rosensweig. With warmth and wit, Avrum uncovers the secrets, dreams, and innermost thoughts of people from all walks of life. From local shelf stockers, plumbers, food servers, to crossing guards, stars, public figures, and cultural icons. Join this channel to get access to perks: / @avrumrosensweigshow Listen to The Avrum Rosensweigh Show on: https://open.spotify.com/show/6LZFTR0... https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... https://avrumspodcast.podbean.com/ Instagram: / avrumrosensweigshow TikTok: / avrumrosensweig #podcastcanada #storytellingmatters #jewishpodcast #jewishwisdom #jewishfaith #jewishlearning #jewisheducation #jewishcommunity #jewishheritage #jewishtradition #jewishculture #jewishcommunity #jewishhistory #jewishphilosophy #spiritualwisdom #motivationalpodcast #motivationalinterview #fascinatingpeople #engagingconversations #personalgrowth #lifelessons #leadershipstories #faithandwisdom #jewishinspirations #podcastinterview #theavrumrosensweigshow #TorahInRealTime #ParashatBeshalach #ShiratHaYam #CarryingThePast #RedemptionAndResponsibility #MemoryIsFreedom #JosephsBones #BeforeTheSong #FaithAtTheEdge #ThisIsNow #RanGvili #hostagesGaza #Gaza
