In the Merit of the Women Dancing After the Splitting of the Red Sea

In his lesson after the Maariv (evening) prayer, our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), explained the secret of the dance of the women of Israel after the Splitting of the Red Sea. In the merit of their joy and emunah (faith), they remained pure from all sin throughout the generations. The Rav also addressed current events and their spiritual impact on the People of Israel, calling for strengthening in the observance of mitzvos (commandments) and meticulousness in the laws of tzniut (modesty).

Before you is a summary of the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, after the Maariv prayer on Sunday night, the 5th of Shevat, Parshas Beshalach:

The Joy of the Women – The Wall of Spiritual Protection

"And Miriam took the drum in her hand... and Miriam called out to them: Sing to Hashem, for He is most exalted; the horse and its rider He has cast into the sea."

The Midrash Hagadol says that in the merit of the women going out in dances, they did not commit any sin. The men did not go out in dances, but the women, after the Splitting of the Red Sea, danced with joy and emunah (faith). Therefore, only they were not enticed by any sin—not the Sin of the Spies, not Korach, and not the other obstacles that stood before the Children of Israel in the desert.

The Power of Emunah (Faith) Against the Trials of the Generation

Korach claimed that everything was a "fata morgana" (mirage), and even the Egyptian magicians brought frogs that multiplied with every plague. Everything appeared false, yet despite this, the men believed Korach. The only one who was saved was On ben Pelet—in the merit of his wife, who gave him wine to drink and laid him down to sleep.

Current Reality – Challenges of the Hour

Our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, emphasized in his lesson that the reality of our generation requires strengthening. The girls need to lengthen their skirts, because any decline in tzniut (modesty) brings serious consequences. The Rav shared that today seven young men were killed near a junction in Jenin, and the war has not yet ended.

A Call to Strengthen in Torah and Prayer

The spiritual war is not easy. Specifically at six in the morning, when sleep is strongest, one must rise for the Vasikin (sunrise) prayer. The girls should say Tehillim (Psalms) until Chatzos (midnight), and the boys are obligated to study the laws of Hefker (renounced property) with their wives and complete four pages of Gemara (Talmud).

Strengthening for the Days of Shovavim

The final weeks of the days of Shovavim (an auspicious period for repentance) remain. Whoever merits to fast even one day will merit to be healthy until one hundred and twenty. Until the 1st of Nissan, one must strengthen themselves in reciting Chatzos (the Midnight Lament) every night, and through this, merit an abundance of blessing and protection.