Beshalach: following orders

Beshalach: following orders

 On one level, Beshalach is about following orders.  Pharaoh orders the Israelites out of Egypt.  Gd leads the people in the dessert  and they follow the orders.  Gd, the Master of War ( ish Milchama), directs the movement of the Israelites into a strategy of entrapping the Egyptians.  The Egyptians presumably follow orders into the sea-trap. 

After the shirah, the issue of following orders becomes even more prominent. The cloud guides the people  into the dessert  Surprise: the water is not potable.  The people complain to and about Moshe and Aaron.  After the recent events,  they can't  ( dare not) imagine what would happen if they complained to Gd.  Gd shows Moshe a technological solution, the sweetening wood. Moshe follows instructions.  Gd the healer 

Oh yeah, food.  People need food.  And there is no food in the dessert. Gd rains down food , Manna, from heaven.  But there are rules associated with the Manna.  There is a limit on the amount  each person can take and consume.  No more, no less. This is the ultimate socialism. The state produces a sufficient quanitity.  The system works if everyone takes her allotment - no more,  no less.  Since Gd enforces the order, trying to cheat does not help this time.

Manna is also associated with Shabbath. Double rations on Friday, nothing on Shabbath.  The prohibition of Techum,  the  permissible radius, is given.  More rules.

The water problem recurs. The people are ready to stone Moshe.  Moshe brings forth water from the stone. This time he followed the orders correctly.  Later, when he does (what appears to be) the same thing ( in Bamidbar), he is sentenced to death and burial outside the land. When you follow orders, do it carefully, otherwise you may come to regret ( Yinachem) it. 

Finally, there is the eternal order to fight Amalek. We know Amalek.  They are the the people who follow orders.

Don't mess with Gd!