In his recent lesson on Parashat Beshalach, Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto delved into the significance of the Splitting of the Red Sea and how it relates to the challenges of livelihood and marriage. According to the sages, securing a match or earning a livelihood is as difficult as the splitting of the sea, yet the Torah itself states, “And the waters were split.” Why, then, does the Talmud use the term “tearing” rather than “splitting”?Rabbi Pinto explained that the distinction between the two terms is crucial. Splitting (beki’a) refers to the first time something is divided into two, while tearing (keri’a) implies a repeated process, where something whole is torn apart again. When the Israelites arrived at the sea, it was split for them, but after the Egyptians drowned, the sea was torn apart a second time—for two individuals: Datan and Aviram.Datan and Aviram are often regarded as negative figures in the Torah, yet they remained in Egypt even after the Israelites had left. When Pharaoh pursued the nation, they joined his army, and after witnessing the drowning of the Egyptians, they sought to cross the sea themselves. In an extraordinary event, God performed a second miracle just for them, tearing the sea apart once again. But why did they merit such a miracle?
In Egypt, the task of supervising the Hebrew slaves was assigned to Jewish officers, who were responsible for ensuring that work was completed as demanded. If the slaves failed to meet expectations, these officers were expected to beat their fellow Jews. However, Datan and Aviram refused to harm their brethren. Instead of punishing others, they themselves endured beatings from the Egyptians.Despite their later opposition to Moses and their loyalty to Pharaoh at certain points, their willingness to suffer for the sake of others rather than inflict pain on them granted them extraordinary merit. This is why the sea was torn apart a second time, even though they had not initially been included in the miracle of the Israelites.The sages emphasize that finding a spouse and earning a livelihood are not merely as challenging as the initial splitting of the sea, but rather as the tearing of the sea, which occurred for the second time. The key difference lies in the moment when the miracle takes place. For the Israelites, the sea was split once—but for Datan and Aviram, who had remained in Egypt and yet still merited salvation, the sea was torn anew.Rabbi Pinto concluded with a clear message: A person who suffers for others but does not cause others to suffer is granted divine blessings. One who is willing to endure hardship to spare others from pain opens the gates of prosperity and success. Just as Datan and Aviram received a personal miracle for their refusal to harm their fellow Jews, those who adopt this mindset will see blessings in their livelihood and marriage.According to Rabbi Pinto, the secret lies in bearing the burden of others. When a person focuses not only on their own success but also on how they can ease the lives of others, new doors open before them. This is how the sea was torn—and this is how life itself transforms.This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel