In every service, we sing the Mi Chamocha prayer, which is the quintessential prayer of celebration. We hearken back to the Israelites’ singing with glee as they crossed the splitting waters of the Red Sea.
There’s a midrash, however, that suggests that not everyone was celebrating during that moment of freedom from Egypt. Two guys were in the back of the marching throng, doing what Jews sometimes do best: whining.
They were complaining about the heat. They were complaining about the lack of food. They’re feet hurt. And so on. Their heads were lowered, as they were fixated only on their own negative observations.
After a few minutes of this, a neighboring Israelite couldn’t take it anymore. He yelled at them, saying. “Guys, stop complaining. Lift your heads. Look up! Look at this miracle!”
Both men stood in shock for a moment, and then looked up at the miracle of the splitting sea. It was in that moment that they too started singing Mi Chamocha.
Often, we are those Israelites - marching through life without realizing the miracles that surround us. Look up, and you might surprise yourself with a miracle.
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