A vort from the Rebbe on this week's parashah, Parashat Beshalach. The main theme of Parashat Beshalach is obviously קריעת ים סוף. And the pasuk refers to קריעת ים סוף with the words, \"וישם את הים לחרבה,\" the Oibershter made the yam, the sea, dry, \"ויבקעו המים,\" and the waters split. Pashut pshat in pasuk is that the waters of the Yam Suf split so the Yidden would be able to cross. But the Mekhilta, which is like a Midrash written by the Tannaim, says like this, \"ויבקעו המים,\" the water split, \"כל המים שבעולם נבקעו,\" all waters in the world split, \"אף המים שבבורות, שבשיחין, שבמערות,\" that even the water in the pits, in the caves, \"ושבכד, ושבכוס, ושבצלוחית, ושבחביות,\" and in the jug, in the cup, in the bottles, all the water split, \"כל המים שבעולם,\" all the waters in the world split. And the question is obvious. If the whole purpose of splitting the water so the Yidden should be able to cross the Yam Suf, why did He make all waters in the world split, that wherever there was a cup of water or a jug of water or something, wherever there was a gathering of water, it all split? What was the purpose for it?

And the Rebbe explains that the purpose was so there should be free choice. If the water of the Yam Suf only would split, it would be obvious that it's for the sake of the Yidden, and it's obvious that the Oibershter takes care of the Yidden, and He does it for them, and the Oibershter loves the Yidden, etc., etc. So there's no בחירה חופשית, there's no free choice, no one could deny it. The Oibershter wants that people should accept the truth and do the truth and accept the truth out of their own choice. Their avodah should be put in, they should choose it. So, had only the water of Yam Suf split, there would be no choice but to say that the Oibershter made this miracle, and you have to believe in the Oibershter. So the Oibershter made that all waters in the world split, so someone could use it and say, \"Well, obviously it has nothing to do with the Yidden.\" So there's a choice to say this doesn't mean that the Oibershter did it. And that's what the Oibershter wants. There should be free choice, we call it בחירה חופשית, free choice, a person has a choice to believe it or not believe in the truth. So the Oibershter made that it should be a a a possibility for that to happen.

And this is based on a Midrash, where the Midrash says that when the Oibershter dictated the Torah, because we know תורה שבכתב, the Oybershter dictated word for word to Moshe Rabbeinu, and when it came to the words in פרשת בראשית, where the Oybershter said to Moshe, \"Write the words, 'נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו,'\" let us make a man in our image. Us, let us make, לשון רבים, plural. There's only one Oybershter, should have said, \"אעשה אדם,\" I will make. What does it mean, \"let us make\"? So Moshe Rabbeinu, when he was going to write these words, he said to the Oybershter, \"מה אתה נותן פתחון פה למינים?\" Why are you telling me to write, why are you putting into the Torah these words, the word \"נעשה אדם,\" let us make? By doing that, you are giving a place for the apikorsim, for the non-believers. They will say, \"You see, the Torah itself says that there's more than one creator.\" So the Oybershter answered him, \"כתוב, והרוצה לטעות יטעה.\" You write it, and whoever wants to make a mistake, let he'll make a mistake. What is the meaning behind it? The meaning behind it is the Oybershter said, \"I want there should be a place for a person to make a mistake and to learn the wrong thing. Then there's free choice. Should he take the right way or the wrong way? And hopefully he will take the right way. But the Oybershter makes everything that there should be free choice.\" But there's another nekudah here, that when the Oybershter made it so under free choice, the Oybershter also in these words, the way the Midrash says it, hinted something, that who is going to choose the wrong way? Somebody who is inclined for that. That's why the Oybershter said, \"כתוב, והרוצה לטעות יטעה.\" You write, and whoever wants to make a mistake could make a mistake. What do you mean whoever wants to make a mistake? Should have said, \"And whoever makes a mistake will make a mistake. That's going to be his problem.\" The Oybershter, הרוצה לטעות, is to tell us that really, if a person is not inclined to go against, just thinks, if he thinks straight, he will come to a conclusion of the right thing. Nevertheless, the Oybershter left it that it's a possibility to make a mistake. But who's going to do that? Only somebody who's looking for that. And that's what we see by a lot of people that they, what they do is they don't keep Torah uMitzvot, etc., etc. And then their excuse is, \"We don't believe in it,\" etc. It's only an excuse. They're looking for an excuse not to do it, so they say we don't believe in it. But really, if they would think straight, they themselves would believe in it. That's what He said here, ein hachi nami, I made, the Oybershter is saying, \"I made בחירה חופשית, there's free choice, but nevertheless, you have to also know that הרוצה לטעות, if you make that mistake, it's because you're looking for that. But otherwise, a person will come to the real conclusion. But nevertheless, the Oybershter makes it so that there should be a possibility for a person to make a mistake.\"