Beki'at HaNahar (Splitting of the River)

Beki'at HaNahar (Splitting of the River) is one of the prophecies that will occur during the Redemption, similar to the wonders that happened during the Exodus from Egypt. The Euphrates River will split into 7, and all the exiles will pass through it to the Land of Israel.

Source

"And Hashem will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian Sea. He will wave His hand over the River with the might of His wind, and He will strike it into seven streams, and He will lead [them] with shoes." — Isaiah 11:15

"He turned the sea into dry land; they crossed the river on foot." — Psalms 66:6

In Chassidut

According to Chassidut, just as the splitting of the Red Sea into twelve parts represented, on an inner level, the nullification of the constrictions and limitations created by the sefirah of Malchut in the world of Atzilut (which is compared to speech, whose function is constriction, as speech conceals and hides the emotions and intellect that precede it), similarly, the sefirah of Malchut conceals and constricts the light that flows from the sefirot that precede it. Through the splitting of the sea – the concealed realm (alma d'itkasya), the Malchut of Atzilut – the light and vitality of the world of Atzilut was drawn down to the world of Beriah as preparation for the Giving of the Torah. This connected the twelve tribes, whose place is in the world of Beriah, to their source in the world of Atzilut, eliminating the separation between the world of Atzilut and Beriah. The entire purpose of the Giving of the Torah was to connect the upper worlds with the lower worlds and to draw from one to the other.

So too will it be in the Future Redemption: Since all the great tzaddikim who learned the entire Torah will be resurrected, like Moshe Rabbeinu and the Patriarchs, the Torah that Moshiach will teach will be previously unknown. Therefore, it is said that the learning in the days of Moshiach will reveal the true reasons for the mitzvot according to the inner dimension of Torah (which has no limit or measure) that have not been revealed to us. This is why it is written that Moshiach will be on a higher level than even the Patriarchs, Moshe Rabbeinu, and even Adam before he sinned, as he will reveal this wisdom that was not revealed even to them.

In order to enable such a revelation of the reasons for the mitzvot as they exist in the essence of Chochmah (Wisdom), there must be a "splitting of the river" – breaking through the limitations of Binah (Understanding) – whose function is thought that conceals the essence of Chochmah, in order to unite the worlds (which were already united with the middot of Atzilut through the splitting of the Red Sea) with the sefirah of Chochmah in the world of Atzilut.

The learning in the Future Era will be in a manner of seeing, which means a comprehensive grasp of all details simultaneously (not like hearing, where many details compose a complete concept), as it is written, "And all the people of the earth shall see that the mouth of Hashem has spoken" – for Hashem's speech is not separate from Him like human speech but is completely united with Him. Such will be the revelation of Torah – "the word of Hashem" – in a way that it will be seen and felt that just as Hashem's speech is not separate from Him, so too all the worlds will be united through the nullification of the concealment of Binah, so that the essence of Chochmah will flow to the "seven streams" – the seven middot (emotional attributes).

The splitting of the river is the main innovation of the Redemption, and "Hashem will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian Sea" is similar to the splitting of the Red Sea.

It Has Already Been in the World

Like the Exodus from Egypt, and the Changes from the Splitting of the Red Sea

At the Splitting of the Red Sea, a channel was opened that secretly included the future splitting of the sea (as it states, "And Hashem will dry up the tongue of the Egyptian sea"), and moreover - even the future splitting of the river ("And He will wave His hand over the river... and strike it into seven streams"). Even though the splitting of the river is on a higher level than the splitting of the sea - as the splitting of the sea represents the connection between Atzilut and the worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah and Asiyah, while the splitting of the river represents the connection between the worlds (Atzilut and Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah) with the Infinite Light (Ein Sof) that transcends limitation and is above Atzilut - nevertheless, the splitting of the sea during the Exodus from Egypt secretly contained both the future splitting of the sea and the future splitting of the river.

Our Actions and Service

The Service for "And Strike it Into Seven Streams"

The preparation for "And strike it into seven streams" is accomplished through the lighting of seven candles (within us).

The Service for "And He Will Lead Them with Shoes"

Just as literal shoes are made from thick leather, and in order for the thick leather to be suitable for making a shoe (a covering for a person's feet), the leather must be softened from its hardness, since the leather as it is naturally (before it is softened) is hard and coarse and cannot be bent. Only through softening it from its hardness can it be bent and made into the form of a shoe.

Similarly in spiritual terms, the concept of "And He will lead with shoes" means that one treads upon the nature of one's body and animal soul, thereby softening them from their hardness so they will not be hard like a cedar but soft like a reed.

This is why "avodah" (service) is related to the term for leather processing, because the main aspect of service is that a person struggles with his nature. Through this, refinement occurs (not only in the person's nature, but) also in the nature of the world as a whole.

This is why the preparation for the future connection between the nature of the world and the Infinite Light that transcends limitation and is above the worlds - the splitting of the river - comes through service in the way of accepting the yoke, where one forces oneself against one's nature. "Your shoes on your feet," "And He will lead with shoes" - kabbalat ol (accepting the yoke).

In Service, Preparation for Moshiach, Walking

Since all future revelations depend on our actions and service throughout the time of exile, and each revelation is connected with a mitzvah and service that resembles this revelation - it is understood that to reach the revelation of "And He will lead with shoes," this comes through mitzvot performed with the feet (as enumerated in Sefer Charedim regarding the details of mitzvot in relation to the 248 limbs of a person), such as "running to perform a mitzvah." This happens by literally walking in shoes, especially when going on a "tehalachah" (procession) over a long distance which involves extra effort - and through this, we merit the concept of "And He will lead with shoes," which is one of the loftiest aspects of the future splitting of the river.

Since all future matters depend on our actions now, therefore, the preparation for the future splitting of the river is through learning and spreading the inner teachings of the Torah. One should not wait until others come to request the inner teachings of the Torah from him, but rather he should gird himself with chains of iron and spread the inner teachings of the Torah wherever his hand can reach.

"They will cross the river on foot" - through mitzvot that depend on the foot.

See Also

• Crossing of Yabok

External Links

• The Future Splitting of the River - A Lesson in the Torah of Redemption
• Rabbi Menachem Brod, Learning Redemption • The Splitting of the River, Sichat HaShavua Issue 1112
• Chassidut in Animation: What is the "Splitting of the River" in the Future?