Thus, it is remarkable that in the course of the Torah portion, the Israelites cry out not once, not twice, but three times (!), that they want to return to Egypt. Eventually, they must realize that their fear is getting in the way of the path that they need to take.

Today, Israel's roiling social and political problems, from the extreme violence among the settlers, to the hopes of some to turn Israel into a theocracy, to the attempts of the religious extremists to change the social order -all of these have their roots in fear. Fear of violence, fear of the other, and even the fear of making the wrong decision.

Perhaps the Israelites' fears were understandable: the Israelites were standing between a great sea and the oncoming army of Pharaoh with its chariots and horses. The Torah itself says that "they were very much afraid," and they asked Moses "were there no graves in Egypt, that you had to take us away to die in the wilderness?" Hungry, they later yearned for "the fleshpots of Egypt" where they had their fill of food. Even after the sea was split for them, and manna appeared and quails fell out of the sky for them, they still wondered where they would get water to drink - and that too was provided.

The Israelites may have been right to be afraid, but nevertheless, they had no choice. Their memories of ease and plenty were illusions. They may have longed for what they remembered as the easy life of slavery, but that ease was a lie: actually living in it was horrible, and caused them to cry out over and over to God. Only once they left Egypt, and were afraid of the uncertainty of the future, did slavery begin to look appealing.

Imagine the Israelites standing at the shore of the sea with Pharaoh's army coming up to them. How could they move forward beyond their fear? The midrash explains when the Israelites reached the Red Sea it did not automatically part. The Israelites stood at the banks of the sea crying out in despair. One man, Nachshon ben Aminadav looked at his fellow Israelites who were dithering at the shore in fear, and at Moses, who was busy talking to God. Realizing that nothing was happening, Nachshon gathered his courage and jumped into the sea. The waters did not part, yet Nachshon continued into the sea. The waters were up to his knees, his waist, then his neck. He continued to stride into the water. Only when the water reached his nose did the waters part.

While Moses was praying, and the Israelites were paralyzed, it took the courage of one ordinary human to lead the way. It was Nachshon who made this miracle happen - for if it wasn't for him, the Israelites, who were tempted to go back, would not have gone forward.

Aviva Zornberg, in her book, The Particulars of Rapture: Reflections on Exodus, comments on this Torah portion, "Fear is born of a way of seeing; a changed way of seeing will change their feeling and thinking." Nachshon's taking that first step led the way for everyone else to finally start moving.

The fear in today's Israel is also understandable. But, like the Israelites, the way back is no way at all. Modern Israel can survive as the democratic and Jewish state that it aspires to be only if it resolves its conflict with the Palestinians. A two-state solution requires a leap - a somewhat risky one. But standing at the water's edge, afraid to move forward, as Pharaoh's chariot's draws closer, guarantees calamity. As real as the fear may be, there is no going back. Like Nachshon, we must gather up our courage to walk into the water, so that we can continue to move forward towards peace.