Modern Day Exodus
In the Torah we are told that after the tenth plague, the Jewish people, Am Yisroel, were given permission to leave Mitzriam. As it says clearly, when HaKodush Boruch Hu slew the first born in the land of Egypt (both the first born of man and the first born of beast) King Pharoh said, "I will send the Yidden free."
The fourth Parsha in Sefer Shemos, the book of Exodus, is called Ba'Shalach, which means traveling, going. The Parsha speaks about the Jewish people's journey from Mitzraim into the Midbar.
Our rabbis of blessed memory tell us that while the Jewish people were living in Egypt they were exposed to so much sin and moral degradation that they were almost considered sinners themselves. We are told that there are 50 gates of Tumah, spiritual contamination, and that Am Yisroel had exposed themselves to 49 gates. Had not Moishe Rabbeinu come in the nick of time and instructed the Yidden to perform the mitzvah of Korban Pesach and Bris Mileh, (Chas Va Sholem) the Jewish people would have entered the 50th Sha'ar, the ultimate gate of contamination and never would have been liberated from Mitzraim.
The Rebbes of Lubavitch have a very unique explanation in comparing the Exodus from Mitzraim to the exodus that will take place when we are redeemed from our present day Golus. When the Yidden left Mitzraim they left in a great haste. As it says, "B'Shalach," King Parah had sent the Yidden out of Mitzraim. When the Yidden will go into Eretz HaKodesh with the righteous Moshiach, it won't be in the form of "B'Shalach", cast out (great haste), but rather it will be on a level of Menucha and Tikvah, peace, rest and hope.
The rabbis further explained the phenomena. When the Yidden left Mitzraim the time for the leaving was so determined because of the fear of them entering the 50th gate of contamination. They had to leave in great haste as it says, "Ki-Borach HaAm." The nation ran so that they shouldn't slide back into the sin of Mitzraim and, G‑d forbid, begin doing their sins and becoming defiled. When the Yidden will soon, G‑d willing, see the redemption of Moshiach it won't be in a "Ba'Shalach," manner, in a running away form. Rather, they will be taking with them all the K'dusha that they have acquired, the hundreds and thousands of Batei Midrashim, the hundreds and thousands of yeshivas, the hundreds and thousands of Bais Yakovs, the hundreds and thousands of mikvahs and places of K'dusha that they have acquired in thousands of years of Golus. The "Rechush Godol," the big inheritance that the Jewish people have will be none other than all the mitzvahs and all the Gashmius, the physical things that have been transformed into spiritual.
It will be with feelings of great accomplishment and not with the fear of sliding back to sin and degradation as when the Yidden left Mitzraim. This is one of the lessons that we can learn from the Parsha. "Va-Yehi B'Shalach Paroh Es Haom." "And when it came to pass when King Pharoh had let the people go" meaning that they were given a chance to run away and leave whatever they were involved with in order to go to Eretz Yisroel.
The Parsha tells us that there are times that we cannot stay in our Golus any longer because we are sinful and we may, G‑d forbid, become preoccupied with sin and not be worthy of the Geula. Then there are times that we are so good that Moshiach will come because we have fulfilled our responsibilities and have risen to our challenges.
In our present day our Tzadikim have told us that Moshiach is right outside the door and any moment now we will be worthy of going back to Eretz Ha Kodesh and having the holy land rebuilt with the holy Bais HaMikdash. Let us remember that the lesson of the BeShalach is a guiding light that tells us that we have already accomplished the level of leaving the bad and we are in the "Asay Tov," we are doing the good. The Amcha, nation of Israel, has accomplished wonderful and great deeds. We are truly the generation that will merit the coming of Moshiach in our lifetime.