Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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The Splitting of the Sea

Moshe had been praying to G-d on the Israelite's behalf.

G-d tells Moshe that now is not the time to pray at length but rather to act, as the Israelites are in immediate danger. Alternatively, G-d is telling Moshe not to tell Him how to treat His children, as they are G-d's responsibility, not Moshes's.

G-d tells Moshe to tell the Israelites to just keep travelling. The sea will split for them in the merit of their forefathers, as well as their own, and the faith that they had leaving Egypt.

G-d tells Moshe to lift up his staff and reach out his arm over the sea and thus split the sea.

G-d foretells that the Israelites will enter into the sea, but be on dry land.

He will then strengthen the hearts of the Egyptians who will in turn chase after the Israelites and G-d will be subsequently glorified, through Pharaoh and his army. And all of the Egyptians will thus recognize who G-d is.

Now the angel of G-d* that had been traveling in front of the Israelites now went behind them, to separate between the Israelites and the Egyptians, and to serve as a shield for the arrows and stones that the Egyptians were shooting.

*Side note, the name of G-d used here is Elokim, which is usually reserved for times when G-d is acting out of judgement. This teaches us that at this time, the Israelites were being judged as to whether or not they should die together with the Egyptians.

The Pillar of Cloud which had also been traveling in front of the Israelites would usually depart completely after giving way to the Pillar of Fire (as nighttime would fall). On this evening, instead of departing completely, the Pillar of Cloud moves to the back of the Israelites, to make it dark for the Egyptian army.

So Moshe stretches out his arm over the sea and a great Eastern* wind blows all night long, pushing aside the water of the sea and exposing the damp land - the sea, as well as all of the other waters in the world at that time split.

*Side note: The winds from the East are considered to be the strongest winds and the winds from which G-d punishes evildoers.

The Egyptian army - together with all of their chariots and horses* - chase the Israelites into the water.

*Side note: The Egyptian horses appeared to G-d as one horse

Morning breaks and G-d gazes down at the Egyptians and uses the Pillars of Cloud and Fire to destroy them. The Pillar of Cloud makes the ground of the sea muddy and the Pillar of Fire boils the mud and the horse's hooves fall off. G-d causes the Egyptians to become confused and lose all reason.

The fire burns off the wheels of the chariots. This causes the chariots to be dragged along, with their passengers so shaken about that their limbs become dislocated.

As retribution for Pharaoh hardening his and his servants hearts (see Shmos 9:34), G-d brings a "heavy and harsh" suffering upon the Egyptians here.

The Egyptians cry out that they wish to flee from the Israelites as G-d is fighting a war* on the Israelites' behalf against Egypt.

*Side note: Rashi gives two possible interpretations as to which war this is referring to. 1)According to Targum Yonatan this is the more obvious war that is being fought by the Egyptians trying to chase after the Israelites in the sea. 2)According to Targum Onkelos, it is referring to a war that Egypt was simultaneously fighting in Egypt.

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