Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 14/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ד

אוידבר. מדרך האמת אין ראוי למשכיל לחשוב על מעשה השם למה עשה כן, כי כל מעשיו בחכמה, וחכמת האדם כאין נגדו, והזכרתי זה, בעבור שתראה בזו הפרשה שצוה השם שישובו אחורנית דרך ערמה, כדי שיצא פרעה וירדוף אחריהם, ויטבע בים, ומחשבות השם עמוקות:

1AND THE LORD SPOKE. It is truly not proper for an intelligent person to scrutinize God’s actions and ask, why did the Lord act thus?¹ For all of God’s actions are done wisely. Man’s wisdom is as nothing before God.² I mention this because you will read in this Torah portion that God³ guilefully commanded the Israelites to turn back⁴ so that Pharaoh would go out and pursue them, and drown in the sea.⁵ God’s thoughts are very deep.⁶

אפי החירות. הוא הנקרא פני החירות (במד' לג ה), ונקרא כן בעבור שהפה בפנים, והוא שם מקום:

1PI-HAHIROTH. Pi-hahiroth is elsewhere called Pene-hahiroth (Num. 33:8). It is so called⁷ because the mouth (peh) is on the face (panim).⁸ (mouth of) and pene (face of) interchange. It is the name of a place.

בלפני בעל צפון. אמרו כי חרטומי מצרים עשו בדבר המזלות צורות נחושת וזהו בעל צפון שלא יוכל עבד לברוח ממצרים לעבור הצורה, ובעבור זה כתוב כי ברח העם ולפי דעתי בעבור שאמר משה לפרעה דרך שלשת ימים נלך במדבר (למעלה ח כג) נראה לפרעה מדבריו כי ידע משה הדרך אשר ילכו בה אל המקום אשר יזבחו שם, וכאשר שמע פרעה שישראל החלו ללכת דרך המדבר, ואחר שהרחיקו שבו אחורנית ללכת דרך אחרת אז חשב פרעה, כי כל מה שדבר משה בערמה היה, כי אין דעתו לזבוח, כי אם לברוח, כי הבורח ישתבש עליו הדרך ולא ידע איזה דרך ילך:

2BEFORE BAAL-ZEPHON. Some say that the Egyptian magicians made bronze images which drew power from the stars, and that Baal-zephon was a statue that no slave fleeing Egypt was able to pass by.⁹ It is because of this that Scripture reads, that the people were fled (v. 5).¹⁰ However, in my opinion because Moses said to Pharaoh, We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness (Ex. 8:23), it appeared to Pharaoh from these words that Moses knew the road that they would take to the place where they intended to sacrifice. Thus when Pharaoh heard that the Israelites started to go by way of the wilderness,¹¹ and when they had traveled some distance¹² backtracked to go in another way, Pharaoh surmised that everything that Moses had told him was said in guile, that he did not intend to sacrifice but to flee. For one who flees becomes confused on the way and does not know which road to take.

גנכחו. באה זו המלה בחירק, כמו אחרי נִפְלו (ש"ב א י) ורבים ככה:

3OVER AGAINST IT. The word nikhcho (over against it) is vocalized with a chirik.¹³. The word nikhcho consists of the word nokhach (against) plus the pronominal suffix. In such cases the cholam changes to a kamatz katan. Thus we would expect nokhcho rather than nikhcho, hence I.E.’s comment. It is similar to the word niflo (was fallen)¹⁴, for niflo consists of the word nofel plus the pronominal suffix. in after that he was fallen (II Sam. 1:10). There are many other such instances.¹⁵ comes in place of a kamatz katan where a word vocalized with a cholam is combined with a pronominal suffix.

אואמר פרעה לבני ישראל. כמו אמרי לי (ברא' כ יג):

1AND PHARAOH WILL SAY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. This is similar to say of me (Gen. 20:13).¹⁶ (say of me); literally, say to me. I.E.’s point is that there are instances in which the lamed is to be interpreted to mean of, concerning, about. Thus li-vene yisrael does not mean to the children of Israel but of the children of Israel.

בנבוכים. בשורק תחת חולם כמו לא תעבורי מזה (רות ב) כי הוא מבנין נפעל כמו נכונים (למטה יט יא) והנה נבוכו (יואל א יח), גם והעיר שושן נבוכה (אסתר ג טו) כמו והממלכה נכונה (מ"א ב מו) והטעם כאדם שלא ימצא עצה ולא ידע מה יעשה, ונו"ן נִבְכֵּי ים (איוב לח טז) שרש, ופירושו מעמקי ים, ואין לו טעם במקום הזה:

2ENTANGLED. Nevukhim (entangled) is vocalized with a shuruk in place of a cholam.¹⁷ is navokh. Thus we would expect to see nevokhim rather than nevukhim. Compare, nakhon, nekhonim, navon, nevonim. It is similar to the word ta’avuri (pass)¹⁸ comes in place of a sheva. The usual form of the kal feminine imperfect is ta’avri. in neither pass from hence (Ruth 2:8), for nevukhim is a nifal as the word nekhonim (ready) (Ex. 19:11) is.¹⁹ Now navokhu (perplexed) (Joel 1:18) and also navokhah (perplexed) in but the city of Shushan was perplexed (Est. 3:15) are like nakhonah (established)²⁰ and follow the same paradigm. Similarly nevukhim despite its irregular vocalization. in And the kingdom was established (I Kings 2:46). Its meaning is, they are like a person who cannot find anyone to advise him and does not know what to do.²¹ means perplexed. The nun in nivkhe (depths of) in the depths of the sea (Job 38:16)²² is a root letter.²³ of nevukhim is not a root letter but the nun of the nifal form. The root of nevukhim is bet, vav, kaf and the root of nivkhe is nun, bet, kaf. The meaning of nivkhe yam (the springs of the sea) is the depths of the sea. Nivkhe has no place here.²⁴ and nivkhe. Rashi comments, “Nevukhim means enclosed and sunk deep, as in nivkhe yam.”

גסגר עליהם המדבר. שנסגרו עליהם דרכי המדבר ולא ידעו אנה ילכו ואנה יצאו כמו הבורחים:

3THE WILDERNESS HATH SHUT THEM IN. The ways of the wilderness are closed to them, and like fugitives they do not know where to go.

אוחזקתי. כאילו שכח המכות שהוכו בעבור ישראל:

1AND I WILL HARDEN PHARAOH’S HEART. As if he forgot the plagues²⁵ means: I will harden his heart so that he will act as if he forgot the plagues. with which the Egyptians were smitten because of Israel.

בואכבדה בפרעה. אז יֵרָאה כבודי בעולם לטבוע פרעה וחילו:

2AND I WILL GET ME HONOR UPON PHARAOH. My glory shall be manifest in the world when I drown Pharaoh and his army.²⁶ (upon Pharaoh) is to be interpreted, via Pharaoh.

גוידעו מצרים. הנשארים גם הנטבעים לפני מותם כי אני ה':

3AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW. The remnants²⁷ and those who drowned prior to their death shall know that I am the Lord.

דויעשו כן. אחז הכתוב דרך קצרה לומר ששבו אחורנית:

4AND THEY DID SO. Scripture’s short way of saying that they turned backwards.²⁸ is short for: and they turned backwards and encamped before pi-hahiroth. According to Krinsky, and they did so is short for: and Moses told Israel to turn backwards, etc.

אויגד. כי אין הולכים כי אם לברוח:

1AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT. That they are not going for any purpose but to flee.

אויאסור. בצווי, כמו ויבן שלמה את הבית (מ"א ו יד):

1AND HE MADE READY HIS CHARIOT. By command.²⁹ It is like So Solomon built the house (I Kings 14:4).³⁰

אויקח שׁשׁ מאות רכב בחור. מובחרים במרכבותיו מכל רכב שהיו לו:

1AND HE TOOK SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS. The chosen chariots of all the chariots that he had.³¹

בוְשָׁלישִׁם. דע כי המלך דומה כמו אחד בחשבון, על כן יקרא משנה אותו שהוא אחריו במעלה השנית מגזרת שנים, ואשר הוא במעלה השלישית יקרא שלישי:

2AND CAPTAINS. Note that the king is like the number one. Therefore the one who is next to him in rank is called the mishneh (the second), which is derived from the same root as shenayim (two). The third in rank is called the shelishi. ³² (captains) are third in rank.

אביד רמה. לא יצאו כדמות בורחים, והיה עמהם כל כלי המלחמה:

1WITH A HIGH HAND. They had all the weapons of war and so did not go out like fugitives.

אוירדפו. מנהג הלשון לומר ככה, כמו וכל העם רואים וגו' וירא העם וינועו (למטה כ טו) והטעם כאשר ראו כן נעו ועמדו מרחוק, וככה כתוב וירדוף אחרי בני ישראל (למעלה פ' ה), והנה טעם וירדפו, כאשר רדפו אחריהם השיגם שהיו חונים על הים:

1AND THE EGYPTIANS PURSUED AFTER THEM. This is in keeping with linguistical style.³³. It is similar to and the people saw,³⁴. and they trembled and stood far off³⁵ (Ex. 20:15), the meaning of which is, when they saw this,³⁶ (and they saw) is to be rendered: and when they saw. Otherwise Scripture would be literally repeating itself. they trembled and stood far off. The meaning of and the Egyptians pursued after them thus is: when the Egyptians pursued them,³⁷ (and they pursued) is to be rendered: and when they pursued. Thus Scripture does not literally repeat itself. they overtook them as they were encamping by the sea.

בוהזכיר כל סוס פרעה, שלא באו מפוזרים רק כולם יחד:

2[ALL THE HORSES.] Scripture notes this³⁸ (all the horses); literally, every horse, hence I.E.’s comment. to inform us that they did not come upon them scattered.³⁹

גופרשיו רוכבי הסוסים:

3AND HIS HORSEMEN. Parashav means his horsemen.

דוחילו רגליים:

4AND HIS ARMY. Chelo (his army) means his foot soldiers.

אופרעה הקריב. מחנהו, כי הקריב בכל המקרא פועל יוצא:

1AND WHEN PHARAOH DREW NEAR. When Pharaoh caused his camp to draw near.⁴⁰ (and Pharaoh drew near) means: and when Pharaoh caused to draw near, i.e., when Pharaoh caused his army to draw near. The verb hikriv (drew near) is always transitive in Scripture.⁴¹

אויאמרו. מצאנו בלשון הקדש מלות שהם מענין אחד שניהם נחברים, והאחד יספיק, והנה זאת המבלי אין קברים, כמו הרק אך במשה (במד' יב ב):

1AND THEY SAID. We find that the holy tongue employs two words with one meaning back to back when one would suffice. Now the phrase ha-mibbeli en kevarim (because there were no graves)⁴² and en mean the same thing. is similar to ha-rak akh be-mosheh (only with Moses?) (Num. 12:2).⁴³ and akh mean the same thing.

בלהוציאנו. בקמץ גדול תחת קמץ קטן, כמו ואומר אין רואָני (ישעי' מז י):

2TO BRING US FORTH. Le-hotzi’anu (to bring us forth) is vocalized with a long kamatz in place of a tzere.⁴⁴. According to the rules of Hebrew grammar the word should be le-hotzi’eni. Compare, hotzi’eni (Ps. 25:17); ve-hotzie’ni (I Kings 22:34). It is similar to ro’ani (seeth me)⁴⁵ has been substituted for a tzere. The word should have read, ro’eni. Compare, ro’enu (Is. 29:15). in Thou hast said:⁴⁶ None seeth me (Is. 47:10).

אהלא זה הדבר. איננו מפורש רק ידענו כי כן היה, כי איך יאמרו לו בפניו דבר שלא היה, ודבר הזה הוא בכלל ולא שמעו אל משה (ו ט):

1IS THIS NOT THE WORD. This is not stated.⁴⁷ However, we know that this was the case, for how could they say to his face something that was not true? This remark was included in but they hearkened not unto Moses (Ex. 6:9).⁴⁸, etc., follows but they hearkened not to Moses, etc., in the Samaritan Pentateuch.

אהתיצבו וראו את ישועת ה'. כי אתם לא תעשו מלחמה רק תראו את ישועת ה' אשר יעשה לכם היום, יש לתמוה, איך יירא מחנה גדול של שש מאות אלף איש מהרודפים אחריהם, ולמה לא ילחמו על נפשם על בניהם, התשובה, כי המצרים היו אדונים לישראל, וזה הדור היוצא ממצרים למד מנעוריו לסבול עול מצרים ונפשו שפלה, ואיך יוכל עתה להלחם עם אדוניו, והיו ישראל נרפים ואינם מלומדים למלחמה, הלא תראה כי עמלק בא בעם מועט, לולי תפלת משה היה חולש את ישראל, והשם לבדו שהוא עושה גדולות (איוב ה ט) ולו נתכנו עלילות (ש"א כ ג) סבב שמתו כל העם היוצא ממצרים הזכרים, כי אין בהם כח להלחם בכנענים, עד שקם דור אחר דור המדבר, שלא ראו גלות והיתה להם נפש גבוהה כאשר הזכרתי בדברי משה בפ' ואלה שמות:

1STAND STILL, AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD. For you will not wage war but you shall see the salvation which the Lord will work for you this day. One may ask: How is it that a large camp comprising six hundred thousand armed men were afraid of those who pursued them? Why did they not stand and fight for their own and their children’s lives? The answer is: The Egyptians were masters over Israel. The generation that left Egypt were trained from their youth to bear the yoke of the Egyptians. They were of humble spirit. How then could they now wage war against their masters? The Israelites were lazy and not learned in war. Can you not see that were it not for the prayers of Moses, the Amalekites, who came⁴⁹ with a small number of men, would have defeated Israel. God alone, Who doeth great things (Job 5:9); And by Him actions are weighed (I Sam. 2:3), so arranged events that all Israelite males⁵⁰ who left Egypt died out,⁵¹ for they had no spirit to fight the Canaanites; and a new generation with a noble spirit, who had never tasted exile, arose after the generation of the wilderness.⁵² I have noted the aforementioned in the account of Moses recorded in the Torah portion Ve-Eleh Shemot.⁵³

אה' ילחם לכם. בעבורכם וככה כל מלחמה שאחריה למ"ד היא לעזר, על כן פי' ר' משה הכהן, כי רבים לוחמים לי מרום (תה' נו ג) בשבילי, וטעם מרום, מלחמת מרום כמשפט כל היושבים:

1THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. Lakhem means for you.⁵⁴ Similarly, whenever the word war (milchamah) is followed by a lamed it indicates aid. Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen therefore explains li (me) in For there are many that fight (lochamim) me (li) on high⁵⁵ (Ps. 56:3) to mean for me.⁵⁶ follows the word war (lochamim.) According to Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen, Ps. 56:3 should be translated: For there are many that fight on high for me. The meaning of on high is, a war on high, as is the case with all that sit.⁵⁷ (that sit) to ha-chashuvim (that are important), the idea being that important people have others who fight for them. The verse thus states: For there are many that fight for me on high as is the case with all important people. However, in I.E.’s short commentary the reading is ha-moshekhim, which is a technical term for words that are to be read as if written twice. In this case our verse is to be read as follows: For there are many that fight for me, that fight for me on high, the reference being to angels who fight on his behalf. See I.E. on Ps. 56:3. In this case the last line of I.E. should be interpreted as: The meaning of on high is a war on high, as our verse belongs to those verses in which there is a word that is to be read as if written twice.

בואתם תחרישון. הפך ויצעקו בני ישראל:

2AND YE SHALL HOLD YOUR PEACE. In contrast to and the children of Israel cried out (v. 10).

אמה תצעק. י"א כי משה צועק אל השם וזה איננו נכון, כי כבר דבר לו ואכבדה בפרעה (פ' ד) רק נאמר אל משה שהוא כנגד כל ישראל, בעבור שצעקו בני ישראל אל ה':

1WHEREFORE CRIEST THOU UNTO ME. Some say that Moses was crying out unto the Lord.⁵⁸ However, this is incorrect, for God had already told Moses, and I will get Me honor upon Pharaoh (v. 4).⁵⁹ On the contrary, this was told to Moses who stood in Israel’s stead⁶⁰ because the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

בויסעו מעט מעט עד שיגיעו לשפת הים:

2THAT THEY GO FORWARD. Little by little until they reach the edge of the sea.

אואתה. אמר השם למשה הרם את מטך ובקע את הים טרם שיסעו, כי לא אמר לו שיכה הים רק שיטה את ידו על הים במטה כדרך "ויט משה את מטהו על השמים" (ט כג), וידענו כי המטה לא בקע הים, רק מרגע נטות משה את ידו על הים יוליך השם את הים ברוח קדים עזה או יבקעו המים, כי כן כתוב:

1AND LIFT THOU UP. God told Moses to lift up his rod and divide the sea before the children of Israel went forward. The Lord did not tell Moses to strike the sea.⁶¹ He told him to stretch out his hand toward the sea⁶² (over the sea) is to be rendered, toward the sea. in the manner⁶³ means toward. of And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven ⁶⁴ which literally means over the heaven. (Ex. 9:23). We know that the rod did not divide the sea but that from the moment that Moses stretched his hand toward the sea God caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind and the waters then⁶⁵ rather than oh (Vat. Ebr. 38). split. For it is so written.⁶⁶

אואני. ידענו כי אין ים סוף בין מצרים ובין ארץ ישראל, ואין צורך שיכנסו בים, רק צוה ה' לעשות כך בעבור שיכנסו המצרים אחריהם ויטבעו, וממדבר איתם נכנסו ישראל אל הים ולמדבר איתם יצאו כאשר אפרש:

1AND I. We know that the Red Sea is not situated between Egypt and the Land of Israel. There was no reason for them to enter the sea.⁶⁷ is the Red Sea. However, the Red Sea is not located between Canaan and Egypt. There was thus no reason to cross the Red Sea, hence I.E.’s comment. However, God commanded them to do so, so that the Egyptians would enter behind them and drown. The children of Israel, as I will explain,⁶⁸ entered the sea from the wilderness of Etham and exited the sea to the wilderness of Etham.

אוידעו מצרים. הנשארים:

1AND THE EGYPTIANS SHALL KNOW. Those that remained.⁶⁹

בבהכבדי בפרעה שהוא בעצמו יטבע עם רכבו ופרשיו:

2WHEN I HAVE GOTTEN ME HONOR UPON PHARAOH. Who will drown along with his chariots and horsemen.

אויסע מלאך האלהים. זה היה קודם דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו, והנה פי' וכבר נסע, וכבר הראיתיך רבים כזה, ובעבור שאלה הג' פסוקים דבוקים זה עם זה וכל אחד יש בו ע"ב אותיות, ע"כ מצאנו בספרים כתוב סימן סוד השם המפורש, ולפי דעתי בעבור כי מספר השם הנכבד יעלה לע"ב אותיות כאשר אפרש בפ' כי תשא על כן כתוב ככה, ובס' רזיאל הרוצה לעשות שאלת חלום, יקרא בתחלת הלילה פסוק, ויהי בשלשים שנה (יחז' א א), כי הוא ע"ב אותיות:

1AND THE ANGEL OF GOD. This took place before speak unto the children of Israel, that they should go forward (v. 15).⁷⁰ (v. 20). It’s meaning thus is, and the angel of God had already removed.⁷¹ (removed) is a pluperfect, meaning had removed. I have already showed you many such instances.⁷² Now because these three verses⁷³ are connected to each other and each one has seventy-two letters we find in them, as stated in the books,⁷⁴ on Ex. 14; Responsa of R. Hai Gaon. Also see Ozer Ha-Geonim, Hagigah, p. 23. The Talmud speaks of the 72-letter name of God. See Sukkah 45a. Those who see the 72-letter name of God in these verses do so in one of the following two ways. They arrange the three verses on top of each other and arrive at God’s name by reading down, i.e., vav, vav, vav; yod, yod, yod; samekh, bet, tet, etc. Or they invert verse 20 and arrange the three verses as above and read down, i.e., vav, heh, vav; yod, lamed, yod; samekh, alef, tet, and so on. The reason they invert the middle verse is that it states, and the one did not come near the other all the night; i.e., one is not to combine the letters of this verse in their normal fashion but they are to be read backwards as the word ha-laylah (the night) is. For ha-laylah reads the same whether from left to right or right to left (Krinsky). the sign of the secret of God’s explicit name. However, in my opinion it is so written⁷⁵) whose might delivered Israel. because, as I will explain in the Torah portion Ki Tissa,⁷⁶),which when calculated as follows, Y (10) YH (15) YHV (21) YHVH (26), comes to 72. Cf. I.E.’s Sefer Ha-Shem 5. the numerical value of God’s glorious name comes to seventy-two. The Book of Raziel⁷⁷ states that one who wants to query the heavenly powers in a dream should read the verse, Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, etc. (Ezek. 1:1), for it contains seventy-two letters.⁷⁸, and apparently also in I.E’s version of Scripture, the words ha-golah and marot in Ezek. 1:1 were spelled without a vav. Otherwise the number of letters in Ezek 1:1 comes to 74 as they do in our editions of the Prophets. Cf. Minchat Shai on Ezek. 1:1.

במלאך האלהים. הוא השר הגדול ההולך בענן והוא הכתוב עליו, וה' הולך לפניהם יומם (למעלה יג כא) וכאשר נסע זה המלאך ההולך לפני מחנה ישראל והלך מאחריהם, נסע עמוד הענן עמו והאומר כי מלאך האלהים הוא הענן יראה לנו אנה מצאנו עמוד הענן נקרא מלאך האלהים, ואם המלאך הוא העמוד, למה אמר פעם אחרת ויסע עמוד הענן מפניהם ואם השיב לנו הטעם כפול אין משפט לשון הקדש לכפול רק הנבואות והתוכחות, רק המספר כי כן היה המעשה אין ראוי לכפול:

2THE ANGEL OF GOD. The reference is to the great prince⁷⁹. who goes in the cloud, concerning whom it is written, And the Lord went before them by day (Ex. 13:21). When this angel, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, the pillar of cloud moved with him. Let the one who identifies the angel of God with the cloud show us where we find the pillar of cloud called the angel of God. Furthermore, if the angel and the pillar are one and the same, why is and the pillar of cloud removed from before them repeated? If he should answer that Scripture repeats the same idea in different words,⁸⁰ then we respond that it is not the manner of Scripture to repeat itself except in prophecy⁸¹ or reproof.⁸² Moreover, it is unfit to repeat oneself when reporting how something happened.⁸³

אויבא. המלאך:

1AND IT CAME. And the angel came.⁸⁴, which may mean: and it came, or, and he came, hence I.E.’s comment.

בויהי הענן והחשך בין מחנה למחנה:

2AND THERE WAS THE CLOUD AND THE DARKNESS HERE. Between the camps.

גויאר את הלילה. כמשפט כל הלילות לישראל לעבור הים, כי בלילה עברו, ואמר ר' מרינוס, כי פי' ויאר את הלילה ויחשיך, וכמוהו ולילה אור בעדני (תה' קלט יא), ובדברי חז"ל אור לארבעה עשר (פסחים ב א) והמפרש כזה השים חשך לאור, ואור לחשך, כי לא יתכן בכל לשון שיהי' פי' מלה אחת דבר והפכו, אם לא היה על דרך כנוי, כמו, ברך נבות אלהים (מ"א כא יג), ומלת אור בעדני פירשתיה שהיה אור בעצמו, גם חז"ל אמרו אור לארבעה עשר לישנא מעליא היא, והנה הוא כמו כנוי ומה טעם להזכיר ויחשיך את הלילה, כי כל לילה חשך הוא, רק ויאר את הלילה כאשר עשה מיום צאת ישראל ממצרים. כי עמוד האש בכל לילה היה, ואם אין להם אור איך יעברו את הים כי הנה פרעה בא בים, והשם השקיף עליו באשמורת הבקר, ורוב ישראל כבר עברו:

3AND IT LIT UP THE NIGHT.⁸⁵ As was the manner on all the nights, so that Israel could cross the sea. They crossed it at night. Rabbi Merinus says that the meaning of va-ya’er (he lit up) is, he darkened. And the night shall be light about me (Ps. 139: 11)⁸⁶ is similar. Furthermore, we find, On the light of the fourteenth day⁸⁷ 2a. The meaning of which is, on the night of the fourteenth day, i.e., the night preceding the fourteenth day. We thus see that the word light can refer to night or darkness. in rabbinic literature. However, the one who interprets thus turns darkness into light and light into darkness, for it is impossible in any language for a word to mean both a thing and its opposite unless it is euphemistically used, as in Naboth did bless God and the king (I Kings 21:13).⁸⁸. The word light in shall be light about me refers to the light itself, as I have explained.⁸⁹ Similarly, the sages said⁹⁰ 3a. that On the light of the fourteenth is a refined language,⁹¹ which is similar to a euphemism. Furthermore, what reason was there for Scripture to say, and he darkened the night? It is dark every night. The only meaning of va-ya’er et ha-laylah is that he⁹² lit up the night⁹³ means: and he lit up the night. as he did from the day that Israel went out of Egypt, for the pillar of fire was seen every night. Now if Israel had no light how did they cross the sea?⁹⁴ For behold, by the time Pharaoh came into the sea and the Lord looked forth upon him in the morning watch, most of the Israelites had already crossed.⁹⁵

אויט, כל הלילה. אפילו בעת עבור ישראל לא סר הרוח:

1AND MOSES STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND…ALL THE NIGHT. Even while Israel was crossing, the wind did not cease.

אויבאו בני ישראל בתוך הים. אל תחשוב בעבור שאמר הכתוב בתוך הים, כי הגיעו עד חצי ים סוף, רק אם נכנסו אפילו חצי פרסה בתוך הים יקרא תוך הים, כמו והאספסוף אשר בקרבו (במד' יא ד) ולא היו באמצע המחנה, וטעם בתוך הים, המקום שהיה שם ים בתחלת הלילה:

1AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WENT INTO THE MIDST OF THE SEA. Do not think that because Scripture reads, in the midst⁹⁶ in (the middle), hence I.E.’s comment. of the sea that the Israelites reached the middle of the Red Sea. On the contrary, even if they entered the sea for even half of a Persian mile one may say that they came in the midst of the sea.⁹⁷ is not to be taken literally. It is like And the mixed multitude that was in the midst of them⁹⁸ (Num. 11:4), for the mixed multitude was not in the middle of the camp. The meaning of the midst of the sea is, the place where there was water at the beginning of the night.⁹⁹

בוהמים להם חומה. שנקרשו המים, וכתיב, נצבו כמו נד נוזלים (למטה טו ה), ואחר עבור רוב ישראל המים שהיה להם חומה נמסו, וזהו וישובו המים על מצרים (למטה פ כו), והם הבדילו בין המצריים ובין היבשה, על כן כתוב ומצרים נסים לקראתו (פ' כז), כי היו חושבים שיצאו אל היבשה, וחומות המים נמסו, והפסיקו ביניהם ובין היבשה, והרודפים אין ספק שראו האור, איך היו ישראל עוברים:

2AND THE WATERS WERE A WALL UNTO THEM. The waters froze.¹⁰⁰ It is also written, The floods stood upright as a heap (Ex. 15:8).¹⁰¹. After most of Israel crossed, the waters which formed a wall for them melted. This is the meaning of that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians (v. 26). These waters¹⁰² separated between the Egyptians and the dry land.¹⁰³ It therefore states, and the Egyptians fled against it (v. 27), as the Egyptians thought that they would go out onto dry land.¹⁰⁴ But the walls of water melted and separated them and dry land. There is no doubt that those who pursued Israel saw the light by which Israel crossed.¹⁰⁵

אויהי באשמרת. האל"ף נוסף:

1AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING WATCH. The alef of ashmoret¹⁰⁶. (watch) is a superfluous letter.¹⁰⁷

בוישקף ה'. הטעם מלאך ה', הא הנזכר וכמוהו בדבר גדעון כי השליח יקרא בשם השולח, כי אחר שצוהו לעשות כן הוא עושה:

2THAT THE LORD LOOKED FORTH. The reference is to the angel of the Lord mentioned earlier.¹⁰⁸ The same is the case with Gideon,¹⁰⁹ (Jud. 6:11), And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him (Ibid.). This angel is subsequently referred to as the Lord in verses 14, 15, 23, 27; i.e., and the Lord turned, And the Lord said, etc. Similarly, the angel mentioned in verse 19 of this chapter is subsequently called the Lord. where the messenger is called by the name of the sender. Since the sender commands his agent to commit an act, it is as if the sender himself had executed it.

גבעמוד אש וענן. בין שני העמודים:

3THROUGH THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND OF CLOUD. Between these two pillars.¹¹⁰ of be-ammud (through the pillar) to mean with; i.e., God threw the Egyptians into confusion through the use of the two pillars. I.E. interprets the bet of be-ammud as meaning in the pillars, i.e., between the pillar of cloud, which was behind the camp of Israel, and the pillar of fire, which was in front of Israel (Filwarg).

דויהם. יתכן שבעבור זה אמר המשורר קול רעמך בגלגל (תה' עז יט), וככה, וברקים רב ויהם (שם יח טו) ובמקום אחר ויהמם (ש"ב כב טו):

4AND DISCOMFITED. Possibly because of this the poet says, The voice of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind (Ps. 77:19).¹¹¹ (discomfited) refers to a discomfit brought about by lightning and thunder. Ps. 77:19 speaks of the splitting of the Red Sea (Weiser). Similarly And He shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them¹¹². This is the reading in Ps. 18:15. However, I.E. has va-yahom. He probably quoted from memory. The parallel verse in II Sam. 22:15 has va-yahom as the kre. Be that as it may, this verse shows that the root heh, mem, mem refers to discomfit brought about by thunder and lightning (Weiser). (Ps. 18:15). Elsewhere it is written, And He sent…Lightning, and discomfited them¹¹³. (II Sam. 22:15).

אויסר. מהבנין הכבד הנוסף והיה לו להיותו ויסר בפתח קטן תחת סמ"ך, וכבר הזכרתי דקדוקו:

1AND HE TOOK OFF. Va-yasar (and He took off) is a hifil.¹¹⁴. It should have been vocalized va-yaser with a segol beneath the samekh. I have already noted its grammatical explanation.¹¹⁵

בוי"א כי טעם ויסר את אפן מרכבותיו, שהתירו קשר האופן מהסוסים לברוח להיותם קלים ומהומת השם הכתובה למעלה נפלה עליהם ועל סוסיהם ולא יכלו לנהגם רק בכבדות, ואחרים אמרו כי הוא מגזרת סורר (דבר' כא יח) שרצה ההולך לפניהם להפוך המרכבה:

2[AND HE TOOK OFF THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS.]¹¹⁶ Some say its meaning is that they¹¹⁷ untied the knot of the wheel¹¹⁸ from the horses¹¹⁹ so that, being lighter,¹²⁰ they could flee more easily. However, the above-mentioned divine discomfit fell upon them and their horses, and they could only drive them with great difficulty.¹²¹ Others say that va-yasar comes from the root of sorer (rebellious) (Deut. 21:18).¹²², meaning to rebel. Thus va-yasar (and he took off) means: and he rebelled. He who went before them wanted to turn the chariot around.¹²³

גנלחם להם במצרים. בעבורם, והתברר דבר השם שאמר וידעו מצרים כי אני ה' (למעלה פ' ד) לפני מותם:

3FOR THE LORD FIGHTETH FOR THEM AGAINST THE EGYPTIANS. Lahem¹²⁴ means for them.¹²⁵ it means on behalf (see Weiser). It now becomes clear that God’s word, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord (v. 4), which He spoke earlier meant: and the Egyptians shall know before their deaths.

אוישובו המים. שהיו חומות אליהם, כאשר היו בתחלה:

1THAT THE WATERS MAY COME BACK. The waters which served as walls for them should return to their previous state.

אלפנות בקר. קרוב מבקר:

1WHEN THE MORNING APPEARED. Lifnot boker (when the morning appeared) means toward morning.

בלאיתנו. לתקפו, והוא שם דבר, כמו נהרות איתן (תה' עד טו):

2TO ITS STRENGTH. Le-etano means to its strength. It is a noun,¹²⁶ is a noun. Cf. I.E. on Ps. 74:15. Le-etano is the noun etan plus the prepositional lamed and the pronominal suffix. like etan in mighty rivers (Ps. 74:15).¹²⁷

גנסים לקראתו. פרשתיו שהם חושבים בנוסם שהם חוזרין ליבשה, והם הולכים לקראתו ישתחקו עצמות חוי הכלבי שאמר כי משה ידע עת מיעוט הים ברדתו, ועת רבותו בעלותו בהמשכו, והוא העביר עמו במיעוט המים כמשפטו, ופרעה לא ידע מנהג הים על כן טבע, ואלה דברי שגעון, כי מנהג הים ברדתו לא ייבש מקום וישארו חומות מים מימינו ומשמאלו, כי הכל ייבש, ועוד כי לא יתברר סוף רדת הים ותחלת עלותו רק אחר שעות, ועוד לא השלימו ישראל לעבור עד שטבע פרעה וחילו:

3FLED AGAINST IT. I have already explained¹²⁸ that the Egyptians in fleeing thought that they were returning to dry land when in actuality they were going toward the sea. May the bones of Chivi¹²⁹ the dog¹³⁰ (the dog). be crushed. Chivi said that Moses knew the time of low tide, when the level of the sea goes down, and the time of high tide, when the sea comes in and its level rises, and so brought his people across the sea when the tide was normally low. However, Pharaoh did not know the manner of the sea and therefore drowned. This interpretation is sheer madness, as the sea is not normally dry in any place when its level goes down. However, all was dry.¹³¹ Neither do walls of water remain on the right or the left.¹³² Furthermore, the end of low tide and the beginning of high tide do not become clear until some hours have passed.¹³³ Moreover, the Israelites had not yet finished crossing before Pharaoh and his army drowned.¹³⁴

דוינער ה'. מהבנין הכבד, וקרוב ממנו גם חצני נערתי (נחמי' ה יג), כדרך, רמה בים (למטה טו א):

4AND THE LORD OVERTHREW. Va-yena’er (overthrew) is a pi’el. Na’arti (I shook) in Also I shook out my lap (Neh. 5:13) is similar to it.¹³⁵ means to shake, or cast out something from one’s lap, hand or vessel. Va-yena’er is to be understood in the manner of hath He thrown into the sea (Ex. 15: 1).¹³⁶ is to be interpreted: and the Lord threw them into the sea (Weiser).

אוישובו המים. שהיו חומות:

1AND THE WATERS RETURNED. The waters that were walls returned.

באפילו אחד לא נמלט, וכן והנה לא מת ממקנה ישראל עד אחד (למעלח ט, ז), והמשורר אמר "אחד מהם לא נותר" (תה' קו יא):

2SO MUCH AS ONE OF THEM. Even one of them did not escape.¹³⁷ (literally, until one) means so much as one. Similarly ad echad in and, behold, there was not so much as one (ad echad) of the cattle of the Israelites dead (Ex. 9:7). Indeed, the poet says, There was not one of them (echad me-hem) left (Ps. 106: 11).¹³⁸ means so much as one.

אובני ישראל. טעם להזכיר זה פעם אחר כי פרעה היה טובע ועוד נשארו אנשים מישראל בים עוברים וזה היה פלא בתוך פלא, כי במקום שהיו ישראל עוברים בים, היה שם רוח קדים מייבש, ובמקום פרעה וחילו הביא השם רוח אחרת להמס המים שנקרשו ונעשו חומות, והנה שתי רוחות בים ושני המקומות קרובים, והעד הנאמן על זה הפירוש שכתוב בשירה, וברוח אפך נערמו מים (למטה טו ח), וזאת הרוח היתה עם ישראל וכתוב נשפת ברוחך כסמו ים (שם פ' י) וזו היא שטבעה המצריים, על כן כתוב בסוף השירה וישב ה' עליהם את מי הים, ובני ישראל הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים (שם פ' יט), ואל תתמה איך יכלו לעבור כל הלילה, וכי שש מאות אלף רגלי לא היה רביעית המחנה, אולי על דרך אחר עברו, או נקרע לי"ב קרעים כאשר אמרו חז"ל וישראל לא עברו הים כנגד הרוחב, רק נכנסו באורך ויצאו אל מדבר שור אשר נכנסו משם כאשר אפרש:

1BUT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. The reason this is noted a second time¹³⁹ is that there remained some Israelites who were still crossing the sea while Pharaoh was drowning. This was a miracle within a miracle, for in the place where the Israelites were crossing the sea there was a strong east wind drying¹⁴⁰ and where Pharaoh and his host were, God brought another wind to melt the waters that were frozen and formed walls. There were thus two winds in two places in the sea close to one another.¹⁴¹ True proof that this interpretation is correct is offered by the statement in the Song of Moses, And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were piled up (Ex. 15:8), which speaks of the wind that blew for Israel; and the statement, Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them (Ex. 15:10), which speaks of the wind that caused the Egyptians to drown. It is because of this that the end of the song reads, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea (Ex. 15:19). Do not ask, how could all of Israel cross in one night? Did not the six hundred thousand men on foot¹⁴² make up only a quarter of the camp?¹⁴³. 38 is: For the six hundred thousand men on foot did not make up even a quarter of the camp. Perhaps they passed over some other way.¹⁴⁴ Or perhaps the sea split into twelve parts, as the sages of blessed memory say.¹⁴⁵ 42; Tanchuma, Be-Shallach 10; Mekhilta, Be-Shallach 4. Now the Israelites did not cross the width of the sea.¹⁴⁶ On the contrary, they moved along its length and came out in the wilderness of Shur from wherein, as I will explain, they entered the sea.¹⁴⁷

אויושע. עתה היו ישראל נושעים מיד מצרים, כי עד עתה היה עליהם פחד המלך, וכתוב כי המצריים טבעו בים והים לא השליכם אל היבשה, כי כן כתוב תבלעמו ארץ (למטה טו יב) על כן פי' וירא ישראל את מצרים מת על שפת הים, שהיו ישראל על שפת הים וראו מצרים מת כאשר טבע:

1THUS THE LORD SAVED. Now the Israelites were saved from the hand of the Egyptians. Until now the fear of Pharaoh was upon them.¹⁴⁸ Scripture tells us that the Egyptians drowned in the sea. The sea did not cast their bodies out upon the dry land,¹⁴⁹ on this verse, and Pesachim 118b. for it is clearly written, The earth swallowed them (Ex. 15:12).¹⁵⁰ The meaning of and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea-shore¹⁵¹ therefore is: when the Egyptians drowned, the Israelites, who were on the shore, saw their dead bodies.¹⁵²

אוירא. כאשר ראו ישראל זו המכה הגדולה יראו מהשם, כמו וירא דוד את ה' ביום ההוא (ש"ב ו ט) במות עוזא אשר שלח ידו בארון:

1FEARED. When Israel saw this great blow they feared God, as in And David was afraid of the Lord that day when Uzzah who put forth his hand to the ark of God died (II Sam. 6:9).

בויאמינו בה'. שהוא אמת, והאמינו במשה שהוא עבדו ולא יעשה רק מה שיצונו:

2AND THEY BELIEVED IN THE LORD. They believed that the Lord is truth¹⁵³ 1:3,4: “The Truth of His being is incomparable to the truth of any other individual being…He alone is the Truth, and no other being possesses a truth similar to His Truth.” and that Moses is His servant and will do only that which the Lord commands him to do.