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Ramban on Exodus 14:19/רמב"ן על שמות י״ד:י״ט

אוַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים אָמַר ר"א (אבן עזרא על שמות י"ד:י"ט) מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל הַהוֹלֵךְ בֶּעָנָן, וְהוּא הַכָּתוּב עָלָיו "וַה' הֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם יוֹמָם", וְכַאֲשֶׁר נָסַע הַמַּלְאָךְ הַזֶּה הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּלֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם נָסַע עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן עִמּוֹ, וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ בֵּין מַחֲנֶה לְמַחֲנֶה וַיָּאֶר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַלָּיְלָה בְּעַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בִּשְׁאָר הַלֵּילוֹת, לַעֲבֹר הַיָּם, כִּי בַּלַּיְלָה עָבְרוּ. וְעַל דַּעְתִּי זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב וַיִּסַּע מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הָיָה בִּתְחִלַּת הַלַּיְלָה, וּמַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים הַהֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל רֶמֶז לְבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל הקב"ה, שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת מִדַּת הַדִּין "מַלְאָךְ" בִּמְקוֹמוֹת מִן הַכָּתוּב, וְהוּא הַשּׁוֹכֵן בְּעַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ, וְהוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם לַיְלָה לְהָאִיר לָהֶם, וְעַל כֵּן הִזְכִּיר הָאֱלֹהִים. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִסְמָךְ, אֲבָל הוּא בֵּאוּר:
וְרָאִיתִי בַּמְּכִילְתָּא דְּר' שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי, שָׁאַל רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אֶת ר' שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי, מִפְּנֵי מָה בְּכָל מָקוֹם כָּתוּב "מַלְאַךְ ה'" וְכָאן "מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים", אָמַר לוֹ, אֵין אֱלֹהִים בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֶלָּא דַּיָּן וְכוּ'. רָמְזוּ לְמָה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וְהִנֵּה עַתָּה נָסַע בְּעַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ מִלִּפְנֵי מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהָלַךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְנָסַע עוֹד עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מִפְּנֵיהֶם וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְהִנֵּה שְׁנֵי הָעַמּוּדִים מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם. וְשָׁב לְבָאֵר כִּי בָּא עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן הַזֶּה בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל, לוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא הִפְסִיק עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן בֵּין עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ לְמַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲבָל הִפְסִיק בֵּין מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ, וַיְהִי הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ בֵּין מַחֲנֶה לְמַחֲנֶה, וְהָיָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹר בְּעַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ אע"פ שֶׁהוּא מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה לְמַעְלָה וְלֹא הָיָה עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן מַפְסִיק אוֹתוֹ לָהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר לְמִצְרַיִם: וְזֶה טַעַם וַיָּאֶר אֶת הַלָּיְלָה, כִּי הֵאִיר לָהֶם הַלַּיְלָה, אֲבָל לֹא כִּשְׁאָר הַלֵּילוֹת לַנְחֹתָם בַּדֶּרֶךְ, כִּי לֹא הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם. וְהָיָה זֶה, שֶׁאִלּוּ הָיָה עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ הוֹלֵךְ לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּשְׁאָר הַלֵּילוֹת, וְעַמּוּד הֶעָנָן בֵּין מִצְרַיִם וּבֵין יִשְׂרָאֵל, הָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מְמַהֲרִים לָלֶכֶת, וְהַמִּצְרִים לֹא יִרְאוּ וְלֹא יָבֹאוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם, וְעַתָּה הָלְכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְאִטָּם וְאֵין הַמֶּרְחָק רַב בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְהָיוּ הַמִּצְרִים רוֹאִים אֶת מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתּוֹךְ הֶעָנָן וְהוֹלְכִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם, כִּי יִרְאוּ הָאֵשׁ מִתּוֹךְ הֶעָנָן, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ יְכוֹלִים לִקְרַב אֲלֵיהֶם מִפְּנֵי הֶפְסֵק שְׁנֵי הָעַמּוּדִים. וְזֶה טַעַם וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כָּל הַלָּיְלָה:
וַיְהִי בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר וַיַּשְׁקֵף ה' אֶל מַחֲנֵה וְגוֹ' כִּי הֵסִיר עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ מִמַּחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמִנְהַג כָּל הַיָּמִים, וְשָׂמוֹ הַיּוֹם מַשְׁקִיף עַל מַחֲנֵה מִצְרַיִם, בֵּינָם וּבֵין עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּיּוֹם. וַיָּהָם אֵת מַחֲנֵה מִצְרָיִם בְּהַשְׁקִיף עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם, כִּי יַגִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם חֻמּוֹ הַגָּדוֹל וְלֶהָבָה תְּלַהֵט רְשָׁעִים (תהלים קו יח). וּכְבָר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בְּרֵאשִׁית (בראשית א ד) כִּי יְסוֹד הָאֵשׁ יִקָּרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ, וְ"הֶעָנָן וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ" הוּא עַמּוּד אֵשׁ וְעָנָן, אֲבָל עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ הָיָה מֵאִיר לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעַמּוּדוֹ, וְהָיָה עַתָּה מַחְשִׁיךְ לְמִצְרַיִם מִפְּנֵי הֱיוֹתוֹ בָּא בְּעַמּוּד הֶעָנָן אֲשֶׁר יַחְשִׁיךְ עָלָיו כַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר הֶעָנָן יְכַסֶּנּוּ. וְהִנֵּה עָשָׂה הַכֹּל בִּשְׁנֵי עַמּוּדִים הַלָּלוּ. וְזֶהוּ הַנָּכוֹן בַּפְּסוּקִים הָאֵלֶּה:

1AND THE ANGEL OF G-D JOURNEYED. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that the angel of G-d is the great prince [Michael],⁵⁴ who went in the cloud. It is to him that Scripture refers when it said, And the Eternal went before them.⁵⁵ When this angel, who went before the camp of Israel, journeyed and went behind them, the pillar of cloud journeyed with him. And there was the cloud and the darkness⁵⁶ between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel, but it gave light by night⁵⁶ through the pillar of fire to Israel, as it did on other nights, in order to enable them to traverse the sea, for it was at night that they traversed it.In my opinion, that which Scripture says, And the angel of G-d journeyed, occurred at the beginning of the night. The angel of G-d, who went before the camp of Israel alludes to the Celestial Court of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is known as the attribute of justice, [which is called]⁵⁷ “angel” in certain places of Scripture. It was he who dwelled in the pillar of fire and went before them by night to give them light. Therefore Scripture here mentions [not the Tetragrammaton, which indicates the attribute of mercy, but] ha’Elokim (G-d), [the name which denotes the attribute of justice]. It is possible that [the word malach (angel)] is not in a construct state [meaning “the angel of”] but instead is in apposition.Now I have seen in the Mechilta of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai:⁵⁸ “Rabbi Yonathan the son of Yochai asked Rabbi Shimon the son of Yochai, ‘Why is it that in all places it is written, the angel of the Eternal,⁵⁹ and here it is written, the angel of ‘Elokim’ (G-d)?’ Rabbi Shimon answered him, ‘Elokim everywhere denotes “Judge” [literally: judgment], etc.’”⁶⁰ The Rabbis thus alluded to that which we have said.Thus [the angel] now journeyed in the pillar of fire from before the camp of Israel and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud from before them also journeyed and stood behind them. Thus the two pillars were behind the camp of Israel. Scripture then reverts [in Verse 20] to explain that the pillar of cloud came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel, that is to say, the pillar of cloud did not intervene between the pillar of fire and the camp of Israel, but rather it interposed between the camp of Egypt and the pillar of fire.⁶¹ And there was the cloud and the darkness between the two camps, with the pillar of fire giving light to Israel, even though it was behind them, because it was high, [thus illuminating the way for them to pass through the sea, as explained above.] The pillar of cloud did not obstruct the illumination from reaching them as it did to the Egyptians. This is the meaning of the verse, and it gave light by night, since the pillar of fire illuminated the night for them.This was not as on all other nights, when its function was to lead them the way,⁶² for on that night it did not go before them, [but instead the pillar of fire remained stationary]. This was so because if the pillar of fire would have gone before Israel as on other nights [when they journeyed], and the pillar of cloud was between the two camps, then the Israelites would have passed through the sea quickly. Consequently, the Egyptians would not have seen them, and they would not have come after them. However, now [that the pillar of fire was stationary] the Israelites walked slowly, and since there was no great distance between the camps, the Egyptians saw the camp of Israel from the midst of the cloud, and they followed them. They saw the fire out of the midst of the cloud,⁶³ but they were not able to approach them because of the two pillars which interposed.This is the sense of the verse, And the one [camp] came not near the other all the night.⁶⁴ And it came to pass in the morning-watch, that the Eternal looked forth upon the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of cloud,⁶⁵ meaning: He removed the pillar of fire from the camp of Israel, as was customary on all days, and today He put it [in a position] overlooking the camp of Egypt. It was thus between the Egyptians and the pillar of cloud which served Israel by day.⁶⁶ And He confounded the camp of Egypt⁶⁵ by causing the pillar of fire to bear down upon them with its great heat reaching them, and the flame burned up the wicked.⁶⁷ Now I have already explained in the story of Creation⁶⁸ (darkness). that the element of fire is called “darkness,” and the cloud and the darkness [mentioned in Verse 20] accordingly mean the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud. To all Israel, the pillar of fire had given light because of its high position [as explained above], but now it darkened for the Egyptians, because it came together with the pillar of cloud, which caused it to darken just as the sun when covered by a cloud. Thus He did everything by means of these two pillars. This is the correct interpretation of these verses.