Wonders at Sea: Lessons of Faith and Awe from the Miraculous Exodus

The Exodus from Egypt was not merely a historical liberation - it was a profound, miraculous revelation of Hashem’s power and love for Am Yisrael. The Midrashim paint a vivid tapestry of supernatural events that occurred during Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Egyptian exodus), particularly at Keriat Yam Suf (the splitting of the sea), each filled with spiritual symbolism and eternal lessons. Below is a collection of these teachings that offer us a deeper glimpse into the Divine wonders and their relevance today.

1. Torah and Prayer Were the Walls That Saved Us
At the splitting of the sea, the verse states, "And the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left" (Shemot 14:22). The Mechilta explains that there was a heavenly accusation against the Jewish people: “Why should they be saved? Are they not also idol worshippers like the Egyptians?” (Yalkut Reuveni adds: “These and those are idol worshippers.”)

The answer, says the Mechilta, lies in the phrase “from their right and left”: the right represents Torah, which they were destined to receive ("From His right hand, a fiery law for them"—Devarim 33:2), and the left represents prayer, or, according to Yalkut Shimoni, tefillin. These spiritual merits formed a protective “wall” that allowed the miracle of the sea to occur (Mechilta, Beshalach).

2. Hashem’s Defense Against the Heavenly Accuser
The Midrash recounts that the sar shel yam (angelic force of the sea) was enraged and sought to drown the Israelites, as it says, "And the waters were a wall (chomah)” - which can be interpreted as “chemah” (anger). Hashem rebuked the angel: “Fool! Did they worship idols of their own free will? Was it not under coercion, confusion, and slavery? Do you equate unintentional sin with willful defiance?” Upon hearing this, the anger turned from Bnei Yisrael back onto the Egyptians, fulfilling the verse, "And the waters returned upon the Egyptians" (Shemot 14:28).

3. Fruit Trees in the Sea
The Midrash also teaches that fruit trees miraculously grew from the seabed. The children of Israel picked the fruit and fed it to birds that joined them in singing Shirat Hayam (the Song at the Sea). This imagery reflects the harmony between nature and the divine during moments of redemption.

4. Hashem Appears as a Warrior
Hashem revealed Himself to the Jewish people as a warrior armed for battle. The Midrash questions: “Why such imagery? Surely Hashem needs no weapons.” Effectively, Hashem showed the Jewish people that He Himself fights for them, not just metaphorically, but in a manner they could understand and find reassuring (Mechilta, Beshalach).

5. Michael’s Vengeance on Egypt
According to the Midrash, Hashem commanded the angel Michael to exact judgment upon the Egyptians. Michael grabbed them by the hair and smashed them against the sea, as referenced in the verse, "You shattered the heads of the sea monsters in the waters" (Tehillim 74:13).

6. Personal Retribution at the Shore
The Midrash comments that the verse "And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore" (Shemot 14:30) represented a moment of personal justice: each Jew took his dog and placed its paw on an Egyptian's neck, saying, “Eat from the hand that enslaved me. Devour the arms that showed me no mercy.” It was a symbolic act of closure and reversal.

7. Ten Miracles at the Sea
The Mechilta lists ten extraordinary miracles at the sea:

• The sea split and formed a dome-like covering (kippah) - “You pierced with His rods the heads of his warriors” (Chavakuk 3:14).
• It divided into twelve paths -“Stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it” (Shemot 14:16).
• The seabed became dry land - “And the children of Israel walked on dry ground” (Shemot 14:29).
• It turned into sticky mud for the Egyptians - “You trod through the sea with Your horses, churning the great waters” (Chavakuk 3:15).
• It crumbled like crumbs- "You shattered the sea by Your strength” (Tehillim 74:13).
• It turned into stones - “You broke the heads of the sea monsters on the waters” (Tehillim 74:13).
• It became sections - “To Him who divided the Sea of Reeds into parts” (Tehillim 136:13).
• The water stood in heaps - “And at the blast of Your nostrils the waters piled up” (Shemot 15:8).
• Sweet water emerged from salty sea - “He brought forth flowing water from a rock” (Tehillim 78:16).
• The sea congealed into glass-like walls - “The depths congealed in the heart of the sea” (Shemot 15:8).

8. The Purpose of Miracles: To Serve Hashem
Works of Jewish ethics emphasize that the goal of miracles is not awe alone, but service. A thinking person should use the memory of these miracles to inspire reverence and faithfulness: “How could we betray Hashem Who saved us from certain death? In every generation, enemies rise against us, and Hashem saves us again. Shall we repay kindness with rebellion?” (Sifrei Mussar, based on Chazal)