THOU STRETCHEDST OUT THY HAND, THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM. Said R. Isaac: The members of the Fellowship have remarked that when the Holy One brought the Egyptians dead out of the sea, He bade the earth “take them in”, but she refused, until He stretched out His right hand and adjured her, and then she swallowed them.’ R. Eleazar said that the “stretching out” of the “right hand” was to separate it from the “left” so that judgement might be executed.
THOU LEADEST THROUGH THY MERCY THE PEOPLE WHOM THOU REDEEMEST; THOU GUIDEST THEM THROUGH THY MIGHT TO THY HOLY HABITATION. The divine attributes are indicated here in the same way as in the verse, “Thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hast thy delight in them” (Ps. 44, 4). “Thy right hand” corresponds to “thy mercy” and symbolizes Gedulah (Greatness); “thine arm”, corresponding to “Thou guidest them through Thy might”, stands for Geburah (Might); and “the light of Thy countenance”, corresponding to “Thy holy habitation”, indicates the Zaddik (Righteous One).
FEAR AND DREAD FALL UPON THEM. R. Simeon interpreted the word aymathah (dread, instead of the usual aymah) as aymath he’, “the fear of He” (i.e. the Shekinah), since there is no letter or word in the Torah that does not contain profound allusions.
THOU WILT BRING AND PLANT THEM IN THE MOUNTAIN OF THINE INHERITANCE. The superfluous vau in tebiemo and wetitaemo (“Thou wilt bring and plant them”) is an indication, given by the holy spirit, that these words refer to a later generation of Israelites who were circumcised by Joshua, and in whom the holy sign of the Divine Name was imprinted. They were qualified to inherit the land; for he who is circumcised and in whom the holy sign is revealed, and who guards it from profanation, is called “righteous”, and “the righteous will inherit the land” (Isa. 60, 21).
Truly, there is not a word or even a small letter in the Torah which does not contain profound allusions and holy indications. Happy is the lot of those who apprehend them!
(שמות ט״ו:י״ב) נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ אָרֶץ. הָא אִתְּמַר, אֲרִימַת יְמִינְךָ. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הָא אִתְּעָרוּ בֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא, דְּכַד אַפִּיק קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִצְרָאֵי מֵתִין מִתְּחוֹת מַיָּא, אָמַר לְאַרְעָא, כָּנִישׁ לוֹן בְּגַוָּוךְ, וְלָא בָּעָאת, עַד דְּאוֹשִׁיט קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְמִינָא לְקַבְּלָהּ, וְאוּמֵי לָהּ, כְּדֵין בְּלָעַתְינוּן אַרְעָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ אָרֶץ. אָמַר ר' אֶלְעָזָר, נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ: לְאַפְרְשָׁא לָהּ מִשְּׂמָאלָא וּכְדֵין אִתְעָבִיד בְּהוּ דִּינָא.
THOU STRETCHEDST OUT THY HAND, THE EARTH SWALLOWED THEM. Said R. Isaac: The members of the Fellowship have remarked that when the Holy One brought the Egyptians dead out of the sea, He bade the earth “take them in”, but she refused, until He stretched out His right hand and adjured her, and then she swallowed them.’ R. Eleazar said that the “stretching out” of the “right hand” was to separate it from the “left” so that judgement might be executed.
(שמות ט״ו:י״ג) נָחִיתָ בְּחַסְדְּךָ עַם זוּ גָּאָלְתָּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (תהלים מה) כִּי יְמִינְךָ וּזְרוֹעֲךָ וְאוֹר פָּנְיךָ כִּי רְצִיתָם. כִּי יְמִינְךָ: דָּא גְּדוֹלָה. נֵהַלְתָּ בְעָזְּךָ, דָּא דִּכְתִּיב וּזְרוֹעֲךָ, דָּא גְּבוּרָה. אֶל נְוֵה קָדְשֶׁךָ, דָּא דִּכְתִּיב, וְאוֹר פָּנְיךָ כִּי רְצִיתָם, דָּא צַדִּיק. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בִּקְרָא.
THOU LEADEST THROUGH THY MERCY THE PEOPLE WHOM THOU REDEEMEST; THOU GUIDEST THEM THROUGH THY MIGHT TO THY HOLY HABITATION. The divine attributes are indicated here in the same way as in the verse, “Thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hast thy delight in them” (Ps. 44, 4). “Thy right hand” corresponds to “thy mercy” and symbolizes Gedulah (Greatness); “thine arm”, corresponding to “Thou guidest them through Thy might”, stands for Geburah (Might); and “the light of Thy countenance”, corresponding to “Thy holy habitation”, indicates the Zaddik (Righteous One).
(שמות ט״ו:ט״ז) תִּפּוֹל עֲלֵיהֶם אֵימָתָה וָפַחַד. אֵימָתָה, אֵימָה מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי אֵימָתָה. דְּהָא לֵית לָךְ אָת אוֹ מִלָּה חֲדָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלָא אִית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין. מַאי אֵימָתָה. אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּלוֹמַר דְּחִילוּ דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא.
FEAR AND DREAD FALL UPON THEM. R. Simeon interpreted the word aymathah (dread, instead of the usual aymah) as aymath he’, “the fear of He” (i.e. the Shekinah), since there is no letter or word in the Torah that does not contain profound allusions.
כְּהַאי גַּוְונָא, (שמות ט״ו:י״ז) תְּבִאֵמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ בְּהַר נַחֲלָתְךָ וְגוֹ', תְּבִאֵמוֹ וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ, תְּבִאֵם וְתִטָּעֵם מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַאי תְּבִאֵמוֹ. אֶלָּא רוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא אָמַר, עַל אִינּוּן דָּרָא בַּתְרָאָה, דְּגָזַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְאִתְגַּלְיָא בְּהוּ גִּלּוּיָא דִּרְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא דִּשְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאִלֵּין אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ בְּו', וְאִלֵּין אִתְחֲזִיאוּ לְמֵירַת אַרְעָא. כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִתְגְּזַר, וְאִתְגַּלְיָא בֵּיהּ רְשִׁימָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְנָטִיר לֵיהּ, אִקְרֵי צַדִּיק, בְּגִין, כַּךְ, לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ.
THOU WILT BRING AND PLANT THEM IN THE MOUNTAIN OF THINE INHERITANCE. The superfluous vau in tebiemo and wetitaemo (“Thou wilt bring and plant them”) is an indication, given by the holy spirit, that these words refer to a later generation of Israelites who were circumcised by Joshua, and in whom the holy sign of the Divine Name was imprinted. They were qualified to inherit the land; for he who is circumcised and in whom the holy sign is revealed, and who guards it from profanation, is called “righteous”, and “the righteous will inherit the land” (Isa. 60, 21).
וְעַל דָּא תְּבִאֵמוֹ, ו' יְתֵירָה, תְּבִיאֵמוֹ לְאִינוּן דַּאֲחִידָן בְּו'. וְתִטָּעֵמוֹ כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר נִצֶר מַטָּעַי מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי לְהִתְפָּאֵר. לְאִינוּן דַּאֲחִידָן בְּו', וּלְאִינּוּן בַּתְרָאֵי, אִתְּעַר מִלָּה. וְלֵית לָךְ מִלָּה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אוֹ אָת זְעֵירָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּלֵית בָּהּ רָזִין עִלָּאִין, וְטַעֲמִין קַדִּישִׁין, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיַדְעִין בְּהוּ.
Truly, there is not a word or even a small letter in the Torah which does not contain profound allusions and holy indications. Happy is the lot of those who apprehend them!