The seventh day of Pesach commemorates the splitting of the sea. That glorious final moment when helplessness at the mercy of our vicious enemies the Egyptians was transformed into total salvation. We witnessed our enemies washing up on the seashore and could finally relax knowing that the Egyptians would no longer pursue us. It is important for us to reflect on the significance of that awesome moment and draw strength and inspiration from it as we return to that holy time this Pesach.
The Haggadah offers us a window into the magnitude of the miracles at the sea. After the Haggadah completes its discussion of the Exodus experience with the listing of the ten plagues, it then digresses to discuss the number of plagues with which the Egyptians were struck at the sea. Rabbi Yossi HaGalili says that the plagues in Egypt are referred to as the “finger of Hashem”, and the miracles of the Red Sea are referred to as the “hand of Hashem”. This teaches us that at the sea there must have been five times as many plagues as in Egypt, for a total of fifty. Rabbi Eliezer says that each of the plagues in Egypt were four-fold, multiplying the total in Egypt to forty, and two hundred at the sea. Rabbi Akiva says that each of the plagues in Egypt were five-fold, bringing the total up to fifty, and two hundred and fifty at the sea.
It is interesting to note, that this portion of the Maggid was not part of the original text of the Haggadah. The Mishnayos in the end of Tractate Pesachim (116 A-B) makes no mention of this section of the Maggid. The Mishnayos discuss darshaning the Pesukim of “Arami oved avi…” which conclude with the ten plagues, then the mishnayos mention Rabban Gamliel’s statement describing the purpose of Pesach, Matzah, and Marror. The statements of Rabbi Yossi HaGalili, Rabbi Eliezer, and Rabbi Akiva, as well as Dayeinu are all omitted. The Rambam in his Nusach Haggadah, also omits this section of the Haggadah.
The Abarbanel (Haggadah, Zevach Pesach), suggests that this section was omitted because it is not directly related to leaving Egypt; the splitting of the sea happened seven days later. The Midrash Mechilta includes this section because it is an outgrowth of the miracles of Egypt. The Dayeinu song puts all of Hashem’s kindnesses together in a beautiful chain of events. Most Haggadas, therefore, include this section, giving us the perfect introduction to the beginning of the Hallel.
The Rambam, in his commentary on Pirkei Avos, addresses a contradiction between the Haggadah and the Mishna in Pirkei Avos. The Mishna (Avos, Chapter 5, Mishna 4) states that ten miracles were done for our ancestors in Egypt and ten at the sea, Hashem brought ten plagues on the Egyptians in Egypt and ten plagues at the sea. In the Haggadah, Rabbi Yossi HaGalili says there were fifty plagues at the sea, not ten?
The Rambam explains that the same ten types of plagues that the Egyptians suffered in Egypt were brought upon them at the sea, but at the sea they were each expanded and intensified five-fold. (See Abarbanel, Haggadah, Zevach Pesach, who explains in greater detail.)
We typically place our focus on the ten plagues, and imagine how amazing and frightening they must have been while the miracles of the splitting of the sea receive less of our attention. The Haggadah teaches us that the splitting of the sea was far greater; it contained all the miracles of the ten plagues and was greater than all the plagues combined.
Consider a fire-work show, rocket after rocket displays its magnificent color, sounds, and shapes. Then the show concludes with the “grand finale”, a spectacular display of all the many different rockets simultaneously lighting up the sky with bright lights and sound. Now, imagine if the grand finale not only included all the different rockets simultaneously, but five of each of them. The experience would be so overwhelming that the beginning of the show would seem nothing more than a meager warm up. This was the splitting of the sea!
Many of the commentaries point out that Hashem could have very easily caused Pharaoh and the Egyptians to decide to free us; the amazing miracles of the ten plagues and the splitting of the sea were not necessary to redeem us. Nonetheless, Hashem chose to take us out with spectacular miracles to make a point. T
he Ramban, in his commentary to Chumash in the end of Parshas Bo, addresses this point. He writes that when Hashem performs open miracles, He does so to dispel the following three common false beliefs:
1. He proves His existence, that there is indeed a higher power.
2. He proves that He is aware of the goings-on on our terrestrial planet.
3. He proves that He cares and responds to the actions and choices of mankind. When miracles are delivered through a prophet (Moshe Rabbeinu in this case), He also proves the truth of the prophet. The Ramban adds that because these beliefs are so central to our religion, and because Hashem does not perform open miracles for every generation, that is why we are constantly mentioning and remembering the Exodus, in kiddush, in Shema, and many other mitzvos.
The Malbim elaborates on the Ramban’s idea in his commentary on Chumash (Shemos 7:14, this is where he begins developing this theme which he carries throughout all the Pesukim of the ten plagues). In the Haggadah, just after listing the ten plagues, the Maggid cites Rabbi Yehuda who gave a siman to the plagues: “datsach, adash, b’achav,” a simple formulation of three words by combining the first letters of each of the ten plagues.
What is the significance of this acronym?
It is not difficult to form words from the first letters of each of the plagues. The Malbim explains that Rabbi Yehuda is teaching something very significant; he is teaching us that the plagues can be divided into three sets of three, with the tenth plague added on the end. The Malbim explains that the tenth plague, death of the firstborn, was unlike the others in that it was needed to trigger the actual exodus. The first nine plagues were executed solely to punish the Egyptians and teach the world the lessons of Hashem’s existence, power, knowledge, and responsiveness.
These nine can further be divided into three sets of three, each of the three sets is attributed a lesson that Hashem was teaching the world. Each of the three sets follows a similar pattern: the first plague of each set is preceded with a warning that Pharaoh is given during his morning bath in the Nile river, challenging the Egyptians idolatrous belief that the Nile possessed godly power to govern their national fate. The second plague of each set is preceded with a warning that Pharaoh is given in his home surrounded by his advisors and officials, to publicize the lesson that Hashem was teaching the Egyptians. The third is without warning. Hashem has made His point, but the Egyptians have not been fully punished yet. Rabbi Yehuda’s siman alludes to these three sets of three.
It is very important for us to remember Hashem’s miracles on Pesach, especially on the seventh day of Pesach which marks the grand finale, the splitting of the sea. When we remember Hashem’s miracles we do so to absorb and internalize the lessons of those miracles. To reaffirm to ourselves the fundamental beliefs that are central to Judaism-that we recognize Hashem’s presence in the world, that He is all powerful with nothing able to restrain Him, that He is aware of everything in His creation including every action and thought of every individual, and that He responds to every thought and action with tremendous precision. These beliefs lie at the core of our being, and Pesach is the time to strengthen our core.
We are living in unprecedented times. The most powerful leaders of the most powerful countries are helplessly scrambling to cut their losses from a virus that they have no way of controlling. The strongest world economies have come crashing down as commerce comes to a screeching halt. The lesson is clear-man is not in control.
Despite the amazing technology, scientific knowledge, and sophisticated communications that mankind has developed, we are utterly helpless to the will of Hashem. A germ smaller than a crumb of chometz has caused global disruption to a greater extent than many international wars. It’s time for a reality check; our sense of control is a façade. Now, more than ever, we can appreciate the lesson of the ten plagues and the splitting of the sea.
It is true, that the current pandemic pales in comparison to the miracles of the exodus; Hashem is operating within the natural order as opposed to the open miracles of the exodus. Also, the Jewish people are suffering from this virus as much as any other, unlike the clear distinction between Jew and Egyptian that was made in the miracles of the exodus. Nonetheless, the message still reigns true, that we are seeing with our own eyes the weakness of mankind and the awesome power of Hashem.
It is interesting to note that the Malbim divides the ten plagues into nine and one, the virus is known as COVID 19, containing a nine and a one. Furthermore, one of the Torah’s expressions to describe the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart is “Kaved lev Paroh” (Shemos, 7:14). The pronunciation of the word “kaved” has an eerie resemblance to the word “COVID.”
Many of us have been contemplating the many ways in which Shul plays a significant role in our lives as Jews. It is truly fascinating that the Ramban in the end of Parshas Bo concludes by discussing this point. He writes that the purpose of raising our voices in prayer, the purpose of our Shuls, and the purpose of praying together in large groups is to create an opportunity for us to collectively declare our belief that we are Hashem’s creations.
May this unusual Pesach be a time of introspection and growth. May we all strengthen our belief in Hashem’s ultimate dominion over the entire world. May we return soon to our Shuls where we will raise up our voices together once again and publicly proclaim that we are the creations of the one Hashem, Master of the universe.
May Hashem guard us and redeem us once again with miracles, speedily and in our days.