Just as women and water began the story of the liberation from Egypt (Exodus 2), so too they bring it to its fulfillment. Miriam, the sister who first stood by the water (the Nile River) to watch over her baby brother, now, as a prophet, leads the women in interpreting what crossing the water (the Sea of Reeds) means. Thus, women and water frame the story of Israel’s beginnings, from servitude to freedom.
(יז) וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֮ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וְלֹא־נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י ׀ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹהִ֗ים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃ (יח) וַיַּסֵּ֨ב אֱלֹהִ֧ים ׀ אֶת־הָעָ֛ם דֶּ֥רֶךְ הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר יַם־ס֑וּף וַחֲמֻשִׁ֛ים עָל֥וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (יט) וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ כִּי֩ הַשְׁבֵּ֨עַ הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם׃
(17) Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said, “The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.” (18) So God led the people round about, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Now the Israelites went up armed*armed Meaning of Heb. ḥamushim uncertain. out of the land of Egypt. (19) And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had exacted an oath from the children of Israel, saying, “God will be sure to take notice of you: then you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”
וחמשים. אֵין חֲמוּשִׁים אֶלָּא מְזֻיָּנִים; (לְפִי שֶׁהֱסִבָּן בַּמִּדְבָּר הוּא גָּרַם לָהֶם שֶׁעָלוּ חֲמוּשִׁים, שֶׁאִלּוּ הֱסִבָּן דֶּרֶךְ יִשּׁוּב, לֹא הָיוּ מְחֻמָּשִׁים לָהֶם כָּל מַה שֶּׁצְּרִיכִין, אֶלָּא כְּאָדָם שֶׁעוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם וּבְדַעְתּוֹ לִקְנוֹת שָׁם מַה שֶּׁיִּצְטָרֵךְ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהוּא פּוֹרֵשׁ לַמִּדְבָּר צָרִיךְ לְזַמֵּן לוֹ כָּל הַצֹּרֶךְ; וּמִקְרָא זֶה לֹא נִכְתַּב כִּי אִם לְשַׂבֵּר אֶת הָאֹזֶן, שֶׁלֹּא תִתְמַהּ בְּמִלְחֶמֶת עֲמָלֵק וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג וּמִדְיָן מֵהֵיכָן הָיוּ לָהֶם כְּלֵי זַיִן שֶׁהִכּוּ אוֹתָם בַּחֶרֶב).
וחמשים — The word חמשים means provided with weapons (Mekhilta). — [Because He led them by a circuitous route through the wilderness He brought it about that they went up from Egypt well-provided; for had He led them circuitously by the route of an inhabited district they would not have provided for themselves every thing that they needed, but only a part, like a person who is travelling from place to place and intends to purchase there whatever he will require. But if he were setting out for the wilderness he must provide all that he will require. — This verse (statement in the verse) is written only with the view of making the ear understand (preparing you for a later statement) viz., that you should not wonder with regard to the war with Amalek and the war with Sihon and Og and Midian where they obtained weapons, since they smote them with the sword].
(מז) וחמושים עלו בני ישראל (שמות יג יח). שעלו מזויינים (שמו"ר פ"כ י"ט). אפשר לפרש מזויינים ניצוצי השבירה שנפלו משבירת הכלים.
וחמשים — The word חמשים means that they left (Egypt) being armed with weapons (Midrash Rabah 20:19). One can explain the word "armed" to mean that they were armed with the broken sparks that fall away (from holiness) during the "breaking of the vessels."
(א) ויקח משה את עצמות יוסף עמו וגו'. ובמדרש (רבתי פרשה כ') עליו הכתוב אומר (משלי י׳:ח׳) חכם לב יקח מצוות כו' הבעש"ט זלה"ה אמר על פסוק חכם לב יקח מצוות, ולמה לא אמר יקח מצוה לשון יחיד, אלא הכי פירושו לקשר מעשה המצוה שעשה שנקרא מצוה תתאה, לייחדה אל מצוה עליונה, שהוא המחשבה והכוונה של המצוה וזהו שאומרים על מצוה אחת אשר קדשנו במצוותיו לשון רבים:(אור הגנוז לצדיקים פרשת וירא).
(1) And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. (Exodus 13:19)About Moses, the verse says, “The wise of heart take commandments” (Proverbs 10:8).— Shemot Rabbah 20:17Why does the verse use the plural, instead of the singular: “The wise of heart takes a commandment”? Because a person must unite the physical act of the commandment, called the “lower mitzvah,” with the thought and intention underlying the commandment, which is the “supernal mitzvah.” This is also why we say, “Blessed are You . . . who has sanctified us with His commandments” – in the plural.Ohr Ganuz LaTzaddikim, Vayareh
וְחִזַּקְתִּ֣י אֶת־לֵב־פַּרְעֹה֮ וְרָדַ֣ף אַחֲרֵיהֶם֒ וְאִכָּבְדָ֤ה בְּפַרְעֹה֙ וּבְכׇל־חֵיל֔וֹ וְיָדְע֥וּ מִצְרַ֖יִם כִּֽי־אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵֽן׃
Then I will stiffen Pharaoh’s heart and he will pursue them, that I may gain glory through Pharaoh and all his host; and the Egyptians shall know that I am GOD.And they did so.
ואכבדה בפרעה. כְּשֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה מִתְנַקֵּם בָּרְשָׁעִים שְׁמוֹ מִתְגַּדֵּל וּמִתְכַּבֵּד.
ואכבדה בפרעה AND I WILL BE HONOURED THROUGH PHARAOH — When the Holy One, blessed be He, takes vengeance on the wicked His name is magnified and honoured.
I call to attention here the word "Vekovdah" the same root KVD that we had last week of Hashem saying "for I have hardened Pharaoh's heart.
ואכבדה בפרעה ובכל חילו. שלא נטבעו בים אלא חילו של פרעה ולא המון עם מצרים וכ״כ בחי׳ רשב״א יבמות פ׳ הערל:
That I may gain glory through Pharaoh and his entire military - for the only people that were drowned in the sea was his military, and not the Egyptian civilians.
Now calling to attention this part: there is an argument to be made that the whole reason for the hardening of Pharaoh's heart was so that "civilians" can be saved? Let's discuss!
Also, keep in mind that now we are at a point where ALL of the people drowning are guilty, so to speak. Stay tuned!
וַיְחַזֵּ֣ק יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־לֵ֤ב פַּרְעֹה֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּרְדֹּ֕ף אַחֲרֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל יֹצְאִ֖ים בְּיָ֥ד רָמָֽה׃
GOD stiffened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he gave chase to the Israelites. As the Israelites were departing defiantly,
ויחזק ה' את לב פרעה. שֶׁהָיָה תוֹלֶה אִם לִרְדֹּף אִם לָאו, וְחִזֵּק אֶת לִבּוֹ לִרְדֹּף (שם):
ויחזק ה׳ את לב פרעה AND THE LORD ALLOWED THE HEART OF PHARAOH TO BE HARDENED — the meaning is, that he was in doubt whether to pursue or not, and He hardened his heart to pursue (Mekhilta).
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֮ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֒ הֲֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־קְבָרִים֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם לְקַחְתָּ֖נוּ לָמ֣וּת בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר מַה־זֹּאת֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ לָּ֔נוּ לְהוֹצִיאָ֖נוּ מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃
And they said to Moses, “Was it for want of graves in Egypt that you brought us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt?
The "lack of graves in Egypt"
יְהֹוָ֖ה יִלָּחֵ֣ם לָכֶ֑ם וְאַתֶּ֖ם תַּחֲרִשֽׁוּן׃ {פ}
GOD will battle for you; you hold your peace!”
(ו) תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל יוֹמִין דְּהֲוָה מֹשֶׁה בְּמִצְרַיִם, דְּבָעָא לְאַפָּקָא מִלָּה מִן גָּלוּתָא, לָא מַלִּיל מִלָּה, דְּאִיהוּ דִּבּוּר.
(6) Come and see, throughout the time that Moshe was in Egypt, where we had to take the words out of Exile, he didn't utter any utterance, that which is Words.
ה' ילחם לכם ואתם תחרשון. הענין בזה שכאן נצטוו להחריש מבלי שום פעולה ואף בתפלה לא יתפללו להש"י.
“God will fight for you, and you shall be silent.” (Shemot, 14:14)Concerning this they were commanded to hold their peace and refrain from action, not even praying to God.
What does it mean when even the "Word" is in exile?
(יט) וַיִּסַּ֞ע מַלְאַ֣ךְ הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים הַהֹלֵךְ֙ לִפְנֵי֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיִּסַּ֞ע עַמּ֤וּד הֶֽעָנָן֙ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֔ם וַיַּֽעֲמֹ֖ד מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃ (כ) וַיָּבֹ֞א בֵּ֣ין ׀ מַחֲנֵ֣ה מִצְרַ֗יִם וּבֵין֙ מַחֲנֵ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיְהִ֤י הֶֽעָנָן֙ וְהַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וַיָּ֖אֶר אֶת־הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְלֹא־קָרַ֥ב זֶ֛ה אֶל־זֶ֖ה כׇּל־הַלָּֽיְלָה׃
(19) The messenger of God, who had been going ahead of the Israelite army, now moved and followed behind them; and the pillar of cloud shifted from in front of them and took up a place behind them, (20) and it came between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel. Thus there was the cloud with the darkness, and it cast a spell upon the night, so that the one could not come near the other all through the night.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כׇּל הַלָּיְלָה״ — בִּקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לוֹמַר שִׁירָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם, וְאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה?
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: What is that which is written: “And the one came not near the other all the night” (Exodus 14:20)? The ministering angels wanted to sing their song, but the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: The work of My hands, the Egyptians, are drowning at sea, and you wish to say songs? (This indicates that God does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked).