Midrash Mechilta teaching

(21) Then Moses held out his arm over the sea and יהוה drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground. The waters were split, (22) and the Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. (23) The Egyptians came in pursuit after them into the sea, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and riders. (24) At the morning watch, יהוה looked down upon the Egyptian army from a pillar of fire and cloud, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. (25) [God] locked the wheels of their chariots so that they moved forward with difficulty. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the Israelites, for יהוה is fighting for them against Egypt.” (26) Then יהוה said to Moses, “Hold out your arm over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians and upon their chariots and upon their riders.” (27) Moses held out his arm over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal state, and the Egyptians fled at its approach. But יהוה hurled the Egyptians into the sea. (28) The waters turned back and covered the chariots and the riders—Pharaoh’s entire army that followed them into the sea; not one of them remained. (29) But the Israelites had marched through the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. (30) Thus יהוה delivered Israel that day from the Egyptians. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea. (31) And when Israel saw the wondrous power which יהוה had wielded against the Egyptians, the people feared יהוה; they had faith in יהוה and in God’s servant Moses.

(Exodus 15:1) "Az yashir Mosheh": Az ("then") sometimes signals the past and sometimes signals the future. The past: (Genesis 4:26) "Az men began", (Exodus 4:26) "Az she said", (Exodus 15:1) "Az Moses sang", (Numbers 21:17) "Az Israel sang", (Joshua 10:12) "Az Joshua spoke", (I Chronicles 15:2) "Az David said", (I Kings 8:12) "Az Solomon said." And sometimes "Az" signals the future, viz.: Isaiah 60:5) "Az you will see and flow", (Ibid. 58:8) "Az your light shall break forth as the morning", "Then there shall be opened", (Ibid. 35:6) "Az the lame man shall leap as a hart", (Ibid. 5) (Jeremiah 31:12) "Az the virgin will rejoice in the dance", (Psalms 126:2) "Az our mouth will be filled with laughter", (Ibid.) "Az they will say among the nations."

(25) Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel,” for Cain had killed him. (26) And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh. It was then that יהוה began to be invoked by name.

(19) יהוה said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who sought to kill you are dead.” (20) So Moses took his wife and sons, mounted them on an ass, and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God with him. (21) And יהוה said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the marvels that I have put within your power. I, however, will stiffen his heart so that he will not let the people go. (22) Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says יהוה: Israel is My first-born son. (23) I have said to you, “Let My son go, that he may worship Me,” yet you refuse to let him go. Now I will slay your first-born son.’” (24) At a night encampment on the way, יהוה encountered him and sought to kill him. (25) So Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched his legs with it, saying, “You are truly a bridegroom of blood to me!” (26) And when [God] let him alone, she added, “A bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision.”

(5) and the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why did you make us leave Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no bread and no water, and we have come to loathe this miserable food.” (6) יהוה sent seraph serpents against the people. They bit the people and many of the Israelites died. (7) The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned by speaking against יהוה and against you. Intercede with יהוה to take away the serpents from us!” And Moses interceded for the people. (8) Then יהוה said to Moses, “Make a seraph figure and mount it on a standard. And anyone who was bitten who then looks at it shall recover.” (9) Moses made a copper serpent and mounted it on a standard; and when bitten by a serpent, anyone who looked at the copper serpent would recover. (10) The Israelites marched on and encamped at Oboth. (11) They set out from Oboth and encamped at Iye-abarim, in the wilderness bordering on Moab to the east. (12) From there they set out and encamped at the wadi Zered. (13) From there they set out and encamped beyond the Arnon, that is, in the wilderness that extends from the territory of the Amorites. For the Arnon is the boundary of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites. (14) Therefore the Book of the Wars of יהוה speaks of “…Waheb in Suphah, and the wadis: the Arnon (15) with its tributary wadis, stretched along the settled country of Ar, hugging the territory of Moab…” (16) And from there to Beer, which is the well where יהוה said to Moses, “Assemble the people that I may give them water.” (17) Then Israel sang this song: Spring up, O well—sing to it— (18) The well which the chieftains dug, Which the nobles of the people started With maces, with their own staffs. And from Midbar to Mattanah, (19) and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth, (20) and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the country of Moab, at the peak of Pisgah, overlooking the wasteland.

(6) The people of Gibeon thereupon sent this message to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal: “Do not fail your servants; come up quickly and aid us and deliver us, for all the Amorite kings of the hill country have gathered against us.” (7) So Joshua marched up from Gilgal with all his combat troops—all the trained warriors. (8) GOD said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them, for I will deliver them into your hands; not one of them shall withstand you.” (9) Joshua took them by surprise, marching all night from Gilgal. (10) GOD threw them into a panic before Israel: [Joshua] inflicted a crushing defeat on them at Gibeon, pursued them in the direction of the Beth-horon ascent, and harried them all the way to Azekah and Makkedah. (11) While they were fleeing before Israel down the descent from Beth-horon, GOD hurled huge stones on them from the sky, all the way to Azekah, and they perished; more perished from the hailstones than were killed by the Israelite weapons. (12) On that occasion, when GOD routed the Amorites before the Israelites, Joshua addressed GOD; he said in the presence of the Israelites: “Stand still, O sun, at Gibeon, O moon, in the Valley of Aijalon!”

(1) He had houses made for himself in the City of David, and he prepared a place for the Ark of God, and pitched a tent for it. (2) Then David gave orders that none but the Levites were to carry the Ark of God, for the LORD had chosen them to carry the Ark of the LORD and to minister to Him forever.

(1) Then Solomon convoked the elders of Israel—all the heads of the tribes and the ancestral chieftains of the Israelites—before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the Ark of the Covenant of GOD from the City of David, that is, Zion. (2) The entire body of Israel gathered before King Solomon at the Feast [of Booths], in the month of Ethanim—that is, the seventh month. (3) When all the elders of Israel had come, the priests lifted the Ark (4) and carried up the Ark of GOD. Then the priests and the Levites brought the Tent of Meeting and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent. (5) Meanwhile, King Solomon and the whole community of Israel, who were assembled with him before the Ark, were sacrificing sheep and oxen in such abundance that they could not be numbered or counted. (6) The priests brought the Ark of GOD’s Covenant to its place underneath the wings of the cherubim, in the Shrine of the House, in the Holy of Holies; (7) for the cherubim had their wings spread out over the place of the Ark, so that the cherubim shielded the Ark and its poles from above. (8) The poles projected so that the ends of the poles were visible in the sanctuary in front of the Shrine, but they could not be seen outside; and there they remain to this day. (9) There was nothing inside the Ark but the two tablets of stone that Moses placed there at Horeb, when GOD made [a covenant] with the Israelites after their departure from the land of Egypt. (10) When the priests came out of the sanctuary—for the cloud had filled the House of GOD (11) and the priests were not able to remain and perform the service because of the cloud, for the Presence of the ETERNAL filled the House of GOD— (12) then Solomon declared: “ GOD has chosen To abide in a thick cloud: (13) I have now built for You A stately House, A place where You May dwell forever.” (14) Then, with the whole congregation of Israel standing, the king faced about and blessed the whole congregation of Israel. (15) He said: “Praised be the ETERNAL, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with deeds the promise made to my father David. For [God] said,

(1) Arise, shine, for your light has dawned; The Presence of GOD has shone upon you! (2) Behold! Darkness shall cover the earth, And thick clouds the peoples; But upon you GOD will shine, And God’s Presence be seen over you. (3) And nations shall walk by your light, Kings, by your shining radiance. (4) Raise your eyes and look about: They have all gathered and come to you. Your sons shall be brought from afar, Your daughters like babes on shoulders. (5) As you behold, you will glow; Your heart will throb and thrill— For the wealth of the sea shall pass on to you, The riches of nations shall flow to you.

(6) No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. (7) It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe them, And not to ignore your own kin. (8) Then shall your light burst through like the dawn And your healing spring up quickly; Your Vindicator shall march before you, The Presence of GOD shall be your rear guard.

(5) Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (6) Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb shall shout aloud; For waters shall burst forth in the desert, Streams in the wilderness.

(10) Hear the word of GOD, O nations, And tell it in the isles afar. Say: The One who scattered Israel will gather them, And will guard them as a shepherd his flock. (11) For GOD will ransom Jacob, Redeem him from one too strong for him. (12) They shall come and shout on the heights of Zion, Radiant over GOD’s bounty— Over new grain and wine and oil, And over sheep and cattle. They shall fare like a watered garden, They shall never languish again. (13) Then shall maidens dance gaily, Young men and old alike. I will turn their mourning to joy, I will comfort them and cheer them in their grief.

A king of flesh and blood enters a province, and all praise him as "strong" — when he is weak; as "rich" — when he is poor; as "wise" — when he is foolish; as "merciful" — when he is cruel; as "trusty" — when he is not. He is lacking in all of these (fine) attributes — All men are flattering him. But it is not so with Him who spoke and brought the world into being. He transcends all that He is praised for. "I shall sing to the L–rd," who is strong — (Devarim 10:17) "the G–d who is great and strong and awesome," (Psalms 24:8) "the L–rd, mighty and strong, the L–rd, strong in war," (Isaiah 42;13) "The L–rd as a mighty one shall go forth. As a man of war, He will stir up wrath. He will shout; He will scream. He will overpower His foes," (Jeremiah 10:14) "There is none like You, O L–rd. Great are You and great is Your name in strength."