Shevi’i shel Pesach – Splitting Our Personal Yam Suf

This article is based on the beautiful article by Ruchama Efrati (in Hebrew).

Day Six of the Exodus 

As the 6th day drew to a close, Hashem commanded Moshe to be prepared to part the Yam Suf (Red Sea) and lead the people through on a dry seabed. He assured Moshe that the Egyptians would follow them into the sea and be destroyed there. The final destruction of the mightiest empire would manifest Hashem’s greatness to the entire world.  

The Jewish people saw the Egyptian army approaching in the distance. The Egyptians were filled with fury. They were intent on revenge for the 10th plague killing their firstborn and on recouping the valuables that the Jews took with them as they left Egypt. 

Hashem, in His great mercy, had orchestrated matters so that the Jews were sandwiched between the Yam Suf (Red Sea) and the approaching Egyptians. Should they surrender? Should they fight? Should they appease and negotiate? Should they throw themselves into the sea and take their chances? Their desperate situation forced them to cry out to Hashem with all their hearts. 

In the Babylonian Talmud, Masechta Sota records a debate among the tribes as to who should be the first to enter the sea. Should it be Reuven because he was the firstborn? Or Yehuda because future kings will come from his tribe? Or Levy because they will the Kohanim (priests) to perform sacrifices in the Beit HaMikdash? Or Zevulun and Naphtali because their territories are near the sea? Maybe Benyamin because he was the only son born after Yaakov’s name was changed to Yisrael?  

Nachshon ben Aminadav from the tribe of Yehuda took advantage of the debate to sprint ahead and jump into the foaming, roaring sea first. He showed “holy audacity” and confidence in Hashem to save His people. He continued forward into the water until it reached his nostrils… 

Don’t Prolong Prayer? 

At that moment, Moshe was deep in prayer. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: My beloved ones are drowning in the sea and you’re standing in prayer before Me? Moshe said to Hashem, “Lord of the Universe, what can I do? He said to him:  

Speak to the Israelites and tell them to travel, and you raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, and the children of Israel shall come in the midst of the sea on dry land. (Exodus 14: 16) 

From the Time of Creation 

Hashem made a “deal” with the water on the day it was created – when the Children of Israel would leave Egypt, the Yam Suf must split into two. The water asked, “How will I know and recognize the Children of Israel?” Hashem showed the water the pure souls of the Children of Israel. 

What happened to the Yam Suf? 

The long-awaited time came and the Yam Suf had to split into two. This change in nature was in accordance with the agreement between Hashem and the Yam Suf that dated back to the time of creation. Suddenly the sea decided to remain intact! What happened?  

It is written in Midrashim that Hashem showed the Yam Suf the souls of the People of Israel. The sea, however, did not recognize them. It therefore refused to split on the pretext that it did not know them. How could that be? After all, Hashem had showed the souls to the sea. Suddenly the sea “forgot”? 

What happened was that the pure souls of the Children of Israel had become blackened by the filth of their enslavement in Egypt.  The Children of Israel had already entered forty-nine gates of impurity and were very close to entering the fiftieth (and last) gate from which there can be no redemption. 

As such, since the souls were wrapped in a thick klipah (shell) of filth, the sea did not recognize them and therefore did not want to split. 

Hashem explained to the sea that these souls were the same souls that He had shown the sea during the days of creation and that they were merely covered in a temporary klipah of filth. The sea had nothing to fear because the Children of Israel were like a walnut. The shell on the outside of a nut is hard and inedible while the fruit inside is delicious and healthy to eat. So too were their souls. The klipah was just an outer shell of filth, but their souls were still pure, clear, and clean as in the days of creation. Even at the lowest depths of filth, Hashem saved them.  

Being brought to the impossible, frightening situation at the Yam Suf was a veiled expression of Hashem’s great mercy for each Jew. He was about to show His unlimited love to each one!

Pampered by Nature 

The water split in half and the People of Israel walked on dry land. The Creator “spoiled” them by making the sandy seabed into a pleasant and soft surface on which to pass through. The pampering was not over and done with – twelve paths in the sea (one for each tribe) were opened through which the Children of Israel passed. The sea walls between the twelve paths were transparent so that the people could see each other. There was pleasant, warm spring air. The great and awesome Hashem produced delicious fruit trees for food so that each and every one could pick and eat what his soul desired. Even the kids had delicious sweets and snacks! 

And Today? 

Today we stand before Hashem with sooty souls. Each of us has trials and tribulations that bring us to the shores of our personal Yam Suf. Our generation faces unparalleled challenges in the areas of emuna,  personal holiness, and interpersonal relationships.  

Often, we stand at the shore of our Yam Suf with emuna in Hashem but no emuna in ourselves. We know the wrongdoings we’ve made and constantly remember our failed attempts to rectify ourselves. After enough failures, we tell ourselves that change is impossible. We conclude “Wake up and smell the coffee!!  This is part and parcel of my personality, it’s genetic, it’s environmental, it’s ME.

Isn’t it amazing how perfect our memory is when it comes to our failures! What we consistently forget is that, just as at the Yam Suf, Hashem focuses on our pure essence, which is our true self. Hashem has confidence that we can succeed in teshuva, but we must believe in ourselves as well. 

The Children of Israel passed through the sea only when the water reached the nose of Nachshon Ben Aminadav. His firm emuna is an example for each of us. One man’s emuna brought about the survival of an entire nation! Imagine that your emuna, your personal holiness, your interpersonal relationships, your teshuva can save every Jew on the planet!  

Another lesson for us is that Hashem can split our Yam Suf for us and allow us safe passage. But He will not go into the Yam Suf for us. That obstacle is one that each of us must show emuna, desire, and ratzon in returning to Hashem.

Hashem desires our teshuva. He rejoices when we cry out to Him, and He readily helps us. Let us return to Hashem, the Merciful One, and He will split our personal Yam Suf!