Comentario sobre Exodo 14:5

ויגד למלך מצרים AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT — He sent public officers with them, and as soon as they had reached the three days’ journey which he had fixed for them to go and return, and these perceived that they were not going back to Egypt, they came and told Pharaoh on the fourth day (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:5:1). On the fifth and sixth they pursued after them: on the night of the seventh day they went down into the sea and on the following morning they (the Israelites) sang the Song of Praise and this was the seventh day of Passover. And that is why we read “The Song” (Exodus 15:1 ff.) as the Scriptural lesson on the seventh day of the Festival (Megillah 31a; Seder Olam 5; cf. Sotah 12b).

AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT THAT THE PEOPLE HAD FLED. “He sent guards with them, and as soon as they had reached the three days’ journey that was fixed for them to go and return, and [these guards] saw that they were not returning to Egypt, they went and reported to Pharaoh on the fourth day. On the fifth and sixth days, the Egyptians pursued after them. On the night of the seventh day, they went down into the sea, and on the following morning, the Israelites uttered the Song, and this was the seventh day of Passover. It is for this reason that [during the Synagogue service] on the seventh day of Passover, we read [the Scriptural portion containing] the Song at the Red Sea.” This is the language of Rashi. And so it is also explained in the Mechilta.²⁷Mechilta here on Verse 3. Ramban’s intent is that the Mechilta states the order of events as mentioned by Rashi. The established custom of reading during the Synagogue service on the seventh day of Passover the Scriptural portion containing the Song at the Red Sea is of later origin, as is evidenced by the fact that in the Mishnah (Megillah 30b) and in Tractate Sofrim (17:5) another reading is indicated. The reading is mentioned in the Gemara of Tractate Megillah 31 a, quoting a Beraitha. The reason why Rashi at this point mentioned the Synagogue custom for the reading of the Torah on the seventh day of Passover, was to show that it is in keeping with “the event of the day.”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse here is to be understood in the light of that which G-d said, And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land.²⁸Verse 3. When the children of Israel [indicated that this was] so, and they turned back and encamped before Phi-hahiroth before Baal-zephon,²⁹Verse 2. this was reported to the king of Egypt. He said that the people were fled and entangled in the desert, and that they were not going towards a definite place to offer sacrifices for G-d. And this is the intent of the verse, and the children of Israel went out with a high hand.³⁰Verse 8. This means that they made themselves a flag and a banner for display, and they went out with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp,³¹Genesis 31:27. like people who are redeemed from bondage to freedom, and not like slaves who expect to return to their servitude. All this was told to Pharaoh.

כי ברח העם, they had not marched straight into the desert as they had maintained they would. In 8,23 all they had asked for was to be allowed to march into the desert a distance of three days’ journey. They had now departed from their planned route so that this could be interpreted as an attempt to flee. The new route made no sense, showing they did not know where they were headed, just as one would expect of a fugitive.