מִקֹּל֨וֹת ׀ מַ֤יִם רַבִּ֗ים אַדִּירִ֣ים מִשְׁבְּרֵי־יָ֑ם אַדִּ֖יר בַּמָּר֣וֹם יְהוָֽה׃
Plus que le tumulte des eaux profondes, des puissantes vagues de l’Océan, l’Éternel est imposant dans les hauteurs.
Tze'enah Ure'enah
The prophet has shown us in these verses how the person should behave in his house, to give charity and honor poor guests. The person should remember and know that the house that he has built for himself is not his house, but he should allow himself to think that the house belongs to the Holy One. Therefore the prophet said here: what kind of house do you want to build for Me that I should live in it? My house is in heaven, but when you want to build a house in which I will dwell among you on the earth, then invite poor people as guests, honor them, and I will certainly be in your house. Therefore, the Talmud writes in [tractate] Yom Tov, chapter two, “whoever wants that his things should last, he should put them into a leather bag… majestic on high is the Lord” [Psalms, 93:4].2B. Bezah, 15b. The Aramaic term for leather bag is spelled the same way as the Hebrew word for majestic. This passage teaches us that the person, who desires that his house and his field remain forever, should place the Holy One in his house, which is called majestic. The person should say about his house that it is not his house, but it belongs to the Holy One.
Midrash BeChiddush
אלו קרע לנו את־הים ולא העבירנו בתוכו בחרבה, דיינו “If God had split the Sea for us but had not taken us through it on dry land (haravah), it would have been enough for us.” If God had left the sea bed as muck and mud (it would have been enough). Also, even if we had to struggle to pass through the sea bed it would have been enough since we were being redeemed. But God wanted to bring us through the sea on dry land; that is, there was water to their right and left and above them; only below them was (the sea bed) dry and parched. The reason that the Maggid chose the word haravah, rather than yevashah, as is stated, “But the Israelites marched through the sea on (yabashah) dry ground. ” (Ex. 14:29) It is because haravah243In Ex. 14:21 it uses the other word: “Drove back the sea with a strong east wind all that night, and turned the sea into dry ground (b’haravah).” alludes to the water taking the form of a tent, as is stated, אֶת־הַיָּם לֶחָרָבָה “God turned the sea into dry land.” (Ex. 14:21) The abbreviation of the phrase is אה’’ל, ohel, tent.
However it is also more exacting to ask why the Maggid chose the word קרע, as in the statement, “had not split קרע the sea for us” split instead of וַיִּבָּקְעוּ as in the verse, “The waters were split (יִּבָּקְעוּ)” (Ex. 14:21) Regarding this matter we will understand what my teacher of blessed memory said regarding the verse, “The sea returned to its normal state (לְאֵיתָנוֹ).” (Ex. 14:27) לְאֵיתָנוֹ means “to its original condition.” What is the “condition,” תנאי here? Are not the stipulations of a condition based (on the Mishnah in Kiddushin), “Any condition that is not like the condition Moses stipulated with the children of Gad and the children of Reuben is not a valid condition and is not taken into account.” 244Mishnah Kiddushin 3:4 Which does not specify both the result of fulfilling the condition and the result of the condition remaining unfulfilled.
When God created the world, what conditions were met? The sages inform us, “At the time when the Holy One sought to create the world, He said to the minister of the sea: “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of the world,” so that there will be room for land.” The minister of the sea said before God: “Master of the Universe, it is enough that I will stay within my own waters.”245BT Bava Batra 79b This is surprising - how could the minister of the sea refuse to accept a gift from its Master? However it is fitting to believe that the minister of the sea was the group of ministering angels who opposed the creation of humanity. And the angels said that the person who was about to be created would eventually sin. When God told the sea to receive all the waters of the world in order to prepare a dwelling place (for humanity), he said, “Since man would eventually sin, it will be necessary to drown him; therefore take back the gift that you are giving me. It is better that I stand in my own water!” This was a great transgression; even though humanity was created after the separating of the waters, when God said he wanted to create a space on which to place humanity, the minister of the seas gave a reason to prevent it and did not want to accept the waters, as has been said. “God immediately struck the minister and killed him; as it is stated: “By His understanding He smites Rahab” (Job 26:12)246Ibid Bava Batra The gathering of waters was the condition that it would continue to ebb and flow, as if it were going to spill on to the earth. And the gift was that the tide would return to its original place periodically. This is what we now see, the waters go forth and recede every six hours.
When Israel came close to the sea, God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to go forward.” (Ex. 14:15) Moses then spoke to the sea and said, “Split your waters!” The sea said to him, “I don’t want to!” Since this matter seemed wrong (to the sea), it said, “It is not enough that you obligate me to return the waters that were given to me, but you are taking from me my personal portion and making it dry so that the Israelites can pass through. Was it not the stipulation to give me back only my portion? In great fury the sea wanted to drown all the Israelites. Thus it is written, “The waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.” (Ex. 14:22) The word is written as חֹמָ֔ה247The word chomah, wall, is written without a vav, and is interpreted as cheimah, fury. wall, without a vav, meaning cheimah, fury. Moses then went to the Holy One and said, “The sea doesn’t want to divide its waters.” God immediately appeared to the sea. When the sea saw God and Moses, it fled before them, as is written, “The sea saw them and fled.” (Ps. 114:3) But God’s anger was not assuaged because the minister of the sea refused God’s commandments and was recalcitrant. What did God do? God grabbed hold of the sea and tore it into twelve pieces, just as a person tears up a garment. And at the sound of the tearing the water raised its voice and cried out, as is stated, “Above the voice of the mighty waters, more terrible than the breakers of the sea.” (Ps. 93:4) That is, the mighty waters raised their voice when they heard the splitting and smashing of the sea. The sea in particular raised its voice and cried, as Scripture states, “Have you penetrated the crying of the sea.” (Job 38:16) But since the gates of tears are never closed, the waters returned to their original “stipulation,” and the gift was returned to them as has been mentioned and it never again rebelled against any commandment that came to it from the righteous, those who are ruled over by fear of God.
The place of the split is still known. As is stated in Berachot, Perek HaRoeh (ch. 9) “One who sees the crossings of the Red Sea and the crossings of the Jordan; and the crossings of the streams of Arnon...must give thanks and offer praise before God.”248Berachot 54a Granted that the place of the splitting of the Jordan was known to them - this was because the Israelites placed twelve stones there. Also the location of Arnon was known because it was between two mountains. But even if there was an impression left by the splitting of the Red Sea, how could one recognize it? Actually, the sea never returned to the way it was and its place (of the splitting) was recognizable. Regarding this the sages stated, “The task of providing a person’s food is as difficult as the splitting of the Red Sea…”249BT Pesachim 118a because God had to talk to the sea and force it to split. Similarly, it was difficult for the Holy One to provide food for someone who deserves to die of hunger because of his evil deeds. It is for this reason that the sages used this expression (“it is as difficult as splitting the sea…) since the statement, “The waters were split,” (Ex. 14:21) implies that it was split forever to publicize this matter. But Dayyenu states קָרַע, “the sea split” (and not וַיִּבָּקְעוּ). The Maggid chose this language to imply that God performed the splitting of the sea for our sake, and that God did so in the way that is implied by a full verse, as is stated, “For your ruin is vast as the sea: who can heal you?” (Lam. 2:13) The Midrash250Pekikta D’Rav Kahanah 16:3 interprets this to mean, The one in the future who will heal the broken sea, will also heal you. Certainly the sea was broken, and it is still broken until God comes to heal it, as Scripture states, “The floods stood straight like a wall.” (Ex. 15:8) The Maggid implies that the sea no longer ebbed and flowed, but stood still and cried.
However it is also more exacting to ask why the Maggid chose the word קרע, as in the statement, “had not split קרע the sea for us” split instead of וַיִּבָּקְעוּ as in the verse, “The waters were split (יִּבָּקְעוּ)” (Ex. 14:21) Regarding this matter we will understand what my teacher of blessed memory said regarding the verse, “The sea returned to its normal state (לְאֵיתָנוֹ).” (Ex. 14:27) לְאֵיתָנוֹ means “to its original condition.” What is the “condition,” תנאי here? Are not the stipulations of a condition based (on the Mishnah in Kiddushin), “Any condition that is not like the condition Moses stipulated with the children of Gad and the children of Reuben is not a valid condition and is not taken into account.” 244Mishnah Kiddushin 3:4 Which does not specify both the result of fulfilling the condition and the result of the condition remaining unfulfilled.
When God created the world, what conditions were met? The sages inform us, “At the time when the Holy One sought to create the world, He said to the minister of the sea: “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of the world,” so that there will be room for land.” The minister of the sea said before God: “Master of the Universe, it is enough that I will stay within my own waters.”245BT Bava Batra 79b This is surprising - how could the minister of the sea refuse to accept a gift from its Master? However it is fitting to believe that the minister of the sea was the group of ministering angels who opposed the creation of humanity. And the angels said that the person who was about to be created would eventually sin. When God told the sea to receive all the waters of the world in order to prepare a dwelling place (for humanity), he said, “Since man would eventually sin, it will be necessary to drown him; therefore take back the gift that you are giving me. It is better that I stand in my own water!” This was a great transgression; even though humanity was created after the separating of the waters, when God said he wanted to create a space on which to place humanity, the minister of the seas gave a reason to prevent it and did not want to accept the waters, as has been said. “God immediately struck the minister and killed him; as it is stated: “By His understanding He smites Rahab” (Job 26:12)246Ibid Bava Batra The gathering of waters was the condition that it would continue to ebb and flow, as if it were going to spill on to the earth. And the gift was that the tide would return to its original place periodically. This is what we now see, the waters go forth and recede every six hours.
When Israel came close to the sea, God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to go forward.” (Ex. 14:15) Moses then spoke to the sea and said, “Split your waters!” The sea said to him, “I don’t want to!” Since this matter seemed wrong (to the sea), it said, “It is not enough that you obligate me to return the waters that were given to me, but you are taking from me my personal portion and making it dry so that the Israelites can pass through. Was it not the stipulation to give me back only my portion? In great fury the sea wanted to drown all the Israelites. Thus it is written, “The waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left.” (Ex. 14:22) The word is written as חֹמָ֔ה247The word chomah, wall, is written without a vav, and is interpreted as cheimah, fury. wall, without a vav, meaning cheimah, fury. Moses then went to the Holy One and said, “The sea doesn’t want to divide its waters.” God immediately appeared to the sea. When the sea saw God and Moses, it fled before them, as is written, “The sea saw them and fled.” (Ps. 114:3) But God’s anger was not assuaged because the minister of the sea refused God’s commandments and was recalcitrant. What did God do? God grabbed hold of the sea and tore it into twelve pieces, just as a person tears up a garment. And at the sound of the tearing the water raised its voice and cried out, as is stated, “Above the voice of the mighty waters, more terrible than the breakers of the sea.” (Ps. 93:4) That is, the mighty waters raised their voice when they heard the splitting and smashing of the sea. The sea in particular raised its voice and cried, as Scripture states, “Have you penetrated the crying of the sea.” (Job 38:16) But since the gates of tears are never closed, the waters returned to their original “stipulation,” and the gift was returned to them as has been mentioned and it never again rebelled against any commandment that came to it from the righteous, those who are ruled over by fear of God.
The place of the split is still known. As is stated in Berachot, Perek HaRoeh (ch. 9) “One who sees the crossings of the Red Sea and the crossings of the Jordan; and the crossings of the streams of Arnon...must give thanks and offer praise before God.”248Berachot 54a Granted that the place of the splitting of the Jordan was known to them - this was because the Israelites placed twelve stones there. Also the location of Arnon was known because it was between two mountains. But even if there was an impression left by the splitting of the Red Sea, how could one recognize it? Actually, the sea never returned to the way it was and its place (of the splitting) was recognizable. Regarding this the sages stated, “The task of providing a person’s food is as difficult as the splitting of the Red Sea…”249BT Pesachim 118a because God had to talk to the sea and force it to split. Similarly, it was difficult for the Holy One to provide food for someone who deserves to die of hunger because of his evil deeds. It is for this reason that the sages used this expression (“it is as difficult as splitting the sea…) since the statement, “The waters were split,” (Ex. 14:21) implies that it was split forever to publicize this matter. But Dayyenu states קָרַע, “the sea split” (and not וַיִּבָּקְעוּ). The Maggid chose this language to imply that God performed the splitting of the sea for our sake, and that God did so in the way that is implied by a full verse, as is stated, “For your ruin is vast as the sea: who can heal you?” (Lam. 2:13) The Midrash250Pekikta D’Rav Kahanah 16:3 interprets this to mean, The one in the future who will heal the broken sea, will also heal you. Certainly the sea was broken, and it is still broken until God comes to heal it, as Scripture states, “The floods stood straight like a wall.” (Ex. 15:8) The Maggid implies that the sea no longer ebbed and flowed, but stood still and cried.
Rabbeinu Bahya
Another meaning of these words views them as if G’d had said: יקוו לי המים, “let the waters congregate for Me.” The matter is best explained by means of a parable. (compare beginning of Bereshit Rabbah 5) A king once built a palace and he populated it with deaf and dumb people These people made a point of making signs by means of which they enquired after the king’s wellbeing, etc. and generally displayed appreciation of the king having provided them with a residence. The king reasoned that if these people were so appreciative of what he had done for them ,surely if he placed intelligent people in this palace they would be at least as appreciative. What happened however was that the intelligent people seized the palace for themselves instead of displaying any signs of gratitude. They claimed that the palace was theirs. Thereupon the king decreed to let the palace revert to what it had been before he had ordered it to be built. Applied to our situation in Genesis the moral of the story is that prior to the creation of man G’d was hailed by the inarticulate beings He had created. As soon as He peopled the earth with articulate and intelligent human beings they turned their back on Him so that he decreed to let the earth revert to the state it had been in prior to the creation of the universe. At the beginning of creation the waters praised and lauded G’d their Creator as we know from Psalms 93,4 מקולות מים רבים אדירים משברי ים, “more majestic than the breakers of the sea is the Lord.” According to the Midrash there the waters referred to G’d as אדיר. Already the generation of Enosh rebelled against G’d and not too long hereafter he generation of the deluge carried its rebellion against G’d to such lengths that G’d destroyed them. G’d decided to do away with that generations of living creatures whereas He allowed lowed the waters to remain undisturbed. This is the meaning of Genesis 7,12 ויהי גשם על כל הארץ.