출애굽기 14:15의 Chasidut
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה מַה־תִּצְעַ֖ק אֵלָ֑י דַּבֵּ֥ר אֶל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְיִסָּֽעוּ׃
여호와께서 모세에게 이르시되 너는 어찌하여 내게 부르짖느뇨 이스라엘 자손을 명하여 앞으로 나가게 하고
Kedushat Levi
We assume that the reader is familiar with how the sages explained psalms 114,2 היתה יהודה לקדשו ישראל ממשלותיו, “Yehudah became His holy one, Israel His dominion.” I mentioned earlier that the leader of the tribe of Yehudah, Nachshon ben Aminadav, earned this merit when he fearlessly entered the sea of reeds up to his neck before it split. At that time he appealed for help from G’d saying that the level of the water was about to cause him to drown therein.
Yehudah’s entering the sea may have been prompted by one of two considerations. 1) Seeing G’d had commanded Moses to order the Israelites to proceed forward, he felt that it was his duty to risk his life in order to fulfill G’d’s commandment. He knew that it was his duty to proceed even if it were to cost him his life. 2) His act was simply a demonstration of his faith in G’d; he jumped into the sea convinced that G’d would save him. He had absolutely no doubt that he would survive. He realized that it would take a miracle to save him, but he was convinced that G’d would perform such a miracle. He was also convinced that in response to this miracle that G’d was about to perform, the people would break out in a song of thanksgiving immediately after the event.
This latter facet of Yehudah’s action is in line with what Rashi, basing himself on the Mechilta, writes on 15,20: ותקח מרים אחות אהרן את התף בידה ותצאנה וגו', “Miriam, Aaron’s sister took the drum in her hand and led the women in song.” He writes that the righteous women in Miriam’s time were all convinced that G’d would perform miracles for them in their life time, and this is the reason why they burdened themselves with taking drums out of Egypt. They had already planned to use these drums when singing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. On Samuel II 22,4 מהלל אקרא ה' ומאויבי אושע, Rashi explains that David too announced that he would praise the name of the Lord as soon as G’d would deliver him from his enemies. He understood that verse as David’s absolute faith that G’d would deliver him from his enemies. He was so certain that he already composed the song of thanksgiving before he had been delivered.
What occurred to the Israelites at the sea of reeds was similar to David’s experience related in Samuel II 22,4. The Israelites, and Nachshon ben Aminadav as a leader of the tribe of Yehudah, especially, were so convinced that G’d would split the sea for them and lead them across in complete safety, that they already prepared the song of thanksgiving in preparation to thanking Him for their salvation. This absolute confidence is reflected in the word ישיר in the future mode, at the beginning of Moses’ song, poem. Nachshon’s jumping into the sea reflected the faith of the collective Jewish soul. This is also reflected in Rashi’s commentary on Exodus 14,15 where G’d appears to chide Moses for crying out to Him for help when He said to Him: מה תצעק אלי? דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו, “why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Children of Israel to keep moving!”
Yehudah’s entering the sea may have been prompted by one of two considerations. 1) Seeing G’d had commanded Moses to order the Israelites to proceed forward, he felt that it was his duty to risk his life in order to fulfill G’d’s commandment. He knew that it was his duty to proceed even if it were to cost him his life. 2) His act was simply a demonstration of his faith in G’d; he jumped into the sea convinced that G’d would save him. He had absolutely no doubt that he would survive. He realized that it would take a miracle to save him, but he was convinced that G’d would perform such a miracle. He was also convinced that in response to this miracle that G’d was about to perform, the people would break out in a song of thanksgiving immediately after the event.
This latter facet of Yehudah’s action is in line with what Rashi, basing himself on the Mechilta, writes on 15,20: ותקח מרים אחות אהרן את התף בידה ותצאנה וגו', “Miriam, Aaron’s sister took the drum in her hand and led the women in song.” He writes that the righteous women in Miriam’s time were all convinced that G’d would perform miracles for them in their life time, and this is the reason why they burdened themselves with taking drums out of Egypt. They had already planned to use these drums when singing songs of thanksgiving to the Lord. On Samuel II 22,4 מהלל אקרא ה' ומאויבי אושע, Rashi explains that David too announced that he would praise the name of the Lord as soon as G’d would deliver him from his enemies. He understood that verse as David’s absolute faith that G’d would deliver him from his enemies. He was so certain that he already composed the song of thanksgiving before he had been delivered.
What occurred to the Israelites at the sea of reeds was similar to David’s experience related in Samuel II 22,4. The Israelites, and Nachshon ben Aminadav as a leader of the tribe of Yehudah, especially, were so convinced that G’d would split the sea for them and lead them across in complete safety, that they already prepared the song of thanksgiving in preparation to thanking Him for their salvation. This absolute confidence is reflected in the word ישיר in the future mode, at the beginning of Moses’ song, poem. Nachshon’s jumping into the sea reflected the faith of the collective Jewish soul. This is also reflected in Rashi’s commentary on Exodus 14,15 where G’d appears to chide Moses for crying out to Him for help when He said to Him: מה תצעק אלי? דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו, “why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Children of Israel to keep moving!”
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