Comentário sobre Êxodo 14:20

ויבא בין מחנה מצרים AND IT CAME BETWEEN THE CAMP OF EGYPT — A parable: it may be compared to one who is proceeding on a journey, his son walking in front of him. If, now, brigands come to capture him (the son), he takes him away from in front of him and places him behind himself. If a wolf then comes behind him he places him again in front. If brigands come in front of him and wolves behind him, he places him on his arm and fights against them. Thus did God do for Israel, as it says, (Hosea 11:3) “I led Ephraim — He took them upon His arms” (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:19).

ויבא (המלאך) בין מחנה מצרים ובין ישראל; in order to guide the two pillars.

ויבא בין מחנה מצרים, and it came between the camp of Egypt, etc. It is possible that this cloud filled the entire space between the two camps and filled it with darkness. The Torah only had to write this verse to acquaint us with this detail seeing that the cloud which separated the two camps has already been mentioned in verse 19.

ויהי הענן והחושך, the cloud spread darkness for the Egyptians, whereas,

The pillar of fire. [The verse has an unstated word and] it is as if it said, “The light source lit up the night” — referring to the pillar of fire, not to the angel.

V. 20. Durch die zwischen die beiden Lager getretene Wolke blieb das ägyptische Lager auch da im Dunkel, als Gott durch die Feuersäule das Lager Israels erleuchtete.

ויבא בין מחנה, “he positioned himself between the camp, etc.” the Torah refers to the cloud that was controlled by the angel taking up position between the two camps. We encounter something similar in Joshua 24,7: וישם מאפל ביניכם ובין במצרים ויבא עליהם את הים, “He placed darkness between you and the Egyptians and He brought the sea upon them.” (Joshua’s parting speech to the people before they dispersed to their respective portions of the Holy Land.)

ויהי הענן והחשך AND THERE WAS CLOUD AND DARKNESS to the Egyptians.

ויהי הענן והחשך, the darkness of night together with the cloud was positioned behind Israel and the column of fire.

ויאר את הלילה, at the same time it lit up the night for the Israelites.

One camp to another. This explanation disagrees with the Midrashic explanation that ולא קרב זה אל זה refers to the angels, who did not recite shirah. (Maharshal)

ויאר את הלילה, “it lit up the night.” Rashi understands the word ויאר as being derived from אור, light, in the transitive mode of the verb. If you were to ask how it is that Rashi’s commentary on Psalms 139,11: ולילה אור בעדני, “night will provide me with cover” understands the word אור as meaning darkness, the correct interpretation of these verses therefore must be that the word חשך, darkness, refers to the Egyptian side of the pillar of cloud, whereas the reference to light refers to the Israelites’ side of that pillar of cloud. The Targum’s translation confirms this interpretation. ויאר את הלילה, the pillar of fire that had been travelling ahead of the marching Israelites did not change its function, for if it had positioned itself behind the Israelites it would have provided light for the Egyptians. However, the pillar of cloud which had up until then disappeared at dusk every day, instead took up a position behind the Israelites. This prevented the Egyptians from coming closer to the Israelites. A different interpretation: the meaning of the words: ולא קרב זה אל זה, “the one did not come closer to the other one,” does not refer to the camps of the Israelites and the Egyptians, but to the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. (during the night) Once morning dawned, they merged with one another, however, as we will explain shortly.

ויאר AND IT — the pillar of fire — ILLUMINATED the night for the Israelites, and went before them as was its way to go every night, whilst the darkness of the cloud was turned towards the Egyptians.

ויאר את הלילה, and the angel illuminated the night by means of the column of fire. By removing the darkness in that spot and forward only, the pillar of cloud still shielded the Israelites from being seen by the Egyptians.

ולא קרב זה אל זה כל הלילה, and the Egyptians were unable to come any closer to the Israelites during the entire night.

ולא קרב זה אל זה SO THAT ONE APPROACHED NOT ANOTHER — [This does not mean that one person did not approach another but]: this camp did not approach that camp (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:20:2).

ולא קרב זה אל זה כל הלילה. This was because the Egyptians who had previously had the advantage of speed over the Israelites who traveled only on foot, now were slowed down by having to move in darkness.