Comentário sobre Êxodo 14:25

‎ויסר את אפן מרכבותיו AND HE REMOVED THEIR CHARIOT WHEELS — Through the power of the fire of the pillar of fire the wheels were burnt and the chariots were thus dragged along and those who were sitting in them were thrown about and their limbs were all put out of joint (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:25).

ויסר את אופן, by means of the column of fire.

ויסר את אופן מרכבותיו, when the Egyptians saw that they were in a state of confusion, they tried to turn around the wheels of their chariots in order to flee; they found themselves unable to do this but all they could do with their utmost efforts was to turn around their chariots with difficulty seeing that those trying to turn around conflicted with those behind them still pressing forward. The reason they did all this was because they had come to the realisation אנוסה מפני ישראל כי ה' נלחם להם , that it was time to flee seeing that G’d Himself was fighting against them on behalf of the Israelites.

ויסר את אופן, “He removed the wheel, etc.” The reason why G’d removed only one wheel, i.e. אופן of each two-wheeled chariot, is that had He removed both wheels the chariot would have retained a balance though it could not have rolled. By removing only one of the wheels G’d created an imbalance that the riders found impossible to compensate for. Ibn Ezra writes that the meaning of the words ויסר אופן, is that G’d loosened the wheel from the crossbar it was attached to and the link between the chariot and the horses pulling it. This would enable the horses to flee more easily. G’d’s having created confusion in the minds of both riders and horses worked against the efforts of both to escape to the relative safety of the shore. Every motion required the overcoming of obstacles, i.e. בכבדות.

(Exodus 14:25) "And He removed their chariot wheels": R. Yehudah says: Because of the fire on high, the wheels below were broken, the yokes and the chariots ran of themselves, being filled with vessels of silver and gold and precious gems and pearls for Israel to take as spoil. R. Nechemiah says: Because of the thunders on high, the pivots below flew off, viz. (Psalms 77:19) "The rumble of your thunder caught the wheel; lightings lit the world", and the yokes and the chariots ran of themselves. In the past, the mules would pull the chariots. Now, the chariots were pulling the mules. "and He led them with hardness": R. Yehudah says: As they meted it out, so did He mete it out to them. (Exodus 5:9) "Let the labor be hard on the men" — "and He led them with hardness." "And Egypt said: 'I shall flee from before Israel'": The wicked and the fools among them said: "Shall we flee these toils and tempests?" The sober among them said: "I shall flee from before Israel, for the L rd wars for them against the Egyptians." They realized that He who wrought miracles for them in Egypt was doing so at the sea. R. Yossi says: Whence do you derive that with the plagues that these were plagued at the sea, the others were plagued in Egypt and that they saw each other (at the time)? From "And Egypt said: "I (at the sea) shall flee from before Israel; for the L rd is warring for them in Egypt (too)!" And (this obtains) not with Egypt alone, but with all who afflict Israel throughout the generations. As it is written (Psalms 78:66) "And He beat back His foes. Eternal disgrace did He inflict upon them, viz. (Psalms 81:15-16) "In a moment I would humble their foes … and their time (of punishment) will be eternal", and (Isaiah 14:25) "to break Ashur in My land, etc." And thus, throughout the generations, viz. (Ibid. 26) "this is the counsel for all of the earth, and this is the hand stretched forth against all the nations" (that afflict Israel). Why so? (Ibid. 27) "For the L rd of hosts has counseled, and who will annul it? And His hand is stretched forth, and who will turn it back?" Not Egypt ("Mitzrayim") alone, then, (is intended), but all who afflict ("meitzarim") them, throughout the generations. Thus — "for the L rd wars for them against Mitzrayim (- "meitzarim").

ויסר, “the Egyptian tried to remove;”את אופן מרכבותיו, “the wheel of his chariots;” the root יסרis used here as in Judges 4,18 when the fleeing general Sisera of the Canaanites tried to find refuge in the tent of Yael. Here the Egyptians tried to reverse the wheels of their chariots but could not manage to do this. וינהגהו בכבדות, “He forced them to move with difficulty;” the principal difficulty of turning around chariot was the chariot following which was in the way so that most forward chariot could not even turn around. Eventually, every chariot driver became a hindrance to his colleagues. ויאמר מצרים אנוסה, Egypt’s commander now decided to flee on foot and to abandon the chariots. מפני בני ישראל, “from the Children of Israel;” even this did not help them as we know from verse 26 where G-d ordered Moses to extend his hand over the sea, so that the frozen waters of the sea would revert to their normal state and drown the Egyptians in the process.

וינהגהו בכבדות signifies: And He treated them with a treatment that was hard and harsh to them. In the measure that they (the Egyptians) had meted out to the Israelites was it meted out to them, for (9:34) “He hardened his heart, he and his servants”, and therefore here: “He treated them (the Egyptians) in a hard manner” (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:25).

בכבדות, due to the heavy mud in which they were sunk.

נלחם להם במצרים FIGHTETH FOR THEM במצריים — means against the Egyptians. Another explanation of במצרים is: in the land of Egypt, for just as these were smitten at the Sea so, too, were smitten those who remained in Egypt (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 14:25).

כי ה' נלחם להם, they were hoping that once G’d saw them fleeing He would desist from fighting them.