Shevi'i shel Pesach
1. The Midrash relates1 that at the splitting of the Sea, sea-trees grew up from the floor of the sea, which bore fruit, and the children tore fruit from the trees and gave it to the birds which sang along2 with the Jews when they said the Song.
There is a rule3: "לא עביד קודשא בריך הוא ניסא למגנא" ("The Holy One, blessed be He, does not perform a miracle for nothing"). The reason for this is that nature is, after all, a creation of G‑d. (Although nature conceals G‑dliness — as Chassidus4 explains that the word "טבע" ("nature") comes from the expression "טובעו בים סוף" ("drowned in the Sea of Reeds"): just as when an object is sunk in water, the water covers the object found within it and only the water is seen, so too the nature of the world covers the G‑dly life-force which animates it. That is to say, although G‑d "מחדש בטובו בכל יום תמיד מעשה בראשית" ("in His goodness renews each day, continually, the work of creation"), nevertheless, from the perspective of the natural conduct of "עולם כמנהגו נוהג" ("the world follows its customary course")5 — the world always conducting itself in the same manner — it can seem that, G‑d forbid, the palace has no master and it runs by itself — yet in truth nature itself is also a creation of G‑d.) As it is written6, "חוקות שמים וארץ גו' שמתי" ("The ordinances of heaven and earth... I have set"): the laws of nature of heaven and earth — says G‑d — I have established, and there is an intent in this order of the natural conduct. Therefore G‑d does not perform a miracle, a change in nature, unless it is necessary, so as not to disturb the order of nature.
Therefore it is not understood*: for the rescue of the Jews, the miracle of the splitting of the Sea itself would have been enough. Why was there need for an additional miracle, that trees should grow up, and that the trees should give fruit immediately upon their being created — not as in the order of nature, where it takes a span of time from planting the tree until fruit begins to grow on it, and only then does it take time until the fruit are fit to eat, whereas here trees grew up immediately on the spot with ready fruit, which were given to the birds?
One must also understand why the miracle of the splitting of the Sea itself was not in such a manner that the water of the sea dried up, so that the sea came to an end. Rather, the miracle was that the waters of the sea remained, split apart, and became a wall for the Jews on both their sides — "והמים להם חומה מימינם ומשמאלם" ("and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left"). This is not understood: the miracle that Jews should walk on dry land within the sea would have been enough; why was there need for yet another miracle, that the waters should become a wall**?
One must say that the miracle of "the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left" (and likewise the miracle of the fruit trees in the sea) was not an additional miracle, but was part of the very essence of the splitting of the Sea. For this reason, in the account of the splitting of the Sea, the Torah relates twice7 about the waters that became a wall: once, right as the Jews entered the sea — "ויבואו בני ישראל בתוך הים ביבשה והמים להם חומה מימינם ומשמאלם" ("And the children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on dry land, and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left"); and the second time, after the Jews had already passed through the sea and the Egyptians had drowned — "ובני ישראל הלכו גו' והמים להם חומה מימינם ומשמאלם" ("And the children of Israel walked... and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left"). This is a proof that "the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left" was relevant to the entire time of their walking within the sea on dry land, from their entering the sea until their leaving the sea.
2. On the verse "the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left," the Mechilta8 says that there was then an accusation against the Jews: "בני אדם עובדים עבודה זרה מהלכים ביבשה בתוך הים" ("People who worship idols are walking on dry land in the midst of the sea!"), since some of the Jews at that time were idol worshippers. The accusation was: why do they deserve to be saved by a miracle? In what way are they better than the Egyptians — "אלו עובדי עבודה זרה ואלו עובדי עבודה זרה" ("these are idol worshippers and those are idol worshippers")9? And the Mechilta concludes: "מי גרם להם לישראל להנצל — מימינם ומשמאלם — מימינם, בזכות התורה שעתידין לקבל שנאמר מימינם אש דת למו, ומשמאלם זו תפלה" ("What caused Israel to be saved? 'On their right and on their left' — 'on their right,' in the merit of the Torah which they were destined to receive, as it says, 'From His right hand, a fiery law for them'; 'and on their left' — this is prayer"). And another version10 reads: "ומשמאלם זו תפלין" ("'and on their left' — this is tefillin"). That is to say, Torah and prayer (or tefillin), the two lines, right and left, were the "wall" which protected the Jews on both sides and saved them.
This is not understood: why was there need for a "wall," a merit, that would protect the Jews on both sides, "on their right and on their left"? Why was one merit not enough for them? Especially the merit of "on their right," which refers to "the Torah which they were destined to receive" — and at the Giving of the Torah G‑d chose the Jews from all the nations (which is why, when one says in the blessings of Kerias Shema "ובנו בחרת מכל עם ולשון" ("And You have chosen us from among every nation and tongue"), one must have in mind that this refers to the Giving of the Torah)11; and this choice is also in the Jewish body12, which is different from the bodies of the nations of the world13. (The existence of) their bodies derives from the three impure kelipos14, while (the existence of) Jewish bodies derives from kelipas nogah.
— The difference between kelipas nogah and the three impure kelipos is an incomparable difference, similar to the difference between kelipah and holiness. For the three impure kelipos cannot be elevated to holiness, whereas kelipas nogah can be elevated15; this means that potentially kelipas nogah is a matter of holiness. Moreover, this potential will certainly come into actuality, for the sparks of holiness of nogah will certainly16 be elevated to holiness, as it is written17, "לא ידח ממנו נדח" ("no one banished will be cast away from Him"). And although nogah can descend temporarily into the three impure kelipos, this is no more than temporary; ultimately they will be elevated to holiness. —
And since through the Giving of the Torah alone Jews are already set apart in a fundamental and essential difference from the nations of the world, the merit of the Giving of the Torah should have been enough to remove the claim of "these are idol worshippers... and those..." Why was there need to resort also to the merit of prayer or tefillin?
3. In the splitting of the Sea there were two things18: a) At the splitting of the Sea the Exodus from Egypt was completed. For before the splitting of the Sea — even after the Jews had left Egypt, and even after they had arrived at "פי החירות" ("Pi HaChiros")19 — they were still being pursued by Pharaoh and his army, and only at the splitting of the Sea was the departure from the exile of Egypt finished and completed. b) The splitting of the Sea was a preparation for the Giving of the Torah20, as this matter is explained in several places in Chassidus21: the splitting of the Sea was not only for the sake of rescuing Israel, since the rescue of the Jews could have come about in another manner as well — "וכמה דרכים למקום" ("and the Omnipresent has many ways"). Nor was it for the sake of their further journey in the desert, since "באותו צד שירדו באותו צד עלו" ("on the same side that they went down, on that same side they came up")22 (they came out on the same side of the sea through which the Jews had entered the Sea of Reeds). Rather, it was a preparation for the Giving of the Torah. Through the Giving of the Torah there was accomplished the joining of above with below23, and the preparation for this was the turning of sea into dry land: the G‑dly power that is concealed in creation — "sea" (just as the sea covers everything found within it) — came out into revelation — "dry land." (But at the splitting of the Sea this revelation was in a general and temporary manner, and this was a preparation for the Giving of the Torah, when every Jew was given the power to join and reveal G‑dliness, above, with below, through Torah and mitzvos, in a permanent manner.)
All matters of the world (for "בראשית ברא" ("In the beginning He created") — "בשביל ישראל שנקראו ראשית" ("for the sake of Israel, who are called 'first'")24) are bound up with the Jews (who are "first"). Every action a Jew performs with and within himself brings about that the same thing is accomplished also in the world25. From this it is understood that the revelation, at the splitting of the Sea, of the G‑dliness hidden in the world is bound up with the revelation, among Jews, of the G‑dliness that had been hidden in their soul.
And this is why there had to be the "wall on their right and on their left" — both the merit of Torah (right) and the merit of prayer or tefillin (left)26 — because specifically through service in both lines, right and left, one reveals the hidden G‑dliness of the soul.
If the service is only in one line, even when in that line he performs the service with all his powers, up to self-sacrifice, it is still possible that he does it from the standpoint of nature — whether the nature of the animal soul or even the nature of the G‑dly soul — but all because by his nature he is drawn to that kind of service. When is the true self-nullification and devotion of a Jew to G‑d expressed, in a manner that he goes out of his own "I"? When he serves G‑d in two opposite lines. Such a service cannot come from nature (for by his nature a person is limited to one of the two lines), but only from his utter devotion to G‑d27.
Accordingly, it is specifically through the service of Jews in both lines, both "on their right" and "on their left," that their devotion to G‑d is expressed in a manner that is beyond the limits of their nature and existence. This comes from the hidden G‑dliness of every Jewish soul, which is "חלק אלקה ממעל ממש" ("truly a part of G‑d above").
And since the conduct of the entire world depends on the service of Jews, through the Jews accomplishing within themselves that the hiddenness of their soul be revealed — which brought about that their service was in both lines (or the merit which "they were destined" to accomplish) — this also brought about in the world that the sea, the hidden, came out into revelation and stood like a wall on both sides — "on their right and on their left." The sea did not come to an end (dry up); rather, the waters a) became dry land — the hidden came out into revelation — and b) became a wall on their right and on their left.
4. One must, however, still understand: the explanation given above relates only to the second matter that took place at the splitting of the Sea — the preparation for the Giving of the Torah. But regarding being saved from the Egyptians — removing the accusation of "these... and those..." — seemingly the merit of one kind of service would have been enough, especially the merit of the Giving of the Torah, through which the choosing from all the nations was accomplished. Why does the Torah relate that "the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left" not only at the continuation and conclusion of the splitting of the Sea, but also at the beginning — "And they came, etc." — which is relevant only to the rescue and departure from the exile of Egypt?
The explanation of this: the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt is the Giving of the Torah. Therefore, the very first time G‑d spoke to Moshe Rabbeinu about the Exodus from Egypt, He told him about the Giving of the Torah — "בהוציאך את העם ממצרים תעבדון את האלקים על ההר הזה" ("When you take the people out of Egypt, you shall serve G‑d upon this mountain")28. And likewise, right in the first utterance of the Giving of the Torah, the Exodus from Egypt is mentioned — "אנכי הוי' אלקיך אשר הוצאתיך מארץ מצרים" ("I am the L‑rd your G‑d who took you out of the land of Egypt").
Therefore, the completion of the departure from Egypt — which, as mentioned above, took place at the beginning of the splitting of the Sea — had to be in such a manner that it could bring about, and be a semblance of, the Giving of the Torah. Not only did the Jews need to be rescued from the kelipah of Egypt (which could have come about through service in one line, within the limitations of nature, since through such service too one leaves evil); rather, they had to go out entirely from existence and limitation, specifically through service in both lines. Therefore "the wall on their right and on their left" had to be present already at the very beginning of the splitting of the Sea.
5. A deeper explanation of this: through service in only one line, not only does one not reach the purpose (the preparation for the Giving of the Torah), but the departure from Egypt itself is also lacking29.
Everything that exists below has a root above30. The root of the Egypt of the opposite side, which hinders Torah and mitzvos, and the possibility of this Egypt, is the Egypt of holiness. The Egypt of holiness means serving G‑d in a manner of constraint and limit, the limitation of nature31, as mentioned above — the nature of the animal soul, or even of the G‑dly soul.
Therefore, if one serves G‑d in a limited manner (the Egypt of holiness), one is not yet safeguarded from the Egypt of the opposite side. Although at the present moment he has left the Egypt of the opposite side, having nullified it within himself, nevertheless, since its root (the Egypt of holiness) still remains, it can once again reawaken. The way to safeguard oneself from the Egypt of the opposite side is to go out also from the Egypt of holiness — to serve G‑d in all the lines, "on their right and on their left," also in such a service that is against one's nature and existence.
6. Based on this, one will also understand why there is a mitzvah to mention the Exodus from Egypt every day32, and every Jew must do so — both one who is still lower than a Beinoni and one who is a complete tzaddik. For everyone, and every day, it is the same mitzvah.
Now, that even a complete tzaddik must mention the Exodus from Egypt every day is understandable: for a Jew must bind himself with G‑d, Who is infinite; so no matter how high the tzaddik may rise in his service, relative to a higher level it is still a matter of constraints and limits. Therefore he must every day go out of the constraint and limit in which he finds himself, and go higher.
It is not understood, however: how can one combine the Exodus from Egypt of a complete tzaddik — whose "Egypt" too is a lofty level of holiness — with the departure from Egypt at a lower level, down to the departure from the Egypt of the opposite side, from the three utterly impure kelipos, and say that all of them fulfill the same mitzvah?
The explanation of this is that even the highest level of the Exodus from Egypt is bound up with the departure from the Egypt of the opposite side. If a complete tzaddik were to decide that the level at which he stands is enough for him and he need not go higher, he would stop at an "Egypt" of holiness, even at a very high level. But, as said earlier, the Egypt of holiness is a root (true, through very many stages of descent) and gives room for the Egypt of the opposite side. The way to safeguard oneself from the Egypt of the opposite side is that there be no stopping, no limitation, in the service of G‑d — that always, every day, the service be in an ever higher manner33. No matter how high one may be today, every day there must be the resolution — as the Rebbe [Rashab] related34 about the conduct of Chassidim, that they would say: "Ah, tomorrow one must get up an entirely different person."
7. Based on this, it will also be answered why at the splitting of the Sea trees grew up with ready fruit that were fit for the birds — for this was not an additional miracle, but a detail of the content of the miracle of the splitting of the Sea:
In a seed planted in the ground there is already found the entire tree with all the fruit that will grow from that seed35. It is only that at present it is all found in the seed in a hidden state, and it must take time until it comes out and is revealed (and the better the fruit, the more time it needs to take). Moreover: even in the power of growth in the earth, everything that will grow from it is found in a hidden state (for the growth produced by the power of growth is not a true renewal of something from nothing)35.
At the splitting of the Sea, the Jews brought about through their service that the hidden should be revealed not only within themselves, but also in the part of the world that was connected with them. So in order that Jewish children could feed the birds that sang along with the Jews, there were revealed the fruit-bearing trees that had been hidden in the power of growth in the floor of the sea, and also (the seeds and) the fruit that were hidden in (the seeds hidden within) the trees.
8. The floor of the sea is earth, the inanimate, the lowest of the categories of created beings. This means that the "revelation of the hidden" at the splitting of the Sea reached even the inanimate: from the inanimate there grew trees and fruit — the vegetative — which were food fit for the birds, and became "דם ובשר כבשרם" ("blood and flesh like their own flesh") — their blood and flesh — the animal; the birds sang along with the Jews — the speaking; and the Jews sang a song to G‑d (which is the purpose of the speaking being: to become absorbed in G‑dliness)36.
That is to say: at the splitting of the Sea the hiddenness of the inanimate was revealed, to the point that it could become absorbed — through the vegetative, the animal and the speaking — in G‑dliness.
9. All the narratives of the Torah are a lesson for our service in daily life, and especially the details of the events of the splitting of the Sea, which one must mention every day37.
Every day a Jew must bring about within himself the revelation of the hidden that is in his soul, and this is expressed in serving G‑d without limitations, in all the lines, "on their right and on their left." Then not only is he safeguarded from the Egypt of the opposite side, but the purpose of the Exodus from Egypt is fulfilled in him: a preparation for the Giving of the Torah, and even more, a preparation for the future Redemption — as our Sages say, "אלמלא חטאו" ("Had they not sinned")38, the Exodus from Egypt would have been a complete Redemption — when then will…
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Notes
1) See Shemos Rabbah 21:10; Kuntres Bikur Chicago, p. 60 (Sefer HaSichos 5702, p. 73).
2) See also Sefer Tosefes Shabbos, cited in Sefer Orchos Chaim, sec. 324.
3) See Derashos HaRan, Derush 8: "And the first premise: that G‑d desires to maintain the customary course of the world as much as possible, and that nature is precious in His eyes; He will not change it except for a necessary need." See also Shabbos 53b, and elsewhere.
4) Maamar Mah Tovu 5689; maamar Nasata LiYerei'echa 5693 (Sefer HaMaamarim 5711, p. 290).
5) Avodah Zarah 54b.
6) Yirmeyahu 33:25. See there.
*) Similarly in Tosfos Yom Tov on Avos 5:4, s.v. "יש לדקדק" ("One must be precise").
**) Even if we were to say that the splitting of the sea was possible only in such a manner, by making a path through the middle of the water — see Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, ch. 2. See also the commentators on the Mishnah in Avos there, and on Avos deRabbi Nosson there — what is the reason that the verse tells twice that the waters were a wall for them, etc.
7) Shemos 14:22; ibid., 29.
8) On Shemos 14:29.
9) Yalkut Reuveni, Shemos 14:26; Zohar II, 170b.
10) Yalkut Shimoni, remez 238.
11) Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Orach Chaim, end of sec. 60, par. 4.
12) Tanya, ch. 49.
13) Shabbos 146a, beginning.
14) Tanya, ch. 46; the notes of the Rebbe (Rashab) there (in the book Kitzurim etc. on Tanya).
15) Tanya, ch. 7.
16) This is not so regarding those in the three impure kelipos — that depends on the manner of the Redemption, whether "in its time" or "I will hasten it" (see maamar Yeviu Levush — in Shaarei Orah — ch. 94–96 [OCR unclear]).
17) So it is in Hilchos Talmud Torah of the Alter Rebbe, ch. 4, end of par. 3; Tanya, end of ch. 9 [as printed in the OCR]. See Shmuel II 17:14 [as printed in the OCR] (with a change of wording).
18) See above, p. 878.
19) See Lekach Tov, Shemos 14:2; Chizkuni there (citing a Midrash).
20) Torah Ohr, maamar Ashirah; Likkutei Torah, end of Parshas Tzav. See also the words of our Sages, Pesachim 118a.
21) Maamar VeHecherim 5631, at its beginning (beginning of side b); maamar Vayolech Hashem Es HaYam 5704 (p. 179).
22) Tosfos, s.v. Kesheim, Arachin 15a.
23) See Shemos Rabbah 12:3; Tanchuma, Va'eira 19 [as printed in the OCR]; above, p. 757 ff. and p. 775 ff.
24) Osiyos deRabbi Akiva, letter Beis; Seder Rabbah deBereishis 4; Vayikra Rabbah 36:4; Tanchuma (Buber) 3; Rashi and Ramban on Bereishis 1:1.
25) See Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, maamar VeHayah Mispar Bnei Yisrael.
26) This does not contradict what is explained in several places, that the concept of tefillin is drawing down from above to below, i.e., right. For the intent here is that the general service of man (whether by way of elevation or by way of drawing down) — matters of earth — is an elevation from below to above (from materiality and physicality to spirituality), i.e., left; while the matters given from above — matters of heaven — to man below, i.e., Torah, are right. As our Sages say (see Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer, ch. 18; Zohar II, 20a, 37a, 85b): "He stretched out His right hand and created heaven, and stretched out His left hand and created earth." Therefore Torah, of which it is written (Yechezkel 1:25), "And there was a voice from above the firmament," is in the right line; and tefillin, which include all the mitzvos (even those whose concept is drawing down), as our Sages say (Kiddushin 35a), "The entire Torah was compared to tefillin," are in the left line. But within man's service itself, the service of elevation (which in general is prayer) is left, and the service of drawing down is right. Now, combining the two versions — for "these and these are the words of the living G‑d" — at the splitting of the Sea (the wall) was service in all three lines: tefillin (drawing down) — right; prayer — left; and Torah — the middle line (which inclines to the right, and therefore it was counted in the right line). For the hidden level of the essence of the soul (the "sea" of the soul) is revealed through the completeness of service in all three lines (the two lines and the decisive one between them).
27) See Torah Ohr 19b.
28) Shemos 3:12.
29) It is also proven from the wording of the Mechilta, "What caused Israel to be saved, etc.," that service in both lines was needed also in order to be saved from Egypt (of the opposite side).
30) See Bereishis Rabbah 6:6 [as printed in the OCR].
31) See also the general letter for Pesach 5723 (printed in the Haggadah, Kehot edition (5746 and after), p. 598).
32) Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Orach Chaim, sec. 27 [as printed in the OCR], par. 1. See also Tanya, ch. 47.
33) Sefer HaMaamarim 5710, p. 242.
34) See maamar Gedolim Maasei Tzaddikim 5665 (Sefer HaMaamarim Kuntreisim, vol. 2, p. 916).
35) See maamar Yeviu Levush — in Shaarei Orah — ch. 26; and maamar Bakah (5637), ch. 44; Igeres HaKodesh, end of ch. 20.
36) See Ikkarim, maamar 3, ch. 1; Kuntres UMaayan, maamar 1, ch. 3; Toras Shalom, sicha of 19 Kislev [year: OCR unclear].
37) Tosefta, cited in Torah Ohr, beginning of maamar Az Yashir; it is the beginning of ch. 2 of Berachos. Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, sec. 66, par. 2.
38) Nedarim 22b. See also Shemos Rabbah, beginning of ch. 32, and elsewhere.
Key Lesson
True devotion to G‑d is shown not in serving Him only in the way that comes naturally, but in serving in both "right" and "left" — Torah together with prayer and tefillin — beyond one's own nature. Such service reveals the G‑dliness hidden in the soul, keeps one safe from the "Egypt" of the opposite side, and makes each day's personal Exodus a preparation for the Giving of the Torah and the complete Redemption.