HKB”H Prevents the Oceans from Inundating the World Every Day
As a loyal servant in the presence of his master, I will latch onto the coattails of the Noam Elimelech and add a bit of spice to his sacred remarks concerning the passuk: "ובני ישראל הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים"—i.e., that tzaddikim recognize that miracles are being performed on their behalf similar to Krias Yam Suf even in their day-to-day lives on dry land. Let us refer to Yirmiyahu’s rebuke of Yisrael (Yirmiyah 5, 22):
Will you not fear Me?—the word of Hashem—will you not tremble before Me? For I have set sand as boundary against the sea, as a permanent law that cannot be broken. Its waves rage forth but cannot succeed, they roar but cannot cross it. Rashi explains that the sea is not worried about being punished and does not expect to receive any reward; nevertheless, it fears G-d and does not trespass the boundaries that He has set for it.
We find a similar exposition in the Midrash Shochar Tov (Tehillim 2): This sea, its wave rises and intensifies as if it will flood the world; yet, when it reaches the seashore, it flattens out before the sand. This teaches us that the sea, due to its disdain for the inhabitants of the earth, who pursue their hearts’ desires, wants to inundate the entire world with its waters. Yet, it is afraid to trespass the sandy boundaries that HKB”H has set for it. This is meant to teach mankind a vital lesson; he, too, should confine himself within the boundaries that the Creator has set for him; he should act in accordance with that which is prohibited and that which is permissible.
Let us embellish this notion based on what Rabeinu Chaim Vital, zy”a, writes in Sha’arei Kedushah (Part 1, Sha’ar 1) in the name of his mentor, the Arizal. A man’s being is composed of four basic elements: fire, wind, water, and dust. All negative, human character traits—midos—are attributable to them. He describes in detail how each element is responsible for particular bad midos. Regarding the basic element of water, he writes: The desire for pleasure stems from the element of water. Water gives rise to all sorts of pleasure. It has two derivative branches: (1) the tendency to covet and steal another person’s money, wife, and everything else he owns for the sake of his own pleasure and enjoyment and (2) jealousy of his fellow man’s wealth and the like, which he would like to enjoy.
With this understanding, we can explain why the sea wants to cover the entire world with its waters. The sea witnesses how mankind transgresses the boundaries set for it by pursuing the negative traits stemming from the element of water; they seek to satisfy all that their hearts crave and lust for in Olam HaZeh. This incites the sea to follow suit and trespass the borders HKB”H set for it by inundating the entire world with its waters. This is precisely what transpired in the generation of the mabul. On account of the pervasive corruption of earth’s creatures, HKB”H removed the restrictive boundaries He had set for the seas and oceans enabling them to flood the entire world. After the mabul, however, HKB’H swore never to flood the earth again, as it is written (Bereishis 8, 21): "לא אוסיף לקלל עוד את האדמה בעבור האדם כי יצר לב האדם רע מנעוריו"—I will not continue to curse again the ground because of man, since the design of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Therefore, HKB”H prevents the waters of the world from trespassing their boundaries.
Now, this enlightens us with regards to the wonderful interpretation of the Noam Elimelech of the passuk after the miracle of Krias Yam Suf: "ובני ישראל הלכו ביבשה בתוך הים". He said that this refers to tzaddikim who recognize the hand of Hashem in the miraculous feats that surround them daily on terra-firma; they are every bit as miraculous as Krias Yam Suf. They are perceptive enough to realize that the sea yearns to deluge the entire world with its waters; yet HKB”H, due to His infinite compassion and mercy, prevents it from trespassing the boundaries set for it. In other words, they acknowledge the wondrous feats that HKB”H performs on their behalf daily. Just as he turned the sea into dry land at Krias Yam Suf, He prevents the sea from submerging the dry land of the earth every single day.
