In this week's parshah the miracle of Yetzias Mitzrayim is brought to a stunning conclusion with the astounding neis of Krias Yam Suf. The possuk says, וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּד מִצְרָיִם - and Hashem saved Yisrael on that day from the hands of the Mitzrim. The Seforno explains that until Krias Yam Suf, the Yidden were like עֲבָדִים בּוֹרְחִים - fugitive slaves. They had asked for a furlough of three days, and now they were trying to permanently escape their masters. This is indeed evidenced in the possuk (יד ה) וַיֻּגַּד לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם כִּי בָרַח הָעָם - and it was reported to the king of Egypt that the people have fled.
However, with the miraculous events of Krias Yam Suf, Klal Yisrael's free status was fully confirmed. They were no longer runaway slaves; they were a free nation protected by their Almighty Father who loves them and performed miracles the world had never experienced before to punish and inhibit those who wished to enslave them. Therefore the possuk says וַיּוֹשַׁע ה' בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא - Hashem completed the salvation on that day.
(ספורנו שם)
Every single detail of the miracles that were part of Yetzias Mitzrayim, including the makkos, up until Yetzias Mitzrayim and Krias Yam Suf, were brought upon the world to demonstrate Hashem's power and His love for His children, and to help us strengthen our Emunah in all facets of His Infallibility. We must delve into these, in order to effectively incorporate these fundamentals into our daily lives.
The Splitting of the Sea
The brachah of אֱמֶת וְיַצִּיב after Shema, is the brachah of remembering יְצִיאַת מִצְרָיִם. Furthermore, Chazal established that with this brachah we do the great mitzva of being סוֹמֵךְ גְּאוּלָּה לִתְפִלָּה - linking the recounting of Yetzias Mitzrayim to the tefillah of Shemonei Esrei, for which they say - כָּל הַסּוֹמֵךְ גְּאוּלָּה לִתְפִלָּה הֲרֵי זֶה בֶּן עוֹלָם הַבָּא. One who commemorates the geulah (of Mitzraim) and immediately proceeds to daven is a "Ben Olam Habah". We thank Hashem for different facets of the great miracles He performed and thereafter continue to talk to Him in tefillah. Our sages established that here we mention some of the core elements of the great Nissim which comprised Yetiyas Mitzrayim.
- מִמִּצְרַיִם גְּאַלְתָּנוּ - You took us out of Mitzrayim,
- וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתָנוּ - You redeemed us from a house of slavery,
- כָּל בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם הָרָגְתָּ - You killed all their first-borns,
- וּבְכוֹרְךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּאַלְתָּ - and Your firstborn Yisrael You redeemed,
- וְיַם סוּף לָהֶם בָּקַעְתָּ - and You split the sea for them,
- וְזֵדִים טִבַּעְתָּ - and You drowned the wicked,
- וִידִידִים הֶעֱבַרְתָּ - and Your loyal 'friends' You brought across the sea.
Many years ago, I received a letter from a friend in Ponovezh Yeshiva, describing how during the week of Parshas Beshalach, the esteemed Mashgiach, Rabbi Yechezkel Levenstein would address the bochurim; he would translate this tefillah and illuminate the miraculous meaning of each part of the neis. With brilliant simplicity, he refocused the talmidim on the significance of each miracle. He would encourage the bachorim to say this tefillah with the requisite kavonah, and to feel great הוֹדָאָה to Hashem for every single nes mentioned in this brachah.