And the Children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 13:18)
Nowhere in the Torah does it state that the Jews used weapons to defend themselves against the Egyptians. All we are told is that "the Children of Israel cried out to G-d." Concerning this, as the Chozeh of Lublin used to say that the Jewish people left Egypt armed with their traditional "weapon" of choice: their prayers and supplications to G-d.
And he made ready his chariot (Ex. 14:6)
Our Sages tell us that Pharaoh was so intent on pursuing the Jews that he readied his horse and chariot himself, even though it was considered beneath him to attend to such mundane matters. He was so consumed by the desire to bring them back that he was willing to forgo his honor as a king. Pharaoh realized that without the Jews he would no longer have any political power in Egypt; in fact, his authority was derived from subjugating and oppressing them, thereby bolstering his standing among his own people. Unfortunately, this has also been the tactic of other anti-Semitic leaders throughout history. (Siftei Kohen)
Reprinted from the Parshat Beshalach 5761/2001 edition of L’Chaim.
