The Torah reading on the seventh day of Pesach describes what is likely the most famous miracle told in the Torah, the miracle of Keriat Yam Suf, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. Pharaoh’s army had trapped Bnai Yisrael against the sea, and G-d miraculously split the sea to allow Bnai Yisrael to cross. The Egyptians continued chasing Bnai Yisrael into the sea, whereupon G-d sent the waters on them, drowning the entire army.
The Ha’ketav V’ha’kabbala (Rav Yaakob Mecklenberg, 1785-1865) offers a unique insight into how the miracle of Keriat Yam Suf unfolded, understanding this event much differently than the way it is commonly understood.
He begins by noting that the Torah speaks of Bnai Yisrael going into the sea with the words, “Va’yavo’u Bnai Yisrael b’toch ha’yam” – “Bnai Yisrael came into the middle of the sea” (14:22). Ha’ketav V’ha’kabbala observes that generally, the act of going into the sea is referred to not with the verb “ba” – “come,” but rather with the verb “yored” – “descend.” For example, a verse in Tehillim (107:23) speaks of “yoredeh ha’yam b’aniyot” – “Those who go down into the sea in boats.” Why does the Torah use the verb “va’yavo’u,” “came,” in reference to Bnai Yisrael’s going into the sea after the waters split?
To answer this question, Ha’ketav V’ha’kabbala explains that the splitting of the waters was not the primary miracle that occurred at this event. Rather, G-d lifted the ocean floor, such that it was flush with the seashore. The water, which would normally be displaced and thrown onto the shores around the ocean, instead split into two “walls” that floated on top of the elevated ocean floor, on either side.
Additionally, G-d dried the ocean floor so that it was smooth and paved, allowing Bnai Yisrael to easily travel across to the other side.
This explains why the Torah uses the word “va’yavo’u” to describe Bnai Yisrael’s advancing into the sea. Normally, the verb “yored” is used because the ocean is, of course, much lower than the shore, such that going into the sea entails a descent of sorts. But at Keriat Yam Suf, the ocean floor was lifted, such that Bnai Yisrael did not have to descend. This was, in fact, a crucial part of the miracle. If Hashem had merely split the waters, Bnai Yisrael would have had to walk along a steep depression down into the ocean floor. This would have been exceedingly difficult. So instead, He raised the ocean floor, splitting the water in the process, so that Bnai Yisrael had a flat, smooth surface along which to travel.
On this basis, Ha’ketav V’ha’kabbala explains Bnai Yisrael’s description of the miracle in Shirat Ha’yam, the song of praise that they sang after the miracle: “Kaf’u tehomot b’lev yam” (commonly translated as, “The depths froze in the heart of the sea” – 15:8). Based on several verses throughout Tanach, Ha’ketav V’ha’kabbala posits that the word “kaf’u” means “floated.” And he cites the verse in the Book of Mishlei (30:19), “derech oniya b’lev yam” – that ships sail “in the heart of the sea,” showing that the phrase “b’lev yam” refers to the surface of the ocean. Hence, the verse “kaf’u tehomot b’lev yam” means that the ocean waters “floated” on top of the sea’s surface, which was elevated to the height of the shore.
The real miracle of Keriat Yam Suf, then, was not just the splitting of the water but the elevation of the ocean floor, which created a flat, smooth surface for Bnai Yisrael to travel on, so they could easily escape from the Egyptian army.
