The Zechus of Emunah Alone Is Enough to Split the Sea
Klal Yisrael stood at the water’s edge, not knowing what to do next. Here they thought that they were already finished with the Egyptians, and suddenly they find themselves with the sea in front of them and the Mitzriyim behind them. It’s a terrible situation.
They cry out to Hashem and begged Moshe Rabbeinu to speak to Him; however, Hashem tells Moshe Rabbeinu, “Why are you talking to Me? Speak to the Jewish People and they shall journey forth!” (Shemos 14:15). This is a difficult pasuk to understand—for aren’t we taught that crying out to Hashem is precisely what we are to do when we’re in trouble?!
Rashi explains this pasuk: They must only journey forth, for the sea will not stand in their way. The merit of their forefathers and their own merit, and the faith they have placed in Me is sufficient for the sea to be split before them. There is nothing else for them to do but go into the water. Even if there’s a sea before them, let them go further and see that the water won’t be an impediment! They have many merits that will cause the sea to split before them.
If We Have Emunah, We Need Not Fear the Order of Nature
You see an ocean, and you understand that it will stand in your way. Know that it can’t stop you! Go forth! “The water won’t stand in your way!” Why? Because there is אבות זכות, and the zechus of the emunah that you have placed in Hashem. Your emunah is stronger than the water. Don’t be afraid... you can proceed in peace.
In our context, we would say it this way: One person sees that a second person doesn’t allow him to do something, and he is searching for a way to do it regardless. He tells a third person, “I am afraid to go... this person doesn’t let me.” Says the second person: Him?! You’re afraid of him?! He is nothing! You can go as planned, and you will see that he won’t be able to stop you!”
Sometimes there is a 21-year-old young man who makes a whole matzav... he permits... he doesn’t permit.... Who is he to make the rules?! If you need to go, go right ahead.
Go with the Ribbono shel Olam—Nothing Will Stop You
In general, when a person needs to act, and nature is standing in his way — it’s simply won’t work according to the laws of nature — he understands that he must go along with reality. At the end of the day, he is a mere mortal, and this reality is far stronger than he is. “I can’t go to war against it—it’s a very strong impediment.”
Says the Ribbono she Olam to the person: It actually depends on you! If you’re a simple person, and you have a wall of water in front of you, then you’re right; the order of nature is stronger than you. But if you have the holy Avos, if you have emunah in Hashem, then they are stronger. You can proceed further—right into the water.
Sometimes we see that a person is afraid to do a certain thing. If we know the person, we can tell him, “You have nothing to be afraid of! You’re stronger than this! You can make it! You can calmly proceed.” This is what the Ribbono shel Olam did for the Jewish People. He explained to them, “You are stronger. There is nothing that can stop you!”
The Eitzah Against Prosecutors: More Emunah!
In the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh on this pasuk, it is brought that the Yidden were in a very difficult situation. They were in a matzav of dinim. The Mitzriyim and the Heavenly prosecutors were all calling out, והללו הללו זרה עבודה עובדי, Both these and those worship avodah zarah.” This statement implies that there was no reason to help the Bnei Yisrael, as they were no better than the Mitzriyim. It was not a simple situation.
Said the Ribbono shel Olam to Moshe Rabbeinu: The eitzah against these prosecuting angels is for the Yidden to connect with the Aibishter. The prosecutors always seek to stand between the Ribbono shel Olam and the person, creating a barrier. But when a Yid becomes close to the Ribbono shel Olam, through emunah and bitachon, he breaks through the barrier! And if you break through the barrier, then you’re close to the Ribbono shel Olam, and you have nothing to fear.
Says the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh, this is what Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu: Speak to the Yiddishe kinder. Explain to them that while things are very strained...there are prosecutors... there are terrible problems—but if they have emunah and bitachon... if they listen to Me when I tell them to go forward, and they won’t fear the order of nature—knowing that they’re doing the right thing—then the merit of this emunah will be stronger than any prosecutor!
The emunah ensures that a Yid becomes connected with the Ribbono shel Olam, and then he is stronger than any mekatreg! With the zechus of emunah, he will surely succeed.
We’re Heavenly Messengers!
The same idea is stated in Kedushas Levi. The reason that the sea split before Nachshon ben Aminadav was not solely because of his mesirus nefesh—but because he understood that if the Ribbono shel Olam tells him to go, then he is a messenger of the Ribbono shel Olam, and thus he is assured of success!
Indeed, the Midrash Tanchuma (Parashas Vayigash) tells us that when a person fulfills a mitzvah, he becomes a messenger of Hashem. He becomes connected with Hashem because כמותו אדם של שלוחו, he messenger of a person is like the sender himself. If someone is the messenger of Hashem—he can easily slice through the entire order of nature. There is nothing to fear!
The Entire Creation Submits to the Torah
We learn an incredible yesod in this Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh which we must study very deeply:
Every time a Yid wants to do a mitzvah and wishes to advance in his avodas Hashem, one factor tends to hold him back: The restraints, the restrictions, and the parameters and boundaries of nature. The “nature outlook” tells the person, “What can you do? You can’t go this way. You can’t go that way. The time doesn’t allow it....” Or the person may think, “I’m too afraid... it doesn’t suit me...” and other such expressions and thoughts that are rooted in the natural outlook.
But at Krias Yam Suf the Ribbono shel Olam taught the Yidden that when you see that the order of nature contradicts what you know you must do, it is merely a nisayon! Speak to the Bnei Yisrael and tell them to go forward! Go! And you will see that the creation will get on board.
This Rule Applies Eternally
The Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh elaborates on this point in the pasuk וישב לאיתנו הים, that the water returned to its prior condition (Shemos 14:27)—the condition that the Ribbono shel Olam made at the beginning of Creation that if the Yidden fulfill the mitzvos, then the creation must assist them in this.
He further writes that this applied back then, and it continues to apply for all generations! In all generations, there have been tzaddikim who were able to bend nature—for example, Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya’ir, who was able to split the sea. So too, this order continues always; it’s the same creation with the same rules. Ehrliche Yidden in all generations can bend nature to their holy wishes.
Krias Yam Suf Taught Us a New Concept
When Klal Yisrael stood at the water’s edge, they knew that they had to go forward, but at the same time they were afraid to go because “nature” didn’t allow it. And therefore, the Ribbono shel Olam told them, “You are going to demonstrate to the whole world, for the first time, how the creation truly works! And this will be transcribed into the Torah for eternity.”
Until that time there was no Klal Yisrael; only now, at Yetziyas Mitzrayim, did they become a nation. And at this time the Ribbono shel Olam told them, “Come, I will explain to you a new concept in how the world works.” He placed them at the water’s edge, and they didn’t know what to do. But Hashem said: Speak to the Bnei Yisrael—you have a new name! From now on, you are Bnei Yisrael!
This is like an average employee who was one day promoted to be the CEO of the entire business—but he continues to comport himself like a lowly employee. He asks ten time before he does anything... and we tell him, “You’re now the boss! You can do whatever you want!”
The Aibishter says to the Yidden: You are now Bnei Yisrael! Go forward! Don’t stop! But they ask: What do you mean, we should go? There’s raging water here! Says the Ribbono shel Olam: This is exactly what I want to show you! If you do this, if you go forward, then your descendants for all eternity will know that the more they will connect to the Ribbono shel Olam and His Torah, the more the entire creation will bend to them.
When You Accept Wholeheartedly, the Entire Creation Bends for You
And the Yiddishe Kinder learned this lesson well. They jumped into the water, and later they did it again—when the Ribbono shel Olam offered them the Torah. What did they answer? ונשמע! נעשה We accept everything even before we know whether or not we can do it. This was a direct result of the lesson that they learned at the water’s edge.
In general, when we tell a person to get up early every day, to learn two hours every day, to daven Minchah and Korbanos with a minyan, he may give you a long speech, “Listen, you need to be realistic... there are all kinds of days, and all kinds of situations. Nature presents many boundaries and restrictions of all kinds—I can’t make such a commitment.”
But ונשמע נעשה means that, yes: Before making such a commitment, you indeed cannot take on such an obligation. But after making the commitment, the entire creation will conform to you.
Jumping into the Sea
When a person says that it’s very difficult to do an aspect of מרע סור or טוב עשה, he is correct! It’s very, very difficult. But a person must know that the moment he “jumps into the sea,” he proclaims ונשמע! נעשה He proclaims his belief that the entire creation conforms to Torah and those who adhere to it! And he commits to this because he knows that the Ribbono shel Olam will help him!
Once a Yid is connected to the Ribbono shel Olam, he knows that the Aibishter will certainly help him, and the entire creation will bend and conform to his avodas Hashem!
