This passage seems to follow a strange order. It begins with receiving the Torah (Has a people heard the voice of God speaking), continues with the miracles of Egypt and the Sea of Reeds, and then concludes once again with receiving the Torah (From the heavens He caused you to hear his voice in order to teach you). Why wasn’t this passage written in order?
Q4
Why Do You Cry Out to Me
Finally, let us turn to a difficult Midrash that says: The possuk says: Why do you cry out to me? Speak to the Children of Israel and their journey... in the merit of Yerushalyim I shall split the sea for them... What connection is there between Yerushalyim and splitting the sea? The sea was split before the city of Yerushalyim was even built! Besides, the whole importance of Yerushalyim is the Beis Hamikdash and the resultant resting of the Shechinah. What value is there to Yerushalyim without a Beis Hamikdash?
Q5
The General and the Specific
The Sfas Emes differentiates between two types of relationships between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael, the general and the specific. Hashem, in His great mercy and kindness changes from one to another according to the needs of Bnei Yisrael. Thus, the ten makos, which were given in the form of “smite the Egyptians and heal the Jews,” were for the individuals; The Egyptians enslaved them as individuals, and consequently, each individual was healed according to his individual needs, which led to a requirement for service as an individual.
On the Sea, by contrast, Hashem appeared to all as a powerful warrior and they were treated as a group – even a lowly slave woman saw as part of the group more than the Navi Yechezkel saw, and this was in contrast to the Egyptians, who gathered together as one man to fight against Bnei Yisrael.
As One Man With One Heart
We can try to add to this idea by saying that when the Torah was given, we find both simultaneously: At first all of bnei Yisrael were unified as one man with one heart – the group – to the point that they were referred to in the singular form, And Israel encamped (ויחן) there. And yet, the Torah was given to each individual according to his individual ability. The Midrash says that the voice of Hashem went forth to each individual’s ability; the old according to their ability, the youth according to their ability, and children – and even babies – according to their ability. Moshe, too, received according to his ability, and even pregnant women according to their ability.
