That which the verse said: “You led [naḥita] Your people like a flock in the hands of Moses and Aaron” (Psalms 77:21) – what is “naḥita”? It is an acronym. Rabbi Eliezer says: Nun – miracles [nisim] You performed for them; ḥet – life [ḥayim] You gave them; yod –the sea [yam] You split for them; tav – Torah You gave them. By means of whom?
It is by means of Moses and Aaron. Another matter: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Rabbi Yehoshua said: Nun – wonders [niflaot] You performed on their behalf; ḥet – freedom [ḥerut] You gave them; yod – Your right [yeminekha] saved them; tav – elevation [tilui rosh] You gave to them, by means of Moses and Aaron. Our Rabbis say: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Nun – prophets [neviim] You established from among them; ḥet – pious ones [ḥasidim] You established from among them; yod – upright ones [yesharim] You established from among them; tav – faultless ones [temimim] You established from among them, by means of Moses and Aaron.
Another matter: “Naḥita” (Psalms 77:21) – Rabbi Akiva says: Nun – awesome deeds [noraot] You performed against their enemies; ḥet – enflamed wrath [ḥaron af] You sent against them; yod –Your hand [yadekha] waged war against them; tav – depths [tehomot] with which You covered them. By means of whom? By means of Moses and Aaron. Another matter: “You led Your people like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – what is “like a flock”?
It is, that just as this flock, one does not take it into a roofed building, so, Israel, all forty years that they spent in the wilderness they did not enter a roofed building. That is why they were likened to a flock. Another matter: “You led Your people like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – just as the flock, one does not collect for it in storehouses of food, but rather, one herds it in the wilderness, so, Israel, all forty years that they were in the wilderness they were sustained without storehouses.
That is why they were likened to a flock. Another matter: “You led [Your people] like a flock” (Psalms 77:21) – just as the flock, everywhere that the shepherd leads it, it is drawn after him, so too, Israel, everywhere that Moses and Aaron would transport them, they would travel after them, as it is stated: “These are the journeys of the children of Israel” – to realize what is stated: “You led Your people like a flock.”