The Sea Returns to Its Strength and Its Ancient Condition

"And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea"—the sea does not stand against Moses. "And the sea returned toward morning to its strength." "Its strength" (eitano) means nothing other than its might, as in the matter that is said, "Firm (eitan) is your dwelling, and set in the rock is your nest" (Numbers 24:21). Rabbi Natan says: "eitan" means nothing other than an expression of harshness, as it is said, "A harsh (eitan) nation it is, an ancient nation it is" (Jeremiah 5:15). Another interpretation: "to its strength." Rabbi Yonatan says: do not read it "to its strength" (le-eitano) but "to its condition" (li-tena'o)—a condition the Holy One, blessed be He, made with the sea, that it would be split for Israel; as it is written, "And the sea returned toward morning to its condition." "And Egypt was fleeing toward it." From where do you say that everywhere the Egyptian ran, the sea confronted him? The teaching says, "And Egypt was fleeing toward it." They told a parable: to what is the matter like? To a dove that fled from a hawk and entered the palace hall of a king. The king opened the eastern window, and it went out and flew away. The hawk came in after it. The king shut all those windows and began to shoot arrows at it. So too, once the last of Israel had come up from the sea, the Egyptians went down; the sea closed upon them from its four directions to destroy them, and the ministering angels hurled at them hailstones and stones of ice-rock, as in the matter that is said, "And I will enter into judgment with him, with pestilence and with blood, with torrential rain and hailstones" (Ezekiel 38:22). "And the LORD shook Egypt into the midst of the sea"—like a person who shakes a pot, so that the lower comes up to the top and the upper goes down to the bottom. Another interpretation: "And the LORD shook Egypt"—He gave them the strength of youth, so that they could endure much punishment. Another interpretation: "And He shook"—He handed them over to young angels, to cruel angels, so that they would tear out their souls, as in the matter that is said, "And a cruel messenger will be sent against him" (Proverbs 17:11), and it says, "Their soul dies in youth, and their life among the temple prostitutes" (Job 36:14).