The Wall of Water That Burned With Wrath Against Israel

"And the children of Israel walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall (chomah) to them." It is written chemah (wrath). The ministering angels were astonished, saying: shall human beings who worshiped idols pass on dry land in the midst of the sea? Even the sea was filled with wrath against them and sought to destroy them; for above it says chomah (wall) and here it says chemah (wrath). What caused them to be saved? "On their right and on their left": on their right, by the merit of the Torah they were destined to receive with the right hand, as it is said, "From His right hand a fiery law for them" (Deuteronomy 33:2); and on their left, by the merit of prayer. Another interpretation: "And the waters were wrath to them." Rabbi Papyas expounded: "He is at one, and who can turn Him back?" (Job 23:13)—He alone judges all who come into the world, and there is no answering His word. Rabbi Akiva said to him: enough, Papyas! How then do you uphold "He is at one, and who can turn Him back"? It means that there is no answering the word of the One who spoke and the world came to be, for everything is in justice and everything is by His word. Rabbi Papyas expounded: "Behold, the man has become like one of Us" (Genesis 3:22)—like one of the ministering angels. Rabbi Akiva said to him: enough, Papyas! How do you uphold "Behold, the man has become like one"? It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, set before him two ways, the way of life and the way of death, and he chose for himself the way of death. Rabbi Papyas expounded: "And they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass" (Psalms 106:20)—I might hear an ox from above; the teaching says, "that eats grass." Rabbi Akiva said to him: enough, Papyas! how do you uphold "and they exchanged their glory"? I might hear it of an ox during the rest of the days of the year; the teaching says, "that eats grass"—you have nothing more disgraceful and abominable than an ox from the moment it eats grass. Rabbi Papyas expounded: "To a mare among Pharaoh's chariots" (Song of Songs 1:9)—Pharaoh rode upon a male horse; as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to him upon a male horse, as it is said, "He rode upon a cherub and flew" (Psalms 18:11); he turned and rode upon a female horse; as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, mounted for him upon a female horse, as it is said, "to a mare among Pharaoh's chariots." Rabbi Akiva said to him: enough, Papyas! how do you uphold "to a mare" (le-susati)? It is written le-susati [which can be read sasti, "I rejoiced"]: just as I rejoiced over Egypt to destroy them, so I rejoiced over Israel to destroy them. What caused them to be saved? "On their right and on their left"—by the merit of the Torah they were destined to receive with the right hand, and by the merit of the tefillin which is on the left.