The Great Hand and the Reward of Faith at the Sea

"And Israel saw the great hand" (Exodus 14:31) — grievous plagues and plagues different one from another, strange deaths and severe deaths differing one from another. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: How do you know that the Egyptians were struck in Egypt with ten plagues, and at the Sea were struck with fifty plagues? Concerning Egypt it says, "And the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God" (Exodus 8:15); and concerning the Sea it says, "And Israel saw the great hand." How many were struck by a finger? Ten. Say therefore: in Egypt they were struck with ten plagues, and at the Sea they were struck with fifty plagues. Rabbi Eliezer says: How do you know that every single plague the Omnipresent, blessed be He, brought upon the Egyptians consisted of four plagues? As it is said, "He sent against them His fierce anger" (Psalms 78:49) — "wrath" is one, "indignation" two, "trouble" three, "a discharge of evil messengers" four. Say therefore: in Egypt they were struck with forty plagues, and at the Sea two hundred. Rabbi Akiva says: How do you know that each plague consisted of five? "He sent against them His fierce anger" — that is one; "wrath" two, "indignation" three, "trouble" four, "a discharge of evil messengers" five. Say therefore: in Egypt fifty plagues, and at the Sea two hundred and fifty. "And the people feared the LORD" (Exodus 14:31) — formerly they did not fear the LORD; now they feared Him. "And they believed in the LORD and in Moses His servant." If they believed in Moses, how much more in the Omnipresent! Rather, this teaches you that whoever believes in the shepherd of Israel is as one who believes in Him who spoke and the world came to be. Similarly you say, "And the people spoke against God and against Moses" (Numbers 21:5) — if they spoke against God, how much more against Moses! Rather, this teaches that whoever speaks against the shepherd of Israel is as one who speaks against Him who spoke and the world came to be. Another interpretation: "And they believed in the LORD and in Moses His servant" — great is faith before Him who spoke and the world came to be, for as a reward for the faith with which Israel believed, the Holy Spirit rested upon them and they uttered the Song, as it is said, "And they believed in the LORD" — "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel." Rabbi Nehemiah says: How do you know that whoever performs one commandment in faith before Him who spoke and the world came to be is worthy that the Holy Spirit rest upon him? So we find with our ancestors: as a reward for their faith the Holy Spirit rested upon them and they sang. And so you find with Abraham, who inherited this world and the world to come only as a reward for faith, as it is said, "And he believed in the LORD, and He reckoned it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6). And it says, "Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter" (Isaiah 26:2) — through this gate the people of faith enter. And it says, "It is good to give thanks to the LORD... to declare Your steadfast love in the morning and Your faithfulness by night... for You have made me glad, O LORD, by Your work" (Psalms 92:2-5) — what caused us to rejoice with this joy? The faith we held in this world, which is wholly night. And so Jehoshaphat said, "Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper" (2 Chronicles 20:20). And so you find that the exiles will be gathered in only through faith, as it is said, "With me from Lebanon, my bride... look from the peak of Amana" (Song of Songs 4:8); and it says, "And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness" (Hosea 2:21); and it says, "The righteous shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4); and it says, "Are not Your eyes upon faithfulness?" (Jeremiah 5:3). Thus great is faith before Him who spoke and the world came to be, for as a reward for the faith Israel held, the Holy Spirit rested upon them and they uttered the Song, as it is said, "And they believed in the LORD and in Moses His servant. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel." And later it says, "Then they believed His words; they sang His praise" (Psalms 106:12).