Why the Sea Spat the Egyptians Out and the Wadi Kishon Was Its Surety

Midrash Aggadah, Exodus 14:30

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Dead upon the seashore." The Israelites of that generation were lacking in faith. They said: "Just as we are coming up on this side, so the Egyptians are coming up on that side." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the sea: "Spew them out onto the dry land." The sea said: "Master of the worlds, is there any master who gives a gift to his servant and then takes it back?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it: "I will repay you one and a half." The sea said to Him: "Master of the worlds, is there any servant who sues his master at law?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it: "The wadi Kishon shall be a pledge and a surety for Me." This is what is written: "The wadi Kishon swept them away, etc." (Judges 5:21) — the wadi that was made a surety beforehand, that it would bring the one and a half. For concerning Pharaoh it is written, "and he took six hundred chosen chariots," and concerning Sisera, "nine hundred chariots of iron" (Judges 4:3) — behold, one and a half.

Themes

Divine JusticeEgyptJudgesMosesMerkavah

Biblical References

Continue Reading

Mekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelHe Harnessed His Chariot He HimselfThe Torah says simply that Pharaoh "harnessed his chariot" (Exodus 14:6). The Mekhilta reads those four words as a revelation of just how consumed Pharaoh was bMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelHe devoted his life to the judges, and they were called byThe Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, the early halakhic midrash on Exodus from the school of Rabbi Yishmael, reads a striking lesson out of a single word. The verse cMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelPharaoh Threw Everything He Had into This PursuitThe Egyptians' greatest military asset became the instrument of their destruction. The Mekhilta points to a devastating symmetry in the Exodus narrative that reLegends of the JewsMoses in Pharaoh's Palace Feels His People's PainThe Torah portion of Shmot – Exodus – introduces us to Moses, arguably the greatest prophet in Judaism. But even before the burning bush, before the plagues, beLegends of the JewsThree-Year-Old Moses Grabbed Pharaoh's Crown Off His HeadLegends of the Jews turns to Three-Year-Old Moses Grabbed Pharaoh's Crown Off His Head. The Ginzberg says 's retelling in Legends of the Jews, something utterlyLegends of the JewsHow a Shepherd's Compassion Made Moses WorthyMoses is often remembered as this towering figure, the lawgiver, the one who spoke to God face-to-face. But before all that, before the burning bush and the exo