Pharaoh's Army Lured To Its Death

But does the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoice in the downfall of the wicked? Is it not written: "as they went out before the army, and said, Give thanks to the LORD, for His mercy endures forever" (2 Chronicles 20:21), and Rabbi Yohanan said: Why is "for He is good" not stated in this giving of thanks? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked. And Rabbi Yohanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written: "And the one did not come near the other all the night" (Exodus 14:20)? The ministering angels sought to recite song, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said: The work of My hands is drowning in the sea, and you would recite song? Rabbi Elazar said: He Himself does not rejoice, but He causes others to rejoice. And this is also precise from the text, for it is written: "so will He cause rejoicing" (Deuteronomy 28:63) [the causative form, He will make others rejoice], and it is not written "He will rejoice." Learn from this.

וּמִי חָדֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּמַפַּלְתָּן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים? וְהָא כְּתִיב: בְּצֵאת לִפְנֵי הֶחָלוּץ וְאוֹמְרִים הוֹדוּ לַה׳ כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ, וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא נֶאֱמַר כִּי טוֹב בְּהוֹדָאָה זוֹ? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׂמֵחַ בְּמַפַּלְתָּן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים. וְאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: וְלֹא קָרַב זֶה אֶל זֶה כׇּל הַלָּיְלָה — בִּקְּשׁוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לוֹמַר שִׁירָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: מַעֲשֵׂה יָדַי טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם, וְאַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה? אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: הוּא אֵינוֹ שָׂשׂ, אֲבָל אֲחֵרִים מֵשִׂישׂ. וְדַיְקָא נָמֵי, דִּכְתִיב: כֵּן יָשִׂישׂ, וְלָא כְּתִיב יָשׂוּשׂ. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

Commentary

Some say that the angels sought to sing so loudly that the souls of the Egyptians would take leave of this world through the sweetness of their celestial melodies. But God said, "They have caused My children to perish. Should they die from the sweetness of your singing?" This is an important talmudic myth, which establishes God's caring for all his creations, even those who are the enemies of his people, Israel. Here the angels want to celebrate the defeat of Pharaoh's army, but God rebukes them. Thus God suffers over the suffering of His creations. This myth is based on the much earlier biblical teachings in Proverbs 24:17 that if your enemy fails, do not exult. Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg (1726-1778) suggests a different interpretation by suggesting that the purpose of the angels in wishing to sing was not to celebrate the deaths of the Egyptians, but to draw out their souls painlessly, and that it is God who objects to this idea, because it does not make them suffer for their sins. This, then, is a good example of how the midrashic method can reverse the meaning of a text entirely.

Pharaoh's Army Lured To Its Death

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