And after this well-spring was removed from there, ‘bitterness’ (marah) governed in Her place. It is this that is written: (Ex. 15:23) And they came to Marah...
And the mystery of the matter: (Ex. 1:14) And they embittered their lives, with hard ∞qashah work... etc. – this is ‘questioning’ (qushya), with mortar∞ḥomer – this is ‘a fortiori argument’ (qal) va-ḥomer, and they have already established this.
And thus were Israel, until he showed them the tree (’eitz). It is this that is written: (Ex. 15:25) And Y”Y showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the waters were sweetened... And this is: (Gen. 2:9)... the tree of life... – which grows upon that well-spring which is the Shekhinah. Yod י is the well-spring, which irrigates the ‘tree’ (ilana) that is Vav ו.