Ten Trials in the Wilderness and Moses Calming the Trapped People

It was taught: Rabbi Yehudah said, with ten trials our fathers tested the Holy One, blessed be He, in the wilderness: two at the sea, two over water, two over the manna, two over the quail, one with the calf, and one in the wilderness of Paran. Two at the sea, one at the descent and one at the ascent. At the descent, as it is written, "And they said to Moses, Was it for lack of graves" (Exodus 14:11). At the ascent, in accordance with Rav Huna: the Israelites of that generation were of little faith, as Rabbah bar Mari expounded. What is the meaning of what is written, "They rebelled at the sea, at the Sea of Reeds, yet He saved them for His name's sake" (Psalms 106:7-8)? This teaches that Israel rebelled at the sea and said, "Just as we are coming up on this side, so the Egyptians are coming up on the other side." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prince of the sea, "Cast them out onto the dry land." He said before Him, "Master of the universe, is there a servant whose master gives him a gift and then takes it back from him?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will give you one and a half times their number." He said before Him, "Master of the universe, is there a servant who makes a claim against his master?" He said to him, "Let the brook of Kishon be My surety." Immediately he cast them out onto the dry land, as it is written, "And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the shore of the sea" (Exodus 14:30). Two over water, one at Marah and one at Rephidim. At Marah, as it is written, "And they came to Marah" (Exodus 15:23), and it is written, "And the people murmured" (Exodus 15:24). At Rephidim, as it is written, "And they encamped at Rephidim" (Exodus 17:1), and it is written, "And the people quarreled with Moses" (Exodus 17:2). Two over the manna, as it is said, "Let no one go out" (Exodus 16:29), and they went out; "Let none of it remain" (Exodus 16:19), and they left some remaining. Two over the quail, the first quail, as it is written, "when we sat by the pot of meat" (Exodus 16:3); the second quail, as it is written, "And the rabble that was among them" (Numbers 11:4). The calf as it stands, the wilderness of Paran as it stands. "And Moses said to the people, Fear not" (Exodus 14:13) - here Moses was urging them on, to make known the wisdom of Moses, how Moses stood and conciliated all those thousands and myriads. Of him it is explained in tradition, "Wisdom gives strength to the wise" (Ecclesiastes 7:19). "Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD" (Exodus 14:13). They said to him, "When?" He said to them, "Today the holy spirit will rest upon you," for "standing" everywhere means nothing other than the holy spirit, as it is said, "I saw the LORD standing by the altar" (Amos 9:1), and it says, "And the LORD came and stood and called as at other times" (I Samuel 3:10), and it says, "Call Joshua, and present yourselves" (Deuteronomy 31:14). To what were Israel like at that hour? To a dove that fled from a hawk and entered the cleft of a rock, and the serpent was hissing at her: if she went inside, there was the serpent; if she went out, there was the hawk coming to seize her. So were Israel like at that hour: the sea closing them in and the enemy pursuing, and they fixed their eyes on prayer. Of them it is explained in tradition, "My dove in the clefts of the rock... for your voice is sweet" (Song of Songs 2:14), in prayer, "and your face is comely," in the study of Torah.