Four Factions at the Sea and the Warning Never to Return to Egypt

"For as you have seen Egypt today" (Exodus 14:13). In three places the Holy One, blessed be He, warned not to return to Egypt. So it is said here, "For as you have seen Egypt"; and it says, "And the LORD said to you, You shall not return that way again" (Deuteronomy 17:16); and it says, "by the way of which I said to you" and so on (Deuteronomy 28:68). In all three cases they returned, and in all three they fell. The first was in the days of Sennacherib, as it is said, "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help" (Isaiah 31:1). The second was in the days of Yohanan ben Kareah, as it is said, "And the sword which you fear" and so on. And the third was in the days of Trajan. In all three they returned, and in all three they fell. Israel formed into four factions at the sea. One said, Let us fall into the sea. One said, Let us return to Egypt. One said, Let us make war against them. And one said, Let us cry out against them. To the one that said, Let us fall into the sea, it was said, "Stand firm and see" (Exodus 14:13). To the one that said, Let us return to Egypt, it was said, "For as you have seen Egypt." To the one that said, Let us make war against them, it was said, "The LORD will fight" (Exodus 14:14). And to the one that said, Let us cry out against them, it was said, "And you shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:14).