The Sea Refuses Moses Until the King Himself Appears

(Exodus 14:21) "And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea." The sea began to stand against him. Moses said to it: Split, in the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, but it did not accept this upon itself. He showed it the staff, but it did not accept this upon itself. They offered a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king of flesh and blood who had two gardens, one within the other. He sold the inner one. The buyer came to enter it, but the keeper would not let him in. He spoke to him in the name of the king, but the keeper did not accept it; he showed him the signet ring, but he did not accept it, until the king himself proceeded and came. As soon as the king proceeded and came, the keeper began to flee. The buyer said to him: All day I have been speaking to you in the name of the king and you did not accept it, and now why do you flee? He said to him: It is not from before you that I flee, but from before the king. So too Moses came and stood at the sea and spoke in the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, but it did not accept it; he showed it the staff, but it did not accept it, until the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself upon it in His glory. As soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself upon it in His glory, the sea began to flee, as it is said, "The sea saw and fled" (Psalms 114:3). He said to it: All day I have been speaking to you in the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and you did not accept it, and now, "what ails you, O sea, that you flee?" (Psalms 114:5). It said to him: It is not from before you, son of Amram, but "from before the Lord, tremble, O earth" (Psalms 114:7).