What a Maidservant Saw at the Sea That the Prophets Did Not

"And He has become my salvation" (Exodus 15:2): He was mine and will be mine in the world to come. "This is my God": Rabbi Eliezer says, From where do you say that a maidservant saw at the sea what Ezekiel and Isaiah did not see? As it is said, "And by the hand of the prophets I gave likenesses" (Hosea 12:11), and it is written, "The heavens opened and I saw" (Ezekiel 1:1). To what may the matter be compared? To a king of flesh and blood who entered a province with a circle of guards around him, his mighty men to his right and left and his troops before and behind, and everyone was asking, "Which one is the king?" because he is flesh and blood like them. But when the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself at the sea, not one of them needed to ask which one was the king; as soon as they saw Him they recognized Him, and they all opened and said, "This is my God, and I will glorify Him." Rabbi Ishmael says: Is it possible for flesh and blood to make himself like his Creator? Rather, I will glorify Him through the commandments: I will make before Him a beautiful lulav, a beautiful sukkah, beautiful fringes, beautiful phylacteries. Abba Shaul says: Be like Him; as He is gracious and merciful, so you too be gracious and merciful. Rabbi Yose says: I will declare His glories and praise before all the nations of the world. Rabbi Yose ben Durmaskit says: I will make before Him the Temple, as it is said, "And they laid waste His habitation" (Psalms 79:7), and it says, "Behold Zion, the city of our appointed seasons" (Isaiah 33:20). Rabbi Akiva says: I will speak of His glories and praises before all the nations of the world. For the nations of the world ask, "What is your beloved more than another beloved" (Song of Songs 5:9), that you die for Him and are slain for Him, as it is said, "Therefore do the maidens love You" (Song of Songs 1:3) [read it: they love You unto death], and it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all the day" (Psalms 44:23); "you are mighty, come, join with us." And Israel says to the nations of the world, "Do you know Him? Let us tell you a fraction of His praise: My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand" (Song of Songs 5:10). When the nations hear the praise of the One who spoke and the world came to be, they say to Israel, "Let us go with you," as it is said, "Where has your beloved gone" (Song of Songs 6:1). And Israel says to the nations, "You have no share in Him; rather, my beloved is mine and I am his" (Song of Songs 6:3). And the Sages say: "Until I come with Him into His Temple." To what may the matter be compared? To a king whose son was in a province overseas; he went out after him. The son went to another province; he went out after him, until he stood over him. So when Israel went down to Egypt, the Divine Presence went down with them, as it is said, "I will go down with you to Egypt" (Genesis 46:4). They went up, and the Divine Presence went up with them, as it is said, "And I will also surely bring you up" (Genesis 46:4). They went down to the sea, the Divine Presence was with them, as it is said, "And the angel of God moved" (Exodus 14:19). They went out to the wilderness, the Divine Presence was with them, as it is said, "And the LORD went before them by day" (Exodus 13:21), until "I come with Him into His Temple." And so it says, "Scarcely had I passed from them" (Song of Songs 3:4). "This is my God": with me He acted with the measure of mercy, and with my fathers He acted with the measure of mercy. And from where that "my God" [Eli] is nothing but the measure of mercy? As it is said, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me" (Psalms 22:2), and it says, "O God, heal her now, I pray" (Numbers 12:13), and it says, "The LORD is God, and He has given us light" (Psalms 118:27).