The Heartless Sea Judges the Egyptians Who Had Hearts

Another interpretation: "They stood up like a wall [ned]." Just as a flask is bound and stands, letting nothing out and nothing in, so was the breath of Egypt bound up within them, neither giving out nor taking in, fainting from the smell of the waters, as it is said, "He makes the deep boil like a pot" (Job 41:23). And for Israel the sea made every kind of spice, as it is said, "He makes the sea like an ointment-pot," and it says, "Awake, O north wind, and come, O south" (Song of Songs 4:16). "The depths congealed in the heart of the sea" (Exodus 15:8). He made them like a kind of dome. "In the heart of the sea": just as a person's heart is set from the second portion upward, so the sea congealed for them from its second portion upward. The sea had no heart, and a heart was given to it, as it is said, "in the heart of the sea." The oak [terebinth] had no heart, and a heart was given to it, as it is said, "in the heart of the oak" (2 Samuel 18:14). The heavens had no heart, and a heart was given to them, as it is said, "unto the heart of heaven" (Deuteronomy 4:11). Let the sea, which had no heart, come and exact punishment from the Egyptians, who had a heart and enslaved Israel with every kind of cruelty, as it is said, "And the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor" (Exodus 1:13). Let the oak, which had no heart and was given a heart, come and exact punishment from Absalom, who had a heart and stole three hearts: he stole the heart of his father, the heart of the court, and the heart of the men of Israel, as it is said, "And Absalom stole the heart of the men of Israel" (2 Samuel 15:6). Let the heavens, which had no heart and were given a heart, come and bring down the manna for Israel, who had a heart and busied themselves with the Torah with all their heart and all their soul, as it is said, "And you shall love the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 6:5). And not the heavens alone rejoice in the redemption of Israel, but also the mountains and the hills, the fruit tree and all cedars, as it is said, "Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it" (Isaiah 44:23). For what reason? "For the LORD has redeemed Jacob." "Sing, O heavens, and be glad, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains, for the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted" (Isaiah 49:13).