<b>Our sages of blessed memory said: “Observe that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not the way of man.”</b> It is not man’s way to heal with what he wounds. If he wounds with a knife, he heals with a plaster, but the Holy One, blessed be He, heals with what He wounds. When He smote Job, He did so with a tempest, as it said: <i>And multiply my wounds without cause</i> (Job 9:17), and when He healed him He did so with a whirlwind, as it is said: <i>Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind</i> (ibid. 38:1). When He sent Israel into exile, He did so with clouds, as is said: <i>How hath the Lord covered with a cloud</i> (Lam. 2:1), and when He brought them back, He did so with a cloud, as it is said: <i>Who are these that fly as a cloud?</i> (Isa. 60:8). When He dispersed them, He scattered them like doves, as it is said: <i>But they that shall at all escape of them, shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning</i> (Ezek. 7:16). When He gathered them together, He did so as doves: <i>As the doves to their cotes</i> (Isa. 60:8). When He blesses them, He does so only while “looking forth,” as it is said: <i>Look forth from Thy holy habitation</i> (Deut. 26:15), and when He exacts retribution from their enemies, He does so while “looking forth,” as it is said: <i>And it came to pass on the morning watch that the Lord looked forth through the pillar of fire and of cloud</i> (Exod. 14:24). When the pillar of cloud descended it turned (the water) into mud, and the pillar of fire scalded them. The hoofs of their horses became entangled (and they fell), causing the horses to fall upon the mares that were beneath. Thus it says: <i>Then did the horses’ hoofs stamp by reason of their prancings, the prancings of the mighty ones</i> (Judg. 5:22). He confused and befuddled them. He took away their reasoning power, and they did not know what to do.
And He took off their chariot wheels (Exod. 15:25). R. Johanan said: The heavenly fire from above ignited the wheels below, and the yokes and the chariots, which were made of silver, gold, precious stones, and pearls, were melted together. This occurred so that Israel might take the spoils with them. R. Nehemiah stated: The roar of the heavenly thunder caused the water ducts below to fly asunder, as it is said: <i>The voice of Thy thunder was in the whirlwind</i> (Ps. 77:19). Previously the mules had pulled the chariots, but now the chariots dragged the mules into the mire. He dealt harshly with them because the Egyptians had said: <i>Let the heavier work be laid upon the men</i> (Exod. 5:9).