The Pesikta DeRav Kahana, a collection of Midrashic teachings, gives us a glimpse, almost a first-hand account. Rabbi Yochanan, a prominent sage, is teaching about this very moment. "How did the water become for the Jews like a wall?" he asks, and then answers his own question: "It was like lattice-work." Imagine seeing the water, not as a solid wall, but something more like a screen, perhaps shimmering and translucent.

But then comes a challenge, a correction from a most unexpected source. Serach bat Asher, a figure of immense importance in Jewish tradition, pipes up. "I was there," she says, "and it wasn't like that – it was like a glass window."

Wow. Serach bat Asher. Think about this for a moment. According to tradition, Serach lived an exceptionally long life, long enough to have witnessed the Exodus from Egypt firsthand. Her presence adds an incredible weight to the narrative. It’s no longer just a story; it’s testimony. "Like a glass window..." What a powerful image! Clear, perhaps, but still a barrier, a separation.

This exchange reminds us that even within our sacred texts, there's room for different perspectives, for individual experiences to shape our understanding of the divine.

The Pesikta DeRav Kahana then shifts gears, delving into another intriguing detail: the number of souls who journeyed with Yaakov (Jacob) to Egypt. Genesis 46:26 tells us "All the souls coming with Yaakov to Egypt, who came out of his loins…" The Torah states explicitly that seventy souls made the descent. But when you start counting… it doesn't quite add up!

The text points out: With Yosef (Joseph) and his two sons, we're still one short of seventy! Where's the missing person?

Rabbi Levi, quoting R. Chama bar Chanina, offers a compelling solution: "That is Yocheved, who was born at the gate of Egypt." Yocheved, of course, would become the mother of Moshe (Moses), Aharon (Aaron), and Miriam – pivotal figures in the Exodus story. The idea that she was born right as they entered Egypt suggests a sense of hope, even in that moment of transition. A promise of redemption being born into the world.

But the text doesn't stop there. Another explanation emerges: "Serach bat Asher completed the number of Israel." Remember her? Some say she was the one who brought the count to seventy. She herself declares, "I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful in Israel… It is I that has completed the number of Israel. I have completed, being faithful for the faithful."

Think about the implications! Serach, the one who corrected Rabbi Yochanan's vision of the Red Sea, is also credited with completing the count of Israel. She's not just a witness; she's an active participant in the unfolding story of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Tanchum bar Haanilai offers a final, beautiful interpretation: "The Holy One blessed be He Himself entered with them." God, in essence, was the missing person. And what is the explanation? "He is your praise and He is your God" (Deuteronomy 10:21). What is written after it? "Numbering seventy people, your forefathers went down to Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:22)." God's presence transcends simple numerical calculations; it's the divine spark that animates the entire narrative.

So, what do we take away from all this? Perhaps it's a reminder that our tradition is rich with multiple layers of meaning. That even within the most familiar stories, there's always room for new interpretations, for different perspectives to enrich our understanding. And that sometimes, the most profound truths are revealed not through grand pronouncements, but through the quiet voices of those who were there, who witnessed the miracles firsthand.