Jewish tradition recognizes that very tension within us, and even within the relationship between God and Israel.
Shemot Rabbah, a classic midrashic (rabbinic interpretive commentary) collection that delves into the Book of Exodus, explores this complexity using a beautiful and unexpected metaphor: the dove.
"My dove in the cleft of the rock," says the verse in Song of Songs (2:14). But why "my dove"? Why not just "a dove"?
Rabbi Yochanan offers a striking interpretation: God calls Israel "My dove" because, like a dove, they are innocent and obedient… to God. But the story doesn’t end there. The midrash contrasts this dove-like submission to God with a fierce resistance against idolaters. As it says in Hosea (7:11), "Ephraim is like a foolish dove, with no understanding." According to this, God says that toward Him, Israel is like that foolish dove – doing and obeying everything. Idolaters try to undermine Jewish practices, questioning the value of Shabbat (the Sabbath) or circumcision. In response, the Israelites become "as tough as beasts," like Judah a lion (Genesis 49:9), Benjamin a wolf (Genesis 49:27), or Dan a serpent (Genesis 49:17). They stand firm against those who seek to dismantle their traditions. But towards God? They are like that innocent dove, obeying every decree. The people believed (Exodus 4:31), and they proclaimed "Everything the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed" (Exodus 24:7).
It’s a fascinating duality: unwavering strength against external pressures, and devoted obedience to the Divine.
The midrash then shifts to a vivid scene from the Exodus story itself: the moment when Pharaoh's army is bearing down on the Israelites at the edge of the Red Sea. "Pharaoh drew near and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and, behold, Egypt was traveling after them, and they were very frightened; the children of Israel cried out to the Lord" (Exodus 14:10).
Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat points out a subtle detail: the verse doesn't say the Egyptians "were traveling" after them, but "was traveling." He explains that when the Israelites looked up, they saw not just the physical army, but also the angel of Egypt, whose very name was Egypt, floating in the air. According to Jewish tradition, every nation has a corresponding angel. God doesn’t bring down a nation until He first brings down its angel. We see this with Nebuchadnezzar, whose angel was named Kal, as Rabbi Yehoshua bar Avin tells us, citing Daniel (4:28). And so, before the Egyptians were drowned in the sea, their angel had to be vanquished. "And the Lord tossed Egypt in the midst of the sea" (Exodus 14:27) refers to the angel of Egypt.
But there's another layer to this dramatic moment. Rabbi Berekhya suggests that Pharaoh's approach, his drawing near (hikriv), actually drew Israel nearer to repentance. Can you imagine? The very threat of annihilation spurred them to turn to God. It was more effective than a hundred fasts and prayers! In their desperation, they cried out, "The children of Israel cried out to the Lord" (Exodus 14:10).
The Israelites, trapped between the sea, the enemy, and the wilderness, felt utterly cornered. Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar explains that when (Exodus 14:3) says "The wilderness has closed in (sagar) on them," the word sagar refers to beasts. He bases this on the verse "My God has sent His angel, and shut (usagar) the lions' mouths" (Daniel 6:23).
Why did God put them in such a dire situation? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi offers a powerful parable. Imagine a king who rescues a princess from highwaymen. Later, he wants to marry her, but she won't speak to him. So, what does the king do? He arranges for the highwaymen to threaten her again, knowing she will cry out to him. When she does, he says, "This is what I desired, to hear your voice!"
Similarly, the midrash explains, God longed to hear Israel's voice. He had heard their cries in Egypt, and He yearned to hear them again. So, He incited Pharaoh to pursue them, prompting their desperate plea. God’s response? "My dove in the cleft of the rock…sound me your voice" (Song of Songs 2:14). Not just a voice, but your voice – the voice I heard in Egypt.
And in the end, when Moses prays, God tells him, "Why are you standing and praying? The prayer of My children preceded your prayer, as it is stated: 'Why are you crying out to Me?'” The people's genuine, heartfelt cry came first.
This midrash reminds us that our relationship with the Divine is not always simple. It involves both strength and vulnerability, obedience and resistance. And sometimes, it's in our most desperate moments, when we feel trapped and alone, that we find our voice and connect with God in the deepest way. What does it mean to you to find strength in vulnerability?
That is what is written: “My dove in the cleft of the rock” (Song of Songs 2:14). It should have said “a dove in the cleft of the rock.” Why did it say “my dove?” It is as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: “My dove.” See what is written: “Ephraim is like a foolish dove, with no understanding” (Hosea 7:11). The Holy One blessed be He said: To Me they are like a foolish dove; everything that I decree for them, they do and obey Me. However, towards idolaters, they are as tough as beasts, as it is stated: “Judah is a lion’s whelp” (Genesis 49:9); “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf” (Genesis 49:27); “Dan will be a serpent on the road” (Genesis 49:17); that is why they are as tough against idolaters. Why? It is because idolaters say to them: ‘What do you seek from this Shabbat that you observe, from this circumcision that you are circumcised?’ They [idolaters] seek to cancel the mitzvot for them and they [Israel] become as tough as beasts against them. However, to the Holy One blessed be He they are like an innocent dove, and they obey everything that He decrees for them, as it is stated: “The people believed” (Exodus 4:31). And likewise it says: “Everything the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). That is why it says: “My dove in the cleft of the rock” (Song of Songs 2:14). “Pharaoh drew near and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and, behold, Egypt was traveling after them, and they were very frightened; the children of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus 14:10). Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said: When Israel departed from Egypt, they lifted up their eyes and the Egyptians were pursuing them, as it is stated: “Pharaoh drew near [and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes and, behold, Egypt was traveling after them].” It does not say “were traveling,” but rather “was traveling.” When Pharaoh and the Egyptians came out in pursuit of them, they raised their eyes heavenward and saw the angel of Egypt floating in the air. When they saw him, they were very frightened, as it is stated: “They were very frightened.” What is “behold, Egypt was traveling after them”? The name of the angel of Egypt was Egypt, as the Holy One blessed be He does not bring about the downfall of a nation until He brings about the downfall of its angel first. Likewise, you find with Nebuchadnezzar that the Holy One blessed be He brought down his angel first, as it is stated: “While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice [kal] fell from heaven” (Daniel 4:28). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Avin said: Nebuchadnezzar’s angel was named Kal, and the Holy One blessed be He brought him down. Likewise, the name of the angel of Pharaoh was Egypt, and it was flying to pursue them. When the Holy One blessed be He sank Egypt into the sea, He first sank their angel, as it is stated: “And the Lord tossed Egypt in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:27); that is the angel of Egypt, and then: “He tossed Pharaoh and his host” (Psalms 136:15). Likewise, it does not say: Their horses and their riders He cast into the sea, but rather, “horse and its rider” (Exodus 15:1), this is their angel; that is: “behold, Egypt was traveling after them.” What is: “Pharaoh drew near [hikriv]”? It is that he drew Israel nearer to repentence. Rabbi Berekhya said: Pharaoh’s drawing near was more effective for Israel than one hundred fasts and prayers. Why? Because when they [the Egyptians] pursued them and they [Israel] saw them, they were greatly afraid and they raised their eyes to Heaven, and repented and prayed, as it is stated: “The children of Israel cried out to the Lord” (Exodus 14:10). Israel said to Moses: ‘What have you done to us? Now they are coming and doing to us everything we did to them; we killed their firstborn, took their property, and fled. Did you not say to us: “Each woman will borrow [silver vessels and gold vessels and garments from her neighbor and from the resident of her house and you shall place them upon your sons and upon your daughters, and you will despoil Egypt]”?’ (Exodus 3:22). At that moment they were standing and they did not know what to do; the sea was closing in, the enemy was pursuing, and the beasts from the wilderness, as it is stated: “The wilderness has closed in [sagar] on them” (Exodus 14:3). Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: Sagar means nothing other than beasts, as it is stated: “My God has sent His angel, and shut [usagar] the lions' mouths” (Daniel 6:23). When Israel saw that they were surrounded on three sides – the sea blocking them, the enemy in pursuit, and the beasts in the wilderness – they raised their eyes to their Father in heaven and cried out to the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “The children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” Why did the Holy One blessed be He do this to them? It was because the Holy One blessed be He desires their prayers. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: To what is this matter comparable? It is to a king who was travelling on the way and a princess was screaming to him: ‘Please, save me from the highwaymen.’ The king heard and rescued her. Some time later, he sought to take her as a wife. He desired that she speak to him, but she did not want to do so. What did the king do? He incited the highwaymen against her so that she would scream and the king would hear. When the highwaymen beset her, she began screaming to the king. The king said to her: ‘This is what I desired, to hear your voice.’ So Israel, when they were in Egypt and they [the Egyptians] were forcing them to work, they began screaming and raising their eyes to the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “It was during those many days…they cried out” (Exodus 2:23). Immediately, “God saw the children of Israel” (Exodus 2:25). The Holy One blessed be He began taking them out from there with a powerful hand and an outstretched arm. The Holy One blessed be He sought to hear their voice another time, but they did not wish to do so [to cry out]. What did He do? He incited Pharaoh to pursue them, as it is stated: “Pharaoh drew near.” Immediately, “the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘That is what I wanted – to hear your voice.’ As it is stated: “My dove in the cleft of the rock […sound me your voice]” (Song of Songs 2:14). It does not say sound me a voice, but rather, “sound me your voice,” – the voice that I already heard in Egypt. That is why it is written: “Sound me your voice.” When they had prayed, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Why are you standing and praying? The prayer of My children preceded your prayer, as it is stated: “Why are you crying out to Me?”’
