שמות, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ׳

As night fell upon the shores of the Red Sea, a moment of profound crisis was met with absolute divine intervention. A complete physical barrier was established between the pursuing Egyptian army and the fleeing Israelites. The angel of God, alongside the pillar of cloud, moved to the rear of the Israelite camp to conceal their movements. This profound act of protection is compared to a father walking on a dangerous road with his son; when wolves or bandits approach from behind, the father lifts the child into his arms, shielding him with his own body [רש״י, משכיל לדוד]. Together, the angel and the cloud formed an impenetrable envelope of safety. The angel precisely positioned the cloud [העמק דבר, דברי דוד], or perhaps a heavy, opaque mist simply filled the entire expanse between the two camps [אור החיים].

This divine barrier created a fractured, dual reality. The primary approach among commentators is that the night was split in two: the thick cloud and darkness descended upon the Egyptian camp, while the pillar of fire continued to provide light for the Israelites. Functioning as a massive wall, the dense cloud absorbed the light of the fire, plunging the Egyptians into total blindness and preventing them from tracking their targets [ספורנו, רבנו בחיי, מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר, קאסוטו]. The prevailing consensus maintains that the illumination came exclusively from the pillar of fire [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה]. While a minority view suggests that the cloud itself actively projected the darkness [רא״ש, בכור שור], others strongly reject this idea, arguing that an element cannot perform contradictory functions; its purpose was strictly to spread light for the Israelites [אבן עזרא, אבי עזר]. Another perspective suggests that the pillar of cloud actually contained the pillar of fire within it, allowing a single entity to perform both functions simultaneously [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Consequently, a profound distance was maintained throughout the night. On a physical level, the Egyptian military could not advance toward the Israelite camp. Blinded by the heavy fog, the soldiers were forced to halt or move at a crawl, terrified of stumbling in the dark [רש״י, ספורנו, מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, this separation occurred between the elements themselves; the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud remained entirely distinct, never approaching or mixing with one another until the morning light [הדר זקנים, חזקוני].

Beyond the physical battlefield, this theme of separation extended into deeper realms. Within the Israelite camp itself, the people were deeply fractured. Divided into competing factions, such as those who wished to surrender, those who wanted to fight, and those who chose to pray, their differing viewpoints never approached a unified consensus that night [כלי יקר, תולדות יצחק]. A similar disconnect occurred in the heavenly spheres. The ministering angels sought to sing a chorus of praise, but God silenced them, demanding to know how they could sing while His creations were drowning in the sea [כלי יקר, תורה תמימה, ברכת אשר, פרדס יוסף].

This heavenly decree sparks a significant discussion regarding why the angels were silenced while the Israelites were later permitted to sing. One explanation is a matter of timing: the prohibition was strictly enforced during the perilous hours of the night when lives hung in the balance, but was lifted by morning once salvation was complete [תורה תמימה]. Others draw a distinction between the singers themselves. Angels operate according to strict divine justice and have no place rejoicing in the loss of human life. The Israelites, however, had physically endured the crushing weight of slavery and therefore earned the right to express gratitude for their survival [ברכת אשר]. Furthermore, the phrase "My creations" might have actually referred to the Israelites, who were still in mortal danger at that very moment, making any song of praise premature [ברכת אשר]. Finally, another tradition reveals that the angels intended to kill the Egyptians with the sheer, lethal force of their song. God silenced them because He specifically wanted the Egyptians to drown in the sea as a precise, measure-for-measure retribution for the drowning of the Israelite children [חנוכת התורה].