שמות, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ״א

The climax of the journey from slavery to freedom unfolds at the edge of the sea, where the laws of nature are harnessed to reveal divine intervention. The monumental event is divided between human leadership and divine power. Moses initiates the action, directly causing the water to split and divide, while God deploys a powerful wind to dry the seabed and freeze the towering walls of water so they do not collapse on the Israelites [מלבי״ם]. Another perspective reveals a hidden struggle beneath the surface: the sea initially refuses to obey Moses and part, yielding only when God Himself steps in to force its retreat [הדר זקנים, שפתי כהן].

To perform this miracle, God chooses to use a fierce eastern wind, minimizing the sheer unnaturalness of the event [רלב״ג, שד״ל, קאסוטו]. Historically, this harsh, scorching wind is the very force God uses to bring retribution upon the wicked [רש״י, בכור שור, הדר זקנים]. Employing a natural weather phenomenon serves a specific strategic purpose: deceiving the Egyptians. Witnessing a severe storm, the pursuers interpret the parting of the sea as a freak climatic event rather than a direct divine intervention on behalf of the Israelites. This misunderstanding emboldens them, luring them to chase their former slaves into the sea [רמב״ן]. To maintain this illusion and secure the path, the wind blows continuously throughout the night, never ceasing even as the Israelites make their crossing [אבן עזרא].

The intense wind acts directly upon the muddy ocean floor, drying and freezing the silt [ספורנו]. The resulting ground is left in a transitional state—dry on the surface but still slightly damp and muddy underneath, rather than completely parched [הכתב והקבלה]. The sequence of these events presents a fascinating mechanical process, as the seabed appears to dry before the waters actually part. One approach explains that the wind works from the bottom up. By penetrating and drying the seabed, the waters above are forced to shrink and freeze, eventually cracking and splitting open on their own [כלי יקר]. Alternatively, the wind only freezes the deepest waters resting on the ocean floor. If the sea had split all the way down to the natural abyss, the Israelites would have been forced to navigate a steep, treacherous descent. Instead, the lowest depths are frozen solid to create a straight, level, and comfortable walking path, with only the waters above this foundation splitting apart [אור החיים, חזקוני].

The sheer magnitude of the miracle sends a shockwave through the natural world. At the exact moment the sea divides, all water across the globe—even water contained in ordinary pits, cups, and flasks—splits simultaneously [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים]. Because the sea serves as the heart and root of all water on earth, when its fundamental nature is altered, every derivative body of water in the universe experiences the identical disruption [גור אריה, תולדות יצחק]. The crossing itself is accompanied by a series of extraordinary secondary miracles. The waters freeze into solid walls resembling clear, glass-like stones, and the sea opens into twelve distinct paths, one for each tribe. As the Israelites walk, these transparent walls produce sweet drinking water. To ensure the ground remains firm and free of mud, any water that spills from the walls freezes the moment it touches the path [רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה].