שמות, פרק י״ד, פסוק כ״ג

At the edge of the sea, a dramatic climax unfolds as the Egyptian military makes a fateful decision to plunge into the divided waters after the fleeing Israelites. This bold pursuit was not simply a matter of blind rage, but the result of a complex mix of poor visibility, optical illusions, and direct divine intervention.

The commentators offer different perspectives on how the Egyptians were drawn into the seabed. One approach explains that the chase occurred under the thick cover of night. A heavy fog and a pillar of cloud darkened the route, completely obscuring the towering walls of water on either side. To the Egyptian soldiers, the seabed appeared to be a wide, ordinary dirt road, and they had no idea they were actually marching into the middle of the sea [מלבי״ם, ביאור יש״ר, בכור שור, חזקוני, אבן עזרא]. Another perspective suggests that the pursuit happened closer to morning, after the pillars of cloud and fire had moved away. In the morning light, the Egyptians clearly saw the Israelites walking safely on dry land. Seeing this open path, combined with God strengthening their hearts to believe the ground was truly solid, gave them a false sense of security. They felt confident that the miraculous path would remain open long enough for them to cross the dangerous terrain quickly, prompting them to rush inward [אור החיים, שטיינזלץ, קאסוטו, שפתי כהן].

Although the initial pursuit involved the entire Egyptian camp, the actual forces that entered the sea were highly specific. Only the elite military units, namely Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen, made it into the divided waters, while the rest of the nation did not have enough time to reach the opening [העמק דבר]. This elite force charged into the sea in a specific, staggered order. The horses went first, followed by the chariots, and finally the horsemen [מלבי״ם].

A striking detail in the description of this massive military force is the use of the singular word for horse, even though it is paired with plural terms like horsemen and describes an enormous army. Furthermore, mentioning horses at all seems unnecessary, as they are naturally included in the very concept of chariots. While this might simply function as a collective noun, it actually carries a profound underlying message [גור אריה, משכיל לדוד, דברי דוד]. By referring to the mighty Egyptian cavalry in the singular, the narrative reveals a powerful truth about divine perspective. Despite the army's overwhelming size and the terrifying threat it posed to the Israelites, when standing against the infinite power of God, the entire military machine was viewed and judged as nothing more than a single horse, completely insignificant and powerless to stand against Him [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה].