שמות, פרק י״ד, פסוק ז׳

Pharaoh's desperate pursuit of the fleeing Israelites was not a chaotic chase, but a highly organized and massive military operation. The Egyptian monarch mobilized his forces with a precise hierarchy, deploying elite units alongside massive reserve troops under a rigid chain of command.

At the forefront of this mobilization was an elite strike force of six hundred chariots, manned not by young recruits, but by a select group of seasoned, heroic fighters [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים]. Every single chariot in this unit was meticulously chosen to be the absolute best [רש״י, גור אריה, ביאור יש״ר]. This elite battalion rode at the head of the camp alongside the king himself [ביאור יש״ר, שטיינזלץ]. Some suggest that six hundred is a round number representing a massive force [קאסוטו], while others note that Pharaoh likely possessed even more elite chariots but chose to leave a portion behind as a strategic reserve to protect Egypt [שד״ל].

Beyond this vanguard, Pharaoh drafted the remainder of the kingdom's chariots. These forces comprised a massive civilian army [ספורנו] or served as transport wagons designed to move foot soldiers at maximum speed to overtake the Israelites [רש ר הירש]. This immense deployment raises a practical and theological question: since the plagues of hail and pestilence had devastated Egypt's livestock, where did the animals to pull these chariots come from? The accepted answer is that they belonged to those Egyptians who had previously feared the word of God and brought their livestock indoors before the plagues struck [רש״י, הטור הארוך].

However, this reveals that their earlier reverence was entirely superficial, driven solely by a desire to protect their property. The moment Pharaoh declared war, these same individuals eagerly volunteered their surviving animals and personally joined the pursuit, fueled by a burning hatred for the Israelites [מזרחי, לבוש האורה, משכיל לדוד, צאינה וראינה]. This historical reality forms the basis for Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's famous teaching that even the best of the Egyptians should be killed in battle. Commentators forcefully emphasize that this is not a general directive regarding other nations, but a strict rule of engagement during wartime. When an enemy sets out to destroy you or openly rebels against God, one cannot afford to show mercy even to those who previously appeared righteous. Trusting them is likened to trusting a venomous snake that momentarily acts gentle, as its inherent nature is to strike suddenly and lethally [רבנו בחיי, גור אריה, לבוש האורה].

To maintain control over such a colossal and largely untrained army, Pharaoh established a robust chain of command [ספורנו, העמק דבר]. The specific nature of this leadership is understood in several ways. The primary approach among commentators views these commanding officers as holding the third highest rank in the kingdom, subordinate only to the king and his viceroy [אבן עזרא, תולדות יצחק, ביאור יש״ר]. Another perspective suggests a broader systemic organization, where the entire Egyptian army was divided into three primary divisions [רבנו בחיי]. Alternatively, the strategy may have focused on the physical makeup of the chariots themselves, with each chariot manned by a three-person crew consisting of a driver, an archer, and a third warrior [שד״ל, שטיינזלץ, קונטרס חיבה יתירה]. Others argue that the military upgraded its pursuit capabilities by harnessing each chariot to three horses instead of the usual one or two, ensuring the chase was as swift as possible [הדר זקנים, תורה תמימה].