שמות, פרק ט״ו, פסוק י״ב

The final defeat of the Egyptians at the Red Sea encapsulates a vivid display of Divine power, a clash of natural elements, and a precise accounting of justice. The primary approach among commentators views God's extended hand as the ultimate expression of His power and providence, descending instantly from the highest heavens to the ocean floor [אבן עזרא]. This act represents the protective goodness bestowed upon the Israelites, which indirectly brought about the ruin of their pursuers [רלב״ג]. Other perspectives interpret this motion as a subtle tilting, much like a person slightly angling a glass vessel until it slips and shatters; God simply tilted His hand, causing the wicked to fall [רש״י]. This precise movement specifically targeted the waters beneath the Egyptians, while the path of the Israelites remained perfectly stable [ביאור יש״ר]. Some view the gesture horizontally, as a hand reached out to offer help [רש״ר הירש], or as a master's silent signal, prompting the earth to eagerly obey [שד״ל, אבן עזרא הקצר]. Alternatively, the action is understood in a more earthly sense, referring to God's instruction for Moses to physically stretch his own hand over the water [רשב״ם, חזקוני].

A fundamental question arises regarding the Egyptians' demise: how could the earth swallow a nation that had just drowned in the sea? Some suggest they were drawn directly into the seabed beneath the crashing waves [שד״ל, ביאור יש״ר], or that the earth in this context refers to the dark abyss of the ocean depths [קאסוטו]. However, the primary approach among commentators asserts that after the Egyptians drowned, the sea naturally cast their bodies onto the dry land. There, they decomposed, returned to dust, and were ultimately absorbed into the ground [רמב״ן, טור הארוך, מלבי״ם, ברכת אשר]. While this absorption is viewed by some as an act of absolute destruction and annihilation [רמב״ן, בכור שור], many others perceive it as an extraordinary act of Divine mercy. Being granted a proper burial rather than being left to rot in disgrace served as a reward for their past merits [העמק דבר].

The commentators agree that this final dignity was earned for two reasons. First, the Egyptians had previously acknowledged the truth by declaring that God is righteous [רש״י, תולדות יצחק, צאינה וראינה, שפתי כהן]; although Pharaoh alone spoke these words, the entire nation silently agreed [משכיל לדוד]. Second, they were rewarded for respectfully escorting Joseph when he traveled to bury Jacob [רבנו בחיי, רא״ש, תולדות יצחק]. God expedited this reward to clear the Egyptians' spiritual ledger, ensuring their lingering merits would not delay the Israelites' redemption [חתם סופר]. Yet, this burial was accompanied by a dramatic struggle between the forces of nature. The sea, desiring to consume their souls and absorb their vitality, fiercely resisted surrendering the bodies, but was ultimately forced to cast them ashore [אור החיים]. Conversely, the earth was terrified to receive them. Remembering the curse it suffered after swallowing the blood of Abel, the earth refused to open. To overcome this resistance, God extended His right hand in a solemn vow, swearing not to punish the earth and even pledging future compensation through the eventual defeat of Sisera's army [רבנו בחיי, אור החיים, צאינה וראינה, שפתי כהן]. Thus, the consumption of the bodies acted as a direct Divine command to a reluctant earth [שפתי כהן], unfolding in a sequence where the bodies were first expelled by the water and only later consumed by the land [משכיל לדוד].

Finally, one might wonder why God did not simply split the earth to swallow the Egyptians while they were still in Egypt, rather than leading them to drown in the sea. The decision was highly strategic. The cataclysmic drowning at the Red Sea generated a thunderous roar that echoed from one end of the world to the other. This terrifying sound shattered the confidence of the Canaanite kings, effectively sparing the Israelites—a newly freed people entirely untrained in warfare—from enduring grueling battles on their journey to the Promised Land [כלי יקר].