Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord. The reason Moses did not sing immediately upon leaving Egypt was because Moses knew that the Israelites were still uncertain in their faith until he saw at the sea that they believed in the Lord and in Moses His servant, then he sang. He began with az [then], which is alef [the numerical equivalent of which is one] riding on zayin [the numerical equivalent of which is seven], hinting at crowning the Blessed One over the seven planets, as it says for He is highly exalted — that He is exalted above all who are exalted. And concerning why this song is expressed in feminine form, our Sages said (Exodus Rabbah 23:11) that all songs of this world are expressed in feminine form because they are followed by pain, like females who experience the pain of childbirth. Furthermore, females only take a tenth portion of the inheritance in this world, just as the Lord gave Israel seven nations out of 70. But regarding the future, it says Sing to the Lord a new song [in masculine form], because then they will be like males who do not give birth, and then they will inherit all 70 nations like a male who inherits everything. Perhaps for this reason he began with az — alef riding on zayin — to hint that in this world Israel is “one nation on earth” whom the Lord will cause to ride on the heights of the earth of only seven nations, like females.

In order to resolve the redundancy of “this song,” for it should have said “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord,” I say that there is a hint here to what our Sages said (Mechilta Beshalach 3) that a maidservant saw at the sea what Ezekiel did not see. And regarding this wonder it says this song, meaning the song of this [which is] feminine, because even the females said This is my God and I will glorify Him, and this was a wonder in their eyes that a female would circle around a male, similar to what will be in the future. And perhaps this is why our Sages said (Sanhedrin 91b) “it does not say ‘sang’ but will sing” from here we learn the resurrection of the dead from the Torah. And what is the connection between this song and the resurrection of the dead? It is because just as in the World to Come everyone will be detached from materiality and then males and females will be equal, so too at the sea even the maidservant saw the radiance of His glory, blessed be He, similar to what will be in the future, as it is said A woman will circle around a man (Jeremiah 31:22). Therefore it says in this song will sing which implies the future, because just as they all said This is my God and I will glorify Him, so too in the future they will all say Behold, this is our God, as our Sages said (Shemot Rabbah 23:15) that the righteous will point to Him with their finger, etc. And regarding this wonder it says this song. And therefore it says And Miriam answered them, etc. as if speaking to males, as will be explained shortly.

In the Midrash (Tanchuma Beshalach 12), it states that the sea was split in the merit of circumcision. It is possible that this is what is referred to in this song, alluding to circumcision, as it says (Genesis 17:10), This is My covenant, etc. And since circumcision will also save from Gehenna in the World to Come, therefore it says will sing in the future tense, and from here is a hint to the resurrection of the dead.

I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted. He exalts Himself over the proud but not over the humble, for the Lord dwells with the contrite and shows His humility to them. This is immediately followed by Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea, because the rider exalts himself over the horse, therefore He cast both of them into the sea. To explain the grammatical form of ga’oh ga’ah [has become exalted/proud, exalted/proud], I suggest it contains a hint to what is explained in He makes nations great, and destroys them (Job 12:23). As it is written When the wicked spring up like grass, and when all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed forever (Psalms 92:8). For one who is already proud, the Holy One, blessed be He, adds to his pride and gives him additional elevation in order to magnify his fall from a high roof to a deep pit, as will be explained shortly in the verse The enemy said, “I will pursue” (see there). This is the meaning of I will sing to the Lord, for He has become exalted/proud, exalted/proud — meaning that person who is proud, the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise exalts, adding to his pride and setting him upon the heights of the earth, but ultimately Horse and rider He has thrown into the sea — meaning to magnify the fall of the rider, for he falls from a high place and his fall is greater than the fall of the one being ridden.

“My strength and song is God, and He has become my salvation.” He teaches in these verses that the righteous transform the attribute of judgment into mercy, while the wicked transform the attribute of mercy into judgment. This is what is meant by my strength — strength refers to the power and intensity of the attribute of judgment, as it is said O Lord, in Your strength the king rejoices (Psalms 21:2), meaning that even in the attribute of judgment, which is called strength, nevertheless the righteous rejoice in it, for “it is joy for the righteous to do the true judgments of God.” And in Your salvation, referring to the attribute of mercy, “how greatly he exults.” And song [zimrat] is related to cutting, as in you shall not prune [tizmor] your vineyard, which also indicates the attribute of judgment. Also, the name Yah indicates the attribute of judgment, as explained by Rabbeinu Bachya on the verse For the hand is on the throne of Yah, God will be at war with Amalek (Exodus 17:16). Yet all these elements associated with the attribute of judgment nevertheless became for me salvation — they were transformed for me into mercy and salvation. This is precisely indicated by the addition of the letter vav in vayehi [and He became]. In judgment, the Holy One, blessed be He, shows me kindness — this is measure for measure, because I also bless God for the bad just as I bless Him for the good. And although the Egyptians harmed us and our ancestors, nevertheless I exalt His blessed name above all. This is what is meant by This is my God and I will glorify Him; the God of my father, and I will exalt Him. My God [Eli] and “God [El]” hint at the attribute of judgment, for “El” is a term of strength and power. Although Rashi explained in Parashat Ki Tisa (34:6) that “El” refers to the attribute of mercy, citing as evidence the verse My God, my God, why have You forsaken me (Psalms 22:2), this proof is not conclusive, for the righteous transform judgment into mercy, therefore he asked that even “El” not forsake him. The primary meaning of the term is one of capability, as in and the mighty [eilei] of the land he took away (Ezekiel 17:13). This is why it says, This is my God — even though He conducts Himself with me according to the attribute of judgment, nevertheless I will glorify Him — I will tell of His beauty and praise. And similarly, the God of my father — though the Egyptians also harmed our ancestors, nevertheless I will exalt Him for this.

And if you wish to reconcile this according to Rashi’s interpretation, that my God is the attribute of mercy, you should interpret it this way: This is my God, etc. as it is said I found trouble and sorrow, but I called upon the name of the Lord; I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord (Psalms 116:3). That is to say, there is no difference for me between trouble and sorrow and the cup of salvation, for in both cases I call upon the name of the Lord to bless Him equally for both. So he said, if this is my God and He treats me with the attribute of mercy, then I will glorify Him, and if He is the God of my father and treats me with the attribute of judgment, as indicated by the name Elohim, then I will exalt Him, because everything is equal to me, whether judgment or mercy. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, measures me with this measure to transform judgment into mercy for me. Not so the wicked, for on the contrary, they transform the attribute of mercy into judgment. This is what is meant by The Lord is a man of war, the Lord is His name — His name is the Lord, which indicates pure mercy, and nevertheless He wages war against them until they fall, as it is written, And the angel of God moved — he is the messenger of the attribute of judgment, yet he moved to save Israel. And it is written, And the Lord looked down upon the camp of Egypt through the pillar of fire — the Lord is the attribute of mercy, yet He looked down upon them to confuse and destroy them. All this is because they always protest against the Lord, but I sing of kindness and justice (Psalms 101:1) — whether kindness or justice, I sing. And this is what is meant by Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power, Your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. Rashi explained that when Israel does the will of God, the left becomes the right, meaning the transformation of judgment into mercy. And it is fitting to interpret Your right hand, O Lord as the right hand of the Lord that acts with mercy toward Israel, which has already become glorious in power — meaning it was previously left-handed and the attribute of harsh judgment acting with power and might, but became right-handed for Israel. But for the nations it is not so; rather, Your right hand, O Lord, which was always right-handed, nevertheless shatters the enemy, for it became left-handed for Pharaoh and his army.

“And Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He cast into the sea.” This requires explanation: Why regarding Pharaoh and his army who were close to him, does it say cast into the sea, while regarding his chosen officers it says they sank in the Sea of Reeds? It seems appropriate to explain that Pharaoh put himself ahead and proceeded before all his troops. According to this, when Pharaoh was with his army who were close to his chariot, inside the actual sea — meaning in its middle where there are no reeds or rushes — his servants and his chosen officers were still near the seashore, a place where reeds and rushes grow, and where mud and mire are also found. There they sank in the clay-like mud found in the place where reeds grow, because the waters are not so deep there. At that same time, Pharaoh was in the sea itself, where the term “sinking” isn’t applicable because there’s no mud or mire there. Evidence for this is what Rashi explained: one verse says thrown into the sea and another says cast into the sea, teaching that they were going up to the heights and down to the depths, etc. This could only occur in a place where the waters are deep, and there is no place for reeds and rushes there, as is known.

The enemy said, “I will pursue, etc.” Pharaoh intended to do to Israel in the manner described in He makes nations great, and destroys them (Job 12:23), and as it says A brutish man does not know, and a fool does not understand this: when the wicked spring up like grass, and all the workers of iniquity flourish, it is so they may be destroyed forever (Psalms 92:7). For it is common practice in the world that one who wants to cast his fellow down to the ground, the higher he elevates him, the greater will be his fall, as one who falls from a high place cannot be compared to one who falls from a low place. As it says He has cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel (Lamentations 2:1). From a high roof to a deep pit. This is like the parable of a king against whom a poor and despised villager rebelled. What did the king do? He enriched and elevated him until he became very great, which astonished his servants. After he had remained in his elevated position for several years, the king took revenge on him, killing him and all his household, and took all that he had, leaving him no survivor or remnant. For then the revenge was more evident and publicized than if he had killed him while he was still lowly and unknown.

Thus said Pharaoh, “What kind of revenge is this that I should take against slaves who were busy with mortar and bricks when Israel was very poor? Rather, on the contrary, I will share with them spoils from myself and from my people by having them borrow silver and gold vessels and garments, and through this they will become treasured and important.” This is what is meant by The enemy said, “I will pursue, I will overtake them because their day will come,” but not now immediately. Instead, first I will divide the spoils from my own possessions. And when my soul is satisfied — meaning when my soul fills him with all good things, that he be quiet and peaceful in his palace — then I will draw my sword, my hand will dispossess them, so that the revenge I take against them for rebelling against me and bringing 10 plagues upon Egypt will be revealed and publicized. This explains precisely the language of temla’emo [fill them] and torishemo [dispossess them], which all refers to Israel. But Rashi’s interpretation that temla’emo means “my soul will be filled with [revenge against] them” is distant from the grammar of the language. Following our approach, we can also explain what our Sages said (Gittin 56b) that “whoever oppresses Israel becomes poor,” which is in order to later magnify his downfall. In this way, I also believe that what is written one time as cast into the sea and another time as thrown into the sea — and Rashi explained that they first rose up and then descended — alludes to all these points we have made. Similarly, Rashi brings the verse He makes nations great and destroys them in the verse,“before Baal Zephon, and this is a precious interpretation.

Regarding what it says “I will draw my sword,” it means even if there won’t be a sword in my hand, nonetheless my hand will dispossess them, because with my hand alone, without a sword, I will dispossess them since they are weak. And there are those who say will fill them [means] “will dispossess them” — his mouth caused him to stumble by saying this, because in the end he would leave all his possessions to them in the plunder of the sea, and he would fill Israel with his spoils.

“Who is like You among the mighty, O Lord.” In the Talmud (Gittin 56b), they interpreted Who is like You among the mighty [elim] as “Who is like You among the mute [ilemim].” This interpretation seems far-fetched, as it adds the letter mem to change “elim” to “ilemim.” However, it appears that our Sages did not intend to add a mem, but rather elim means “the strong ones,” as Rashi explained. Thus, the interpretation is that anyone who hears insults directed at them and restrains themselves, remaining silent and suppressing their anger, is strong and mighty, for “Who is mighty? One who conquers his impulse.” Similarly, when the Holy One, blessed be He, hears and remains silent, making Himself as if mute, so to speak, this is due to His mighty hand, as He suppresses His anger and remains silent toward those who provoke Him, just as He remained silent toward Pharaoh who said, Who is the Lord? and likewise remained silent toward Titus despite his blasphemy and insults. Therefore, they interpreted Who is like You among the mighty as “among the mute.” Moses said this regarding Pharaoh’s blasphemy, and from this they brought this verse as evidence regarding Titus. So the meaning of elim is indeed “the mighty ones” as mentioned.

And if you wish to say [it refers to] actual mutes, we can interpret that Moses said that God’s praise is so great that even the mutes who have no mouth to speak, nevertheless, His praise rises from them as if they said with a full mouth Who is like You, O Lord, in the way it is said The heavens declare the glory of God, etc. There is no speech, nor are there words, without their voice being heard, etc. (Psalms 19:2). So how do they declare the glory of God? Rather, certainly through people seeing the movements of the heavens and all their hosts, they declare the glory of God. And through people declaring the glory of God by means of the movements of the heavens, it is as if the heavens themselves are declaring, even though they are truly mute and have no speech or words. Therefore it is said here, Who is like You among the gods [elim] — [read as] among the mutes [alemim]. Even through the mouth of the mute Your praise is great, as if they said “Who is like You, O Lord,” and all the more so through the mouth of those who can speak.

And he said this also about the water, in the manner explained in Bereshit Rabbah (5:1) Let the waters be gathered — This is comparable to a king who built a palace and settled mute inhabitants in it, and they would rise early and inquire about the king’s welfare. Afterward, he settled speaking inhabitants in it, and they stood up and rebelled against the king, etc. The king said, “Let the palace return to how it was.” Similarly, from the beginning of the world’s creation, the praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, came from the waters, as it is said Above the voices of many waters, the mighty waves of the sea, mighty on high is the Lord, etc. (Psalms 93:4). According to this midrash, the waters are called “mute” yet the praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, rises from them, either through their doing the will of their Creator against their nature, or through people telling of God’s glory when they see the actions of the waters during the generation of the flood and the splitting of the Red Sea. It seems as though the waters are telling of God’s glory even though they are mute. Therefore, Moses said, “Who is like You among the mute [elim], O Lord” — even the mute say Who is like You. And he said this about what the mute waters did during the splitting of the Red Sea. And what is written ba’elim [among the mighty] is missing the letter mem [which would make it “ba’alemim” — among the mute ones] in order to also interpretba’elim as meaning “among the strong ones,” alluding to the mighty waters. For “adirim” [mighty] is a term of strength, like “elim” which is a term of strength, and as it is written, they sank like lead in mighty waters. And this is a precious interpretation. And this is also interpreted regarding Titus, because a wave of the sea rose against him to drown him, as is concluded there in the Gemara. And with this suggestion, the meaning of all the midrashim is the same — to interpret elim as both “strong ones” and “mute ones” simultaneously.

Another interpretation: According to the view that whoever elaborates extensively in praise of the Blessed One is considered as diminishing His glory, as Rashi explained on the verse awesome in praises (Exodus 15:11), therefore it states Who is like You among the mighty [eilim]? This refers to the strong ones who restrain themselves from recounting Your praise out of fear lest they diminish Your praise. Therefore, they make themselves as if mute [ilemim], and among these groups, who is like You, O Lord, for to You, silence is praise (Psalms 65:2) — silence is Your praise. According to this interpretation, eilim can also be understood as “the strong ones” and “the mute ones,” because by making themselves as if mute, through this silence it is as if they are saying, “Who is like You, O Lord?” And the reason they make themselves mute is because You are awesome in praises — they fear declaring Your praise lest they diminish it. Therefore, they make themselves as mute, and with strong resolve they restrain their mouths to place a hand over the mouth. This too is a precious interpretation.

You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. This contains a hint to what our Sages said (Sotah 11b): When the Egyptians discovered [the Israelite babies], they sought to kill them, but a miracle occurred and they were swallowed into the ground, and afterward they emerged and came to their homes in groups. And at the sea, they [the Israelites who had been babies] recognized Him first and said, This is my God. Regarding this it says, who works wonders. And what is the wonder? You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them — referring to the Israelites who were mentioned in the verse Who is like You among the mighty, O Lord. And afterward, You led forth in kindness this people whom You redeemed, for they went to their homes in groups. And then, You guided them in Your strength to Your holy abode, for they recognized Him first and saw the Divine Presence in His holy abode, blessed be He.

And some say that this was spoken in the manner of a question and answer, “Why did You, God, bring the Egyptians to the Red Sea to drown them there? If You had wanted to extend Your hand against them, then the earth could have swallowed them alive in their place like Sheol.” And he gave an answer to this matter: You led in Your kindness this people whom You redeemed; You guided them with Your strength — as a shepherd leads his flock to a wide, lush pasture without the distress of war, because when they left Egypt they were not trained in warfare. Therefore, He brought them to the Red Sea, whose sound roared from one end of the world to the other. And through this, peoples heard and trembled, and they did not need to engage in great battles, as it is written (Joshua 2:9): And all the inhabitants of the land melted away before you, for we have heard how the Lord dried up the waters of the Red Sea before you. But if [the Egyptians] had been swallowed in the ground in their place, the sound would not have been heard from afar, and all the kings of Canaan would not have trembled and been terrified, and Israel would have needed to fight great battles.

“A sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.” Since the Tabernacle was made entirely by God’s command [seemingly] by itself, as in all the work of the Tabernacle it says, And you shall set up the Tabernacle according to its proper manner which you were shown on the mountain therefore it says Your hands have established it. And it uses the term Your hands — implying two — as Rashi explains, that the world was created with one hand while the Temple was created with two hands, etc. And in the first chapter of Ketubot (5), they said, “Greater are the works of the righteous than the works of heaven and earth, for heaven and earth were created with one hand, as it is said Indeed, My hand has founded the earth, and My right hand has spread out the heavens (Isaiah 48:13), while regarding the works of the righteous it is written, A sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.” The reason for this is that the upper realms, due to their superior nature, were created with the right hand, and the lower realms with the left hand. But the Temple, which is the intermediary that joins the upper and lower realms, was created with both hands, because there is the dwelling place of the Divine Presence with the lower beings, as it is said, And I will dwell among them. And from there was also created man, who is intermediary between the upper and lower realms. This is the concept of the ladder that was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, with its middle portion aligned with the Temple, for it is the intermediary, as mentioned. And regarding why they called the Temple “the work of the righteous” when the verse says Your hands have established it — meaning God’s hands — this is because both have a share in this building. For the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses the form of the entire Tabernacle already built, and as it says, thus he made the Menorah — the Holy One, blessed be He, made it, and likewise all the work of the Tabernacle.

(18-19) “The Lord will reign forever and ever. For Pharaoh’s horse came.” The word for [ki] can be explained as “Because”: As Pharaoh was disputing God’s sovereignty and said Who is the Lord? Had the Holy One, blessed be He, not executed judgments against Pharaoh, there would be concern that throughout the generations rebellious children would arise and deny His blessed sovereignty. But now that judgment has been written against Pharaoh, there will no longer be anyone disputing or challenging God’s blessed sovereignty, and the Lord will reign forever and ever, because the entire world will see that Pharaoh’s horse came with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, etc. From then on, fear will come upon their heads about speaking harshly against the Divine.

“And Miriam the prophetess took, etc.” Now she became a prophetess, because at this moment the women also merited to see the face of the Divine Presence, to the extent that they all said, “This is my God,” as our Sages of blessed memory said (Mechilta Beshalach, ch. 3), “A maidservant saw at the sea, etc.” Therefore it says, “And all the women went out after her,” because the prophecy began with Miriam and all the women followed in her footsteps at this moment, for they all merited prophecy. And since the Divine Presence only rests through joy, and women experience the pain of childbirth, therefore she took the timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances, so that the holy spirit might rest upon them through joy.

And what is written “sister of Aaron.” Because she was equal to him in prophecy but not to Moses, as is implied at the end of the portion of Beha’alotcha in the verse Not so is My servant Moses (Numbers 12:7), for there Aaron and Miriam were equated in prophecy, and so explained Abarbanel. And the term mecholot [dances] is related to the concept of “mechilat avon” [forgiveness of sin], as Rabbeinu Bachya wrote. And perhaps this is what is concluded in the Yalkut on this portion regarding the verse And Moses journeyed, that whoever experiences a miracle and recites a song, it is known that all his sins are forgiven, and from where did he learn to say this if not from the term mecholot that is mentioned in the song of these women.

And regarding what is written “and Miriam answered them.” It should have said “to them” [in feminine form], but because at the sea, the women reached the same level as the men in attaining prophecy, therefore it says them [in masculine form], as if speaking to males. And similarly, in the future it is stated A woman will circle around a man (Jeremiah 31:22).

And Moses caused Israel to journey. Rashi explained that “he caused them to journey” means he made them travel against their will, because they did not want to depart from the spoils of the Sea, and Moses was afraid that too much wealth would lead them to sin. The incident of the Golden Calf proves this, as the abundance of gold that was given to them was the cause of its creation. Therefore, he made them journey against their will. Furthermore, Moses thought that excessive wealth would be a reason for them to be unworthy of receiving the Torah, because Torah and wealth flee from each other and are like rivals to one another, as it is written, It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes (Psalms 119:71). Therefore, he made them journey against their will.

And they traveled for three days in the wilderness and found no water. This was measure for measure because they engaged with the plunder of the sea more than appropriate, and from then they were unworthy to receive the Torah, which is compared to water. Therefore, they were punished by not finding water. This is the view of our Sages in tractate Bava Kamma (82): “The interpreters of hints said that they went three days in the wilderness without Torah, which is compared to water, etc.” Undoubtedly, they did not intend to say that this lack of water literally meant the Torah, for if so, what would be the purpose of casting wood into the water? Rather, they meant to say that because they were busy with plunder and did not hasten to go to the wilderness, the place of receiving the Torah, they were consequently punished by not finding ordinary water. For the Holy One, blessed be He, had already told them, You shall serve God on this mountain, meaning the receiving of the Torah, but they were engaged in plundering the sea and did not say, “Let us go and run to receive the Torah.” Therefore, they were punished with a lack of water, just as in Rephidim, where because they slackened their hands from the Torah, it also says, And they camped in Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink.

And they came to Marah, etc. God arranged for them the matter of the bitter waters [Marah] to test them again whether they would be worthy of receiving the Torah. For our Sages already disagreed (Mekhilta Beshalach, Chapter 1) regarding what is stated And the Lord showed him a tree — some say it was an olive tree, some say it was a willow, and some say it was an oleander. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said it was something from the Torah that He showed him, as it is stated She is a tree of life (Proverbs 3:18). The explanation of this matter is that the Torah is initially bitter and is called “tushiyah” because it weakens [mateshet] a person’s strength. Our Sages said, “Why is the Torah compared to an olive? Just as the olive is initially bitter but eventually sweet, so too are the words of Torah.” The commandments are also not given for pleasure, as it is written, And tell the children of Israel — words as hard as sinews. For the illnesses of the soul are like the illnesses of the body: just as most bodily illnesses are typically healed by taking bitter herbs, and if the patient doesn’t trust the doctor, he will refuse to take them, similarly with the illnesses of the soul — they were sick because of the bad beliefs they acquired in Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to heal them through receiving the Torah, which is compared to an olive since its beginning is bitter like an olive. There was concern that perhaps Israel would wonder in their hearts, saying, “How can something bitter be healed with something bitter?” Therefore, God brought them to a test and arranged before them the matter of the bitter waters that were sweetened by something bitter. Through this, God tested them — if they would believe that Moses did this thing through divine power, then they would also believe that through the Torah, the bitterness of the soul would be sweetened. And if they would say that he did this thing through some kind of incantation, they would not be worthy of receiving the Torah. Therefore it says, And the Lord guided him [va-yorehu] [to] a tree — it should have said “va-yar’ehu” [and He showed him], but va-yorehu means that He taught him the way of Torah, as it is written And he taught me [va-yoreni] and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commandments and live” (Proverbs 4:4). And He commanded him to take a tree to be an example and parable for the Torah, which is called “the tree of life.” And according to the opinion that it was an olive tree, it fits well as a parable for the words of Torah that are initially bitter, like this olive that is initially bitter but eventually sweet. Regarding this it says, There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He tested them — and this test was to see if they would be worthy of receiving the Torah.

And when Israel believed, that Moses performed all that great deed through divine power, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them some commandments: Sabbath, red heifer, civil laws, and honoring father and mother. These commandments have a relationship with this deed, because through believing in this miracle, they would also believe in the creation of the world which the Sabbath testifies to. For this miracle is close to creating something from nothing, as the sweetening of the waters came about from nothing, because the tree that was cast there was also bitter. Therefore, the waters were only sweetened by the word of God. And honoring father and mother has a similarity to the Sabbath, as it is not without reason that these two commandments are juxtaposed in both the first and last Tablets, and in Parashat Kedoshim (19:3): Every man shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall keep My Sabbaths. And what seems most reasonable to me to say about this is that it comes to teach that there are three partners in the creation of a person: the Holy One, blessed be He, his father, and his mother. Therefore, He commanded to honor all three together, because honoring the Sabbath is honoring the Holy One, blessed be He. Since the Sabbath is evidence of the creation of the world, it also follows that we know and acknowledge that the Holy One, blessed be He, is the third partner who breathes the soul of life into a person. For according to those who believe that the world is eternal [rather than created], the Holy One, blessed be He, has no part in the formation of man. And this is the secret of the additional soul that Sabbath observers have on the Sabbath day. Evidence for this is that both [honoring parents and Sabbath] were commanded at Marah, as it says in the second version of the Commandments regarding Sabbath and honoring father and mother: as the Lord your God commanded you. And our Sages said (Sanhedrin 56b): as He commanded you [means] at Marah. And those who interpret textual hints said that the final letters of these four words equal the numerical value of “Marah,” because that is where they were commanded about them. And the [red] heifer and the civil laws are hinted at in the phrase statute and ordinance, meaning the statute of the [red] heifer and the ordinances and civil laws. A hint to this is [the phrase] And these are the ordinances that whose final letters [spell] “Marah.” And [regarding] the heifer without blemish [mum], it hints to take the letter ‘Mem’ from the word “parah” [heifer], and then [the numerical equivalent of the word] “marah” [bitter] remains. And do not be surprised that “mum” [blemish] is written with a Vav, because similar to this, Rabbi Jacob Ba’al HaTurim wrote in Parashat Vayishlach (32:15): two hundred female goats, etc. — the final letters of all of them [spell] “Mem,” because he sent him animals with blemishes that were not fit for sacrifice.

And the reason for this commandment, is that by seeing that a bitter thing is healed by another bitter thing like it, they will not question this commandment, which is that the [red] heifer defiles the pure and purifies the impure. And so explained the Rivah. And the reason for this commandment now is that through the belief in creation [of the world, it becomes clear that] there is judgment above [even] if there is no judgment below, as explained above in the portion of Genesis regarding what Rabbi Isaac said: The Torah did not need to begin with In the beginning etc., but rather so that the nations of the world should not say “You are robbers.” And there it is explained that this depends on this, see there.

And He said, “If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord, etc. all the diseases, etc.” Just as your eyes see that I have the power to heal a bitter thing with another bitter thing of the same kind, from now on accept upon yourself to listen to the voice of the Lord and to do what is right in His eyes. And even though the Torah and commandments initially appear difficult and bitter, nevertheless, their end is sweet, for they are healing to the bone and a remedy for your body, and they save you from all the diseases which I put upon Egypt — both physical illnesses and spiritual illnesses related to their stiff-neckedness. And if you do not sense the power of the Torah to be a remedy for you in this way, behold, I am the Lord, your healer, and only the physician alone needs to know the healing properties of the remedies, but the patient does not need to know this — he only needs to have faith in the trustworthy physician.

Another explanation: He said, “Why do I warn you not to come to a state of illness? Because I am the Lord your healer, and it is the way of every physician to warn those he loves to guard their souls from things that cause illnesses, so that they will not need to engage afterward in their healing. Similarly, I teach you what is beneficial — things that preserve health so that you will not come to a state of illness — because I am the Lord your healer, guiding you in the way you should go.