Passover תרס”ד 5
איתא לגוזר ים סוף לגזרים שנגזר לי”ב גזירים לכל שבט דרך אחר.
“It is taught that the splitting of the Red Sea was divided into twelve sections, with each tribe passing by a different path.”
The Sefat Emet begins by noting the midrashic idea that the sea did not split into a single corridor but into twelve distinct paths, tailored for each tribe.
ומאי נ”מ בזה.
“And what difference does this make?”
He raises the question: what spiritual or practical significance lies in this detail?
רק להודיע שכל שבט כדאי לגזור הים בשבילו.
“Only to teach that every tribe was worthy that the sea be split for its sake.”
The multiplicity of paths reveals the worthiness of each tribe, showing that each possessed independent merit.
ולא זו בלבד רק כל איש ישראל ראוי לקרוע הים בשבילו.
“And not only this, but every individual Israelite is worthy that the sea be split for him.”
The Sefat Emet deepens the idea: divine intervention is not only for collective entities but for each person’s unique soul and path.
לכן כ’ פוררת בעזך ים משמע לפירורין.
“Therefore it is written: ‘You shattered the sea with Your strength,’ implying fragmentation into many pieces.”
The verse is read as indicating not a single split but a shattering into many segments, aligning with the idea that God created individualized passages.
לכל איש ישראל הי’ חלק בקי”ס.
“Every Israelite had a share in the splitting of the sea.”
Each individual experienced a personal redemption within the national miracle.
ובנ”י נתברכו כחול הים שיש לכל אחד חלק בשמים ובארץ ובים.
“And the Children of Israel were blessed like the sand of the sea, for each one has a portion in the heavens, in the earth, and in the sea.”
The metaphor of sand emphasizes that every Jew carries a unique spiritual inheritance spanning all realms of creation.
לכן הם עדים על השי”ת שעשה השמים וארץ והים.
“Therefore they are witnesses to God, Who made the heavens, the earth, and the sea.”
Their distributed spiritual portions make them witnesses to God’s creative sovereignty over all domains.
שהם כלל כל הבריאה:
“For these constitute the entirety of creation.”
He concludes that heaven, earth, and sea encompass all existence, and Israel’s connection to them testifies to their role in revealing God’s presence in the world.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the Red Sea split into twelve—and ultimately countless—paths to show that each tribe and each individual Israelite possesses unique spiritual worth. Every Jew has a portion in all realms of creation and thus bears witness to the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea.
