Redemption Through Kindness Not Merit

ובמדרש ויהי בשלח וכי פרעה שלחם והא כ' אל מוציאם ממצרים כו' ואין שילוח כו' אלא לוי' כו' ע"ש.

In the Midrash on “And it was when Pharaoh sent,” it asks: Did Pharaoh truly send them, when the verse states “God is the One who brings them out of Egypt”? And it explains that “sending” refers only to a form of release connected to Levi, etc., as cited there.

The Sefat Emet begins by citing the Midrash’s question: If God was the true redeemer, what meaning does Pharaoh’s ‘sending’ have? The Midrash answers that the notion of ‘sending’ alludes to a spiritual dynamic related to the tribe of Levi.

פי' ע"י שלא הי' הגאולה בזכות ישראל רק בחסד ה'.

Meaning: because the redemption did not come through Israel’s merit, but purely through God’s kindness.

The redemption was not earned; it was an act of divine compassion.

לכן לא הי' יכול לשלוט מדה"ד לגמרי לאבד המצריים.

Therefore the attribute of strict judgment could not fully rule to destroy the Egyptians.

Since Israel lacked merit, the full force of judgment against Egypt could not be activated.

והי' להם קצת שייכות וחיבור עוד אל בנ"י.

And the Egyptians still had a certain connection and attachment to the Children of Israel.

The incomplete severance between Israel and Egypt meant that some spiritual linkage remained.

ולכן נאמר ויהי.

Therefore the verse uses the term “Vayehi” (“And it was”).

The word “Vayehi” often signals difficulty or pain; here it reflects the lingering entanglement with Egypt.

אמנם אח"כ שמסרו בנ"י נפשם לה'.

But afterward, when the Children of Israel gave over their lives to God,

Later, Israel rose to a higher level of devotion and self‑sacrifice.

אז נאבדו המצריים ובאבוד רשעים רנה.

then the Egyptians were destroyed, and “when the wicked perish, there is song.”

Only after Israel’s renewed commitment could Egypt be fully nullified, giving rise to the song at the sea.

ואז נתברר כי אל מוציאם ממצרים.

And then it became clear that God is the One who brings them out of Egypt.

The true authorship of the redemption was fully revealed only at the Sea.

והנה קי"ס הי' בירור ותיקון על יצ"מ שבראשונה.

And behold, the splitting of the sea was a clarification and rectification of the initial exodus.

The miracles at the sea perfected what had begun with the departure from Egypt.

[ובזה פרשנו הפסוק אבותינו במצרים לא השכילו נפלאותיך. פי' שלא נמשכו אחר הנס כמ"ש]:

[And with this we explained the verse “Our ancestors in Egypt did not contemplate Your wonders,” meaning they did not follow after the miracle, as stated.]

The earlier generation did not fully internalize God’s wonders; the sea events corrected this deficiency.

Summary: The initial exodus, granted by divine kindness rather than Israel’s merit, left an incomplete separation from Egypt. Only through Israel’s later self‑surrender at the sea did judgment fully fall on Egypt, revealing God as the true redeemer and perfecting the redemption.