Eternal Impact of the Red Sea Miracle

וישב הים כו' לאיתנו דרשו חז"ל לתנאו.

“And the sea returned… to its strength.” Our sages interpreted this as “to its condition.”

The Sefat Emet begins by noting the Midrash that understands “to its strength” as “to the condition it had agreed to,” meaning the sea’s obedience was predetermined in creation.

ומקשים דהיל"ל זה אצל הבקיעה.

They raise the difficulty that this comment should have been made at the splitting itself.

The question is why the Midrash links the sea’s “condition” to its return rather than to its initial splitting.

אבל נראה הפי' כי רצו בזה להודיע כי נס קי"ס נשאר לעולם אף שחזר לאיתנו מ"מ כוחו עתה הוא מצד תנאי הנ"ל ובאמת ע"י קיום התנאי נתחזק ביותר שקיום התנאי מקיים המעשה.

But it appears that the meaning is that they wished to teach that the miracle of the Sea of Reeds remains forever; even though the sea returned to its state, its power now derives from that original condition, and through fulfilling that condition the miracle is strengthened, for fulfilling a condition sustains the act.

The Sefat Emet explains that the miracle was not temporary: its influence endures in nature. The sea’s return does not erase the miracle; instead, the fact that creation fulfilled its pre-set condition deepens and stabilizes the miracle’s impact within the world.

וקי"ס הוא ביטול כל הטבע.

And the splitting of the sea is the nullification of all nature.

The miracle overturned nature completely, revealing that nature itself is subject to Divine will.

ואחר קי"ס נתברר זה בטבע להיות בטל עבור עבדי ה'.

And after the splitting, this became clarified within nature: that it is nullified before the servants of God.

The miracle established a permanent truth within creation: nature yields before those who serve God, because nature is ultimately rooted in His command.

וכן פי' מו"ז ז"ל מאמר הכתוב מה לך הים כי תנוס כו'.

And so explained my master and grandfather, of blessed memory, the verse: “What is with you, O sea, that you flee?”

The Sefat Emet cites his grandfather (the Chiddushei HaRim), who understood the verse as addressing the sea’s deeper spiritual reaction to Israel.

כי בני ישראל מעוררין הטבע לברר בה כי בטילה היא למקיימי מצות ה' כנ"ל.

For the Children of Israel awaken nature to clarify within it that it is nullified before those who fulfill God’s commandments, as explained above.

The presence and actions of Israel activate the latent Divine orientation within nature, revealing that it bends before those who live according to God’s will.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the splitting of the sea left a permanent imprint on nature. By fulfilling the primordial condition set at creation, the sea strengthened the miracle’s enduring influence. Nature was revealed to be subordinate to Divine will, especially when activated by the service of the Jewish people.