Daf 170b (דַּף ק״ע ע״ב)

And is the splitting of the Sea of Reeds difficult before Him? (וְכִי קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף קְשֵׁה קַמֵּיהּ). But it is written: “He rebukes the sea and makes it dry” (Nahum 1) (וְהָכְתִיב גּוֹעֵר בַּיָּם וַיַבְּשֵׁהוּ). And it is written: “He calls to the waters of the sea and pours them out upon the face of the earth” (Amos 5) (הַקּוֹרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם וַיִשְׁפְּכֵם עַל פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ). Behold, since will ascends before Him, all is reckoned before Him as nothing (וְהָא כֵּיוָן דְּסָלִיק רְעוּתָא קַמֵּיהּ, כֹּלָּא קָמֵיהּ כְּאַיִן הוּא חָשִׁיב). And you say that the splitting of the Sea of Reeds is difficult before Him? (וְאַת אַמָרְתְּ דִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף קְשֵׁה קַמֵּיהּ).

Rather, at the time when Yisrael came before the sea, and Kudsha Berikh Hu desired to split the Sea of Reeds for them (אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אַעְבָּרוּ לְגַבֵּי יַמָּא, וּבָעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִקְרַע לוֹן יַמָּא דְּסוּף), Rahav, the angel appointed over Egypt, came and demanded judgment before Kudsha Berikh Hu (אָתָא רַהַב הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּעַל מִצְרַיִם, וּבָעָא דִּינָא מִקָּמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). He said before Him: Master of the world, why do You seek to execute judgment upon Egypt, and to split the sea for Yisrael? (אָמַר קַמֵּיהּ, מָארֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא, אֲמַאי אַתּ בָּעֵי לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא עַל מִצְרַיִם, וּלְמִקְרַע יַמָּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל).

Behold, they are all guilty before You, and all Your ways are judgment and truth (הָא כֻּלְּהוּ חַיָּיבִין קַמָּךְ, וְכָל אָרְחָךְ בְּדִינָא וּקְשׁוֹט). These worship stars and constellations, and those worship stars and constellations (אִלֵּין פַּלְחֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאִלֵּין פַּלְחֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת). These are steeped in immorality, and those are steeped in immorality (אִלֵּין בְּגִלוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְאִלֵּין בְּגִלוּי עֲרָיוֹת). These shed blood, and those shed blood (אִלֵּין אוֹשְׁדֵי דָּמִין, וְאִלֵּין אוֹשְׁדֵי דָּמִין). At that moment it was difficult before Him to pass beyond the way of judgment (בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא הֲוָה קְשֵׁה קַמֵּיהּ, לְמֶעְבַּר עַל אֹרַח דִּינָא).

And behold, Yisrael were standing at the sea, as it is written: “And Hashem said to Moshe, Why do you cry to Me? Speak to the children of Yisrael, and let them go forward” (Exodus 14) (וְהָא יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווֹ נַטְלֵי עַל יַמָּא, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל מֹשֶׁה מַה תִּצְעַק אֵלָי דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיִּסָעוּ). And it was difficult before Him to pass beyond judgment, and to split the Sea of Reeds for them (וַהֲוָה קְשֵׁה קַמֵּיהּ לְמֶעְבַּר עַל דִּינָא, וּלְמִקְרַע לוֹן יַמָּא דְּסוּף). And were it not that Kudsha Berikh Hu looked upon the merit of Avraham, who rose early in the morning to fulfill the command of his Master and His will, as it is written: “And Avraham arose early in the morning” (Bereshit 22) (וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּאַשְׁגַּח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּזְכוּת אַבְרָהָם, דְּאַקְדִים בְּצַפְרָא לְמֶעְבַּד פִּקּוּדָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וּרְעוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר), they all would have perished in the sea, for during that whole night Kudsha Berikh Hu was upon Yisrael in judgment (כֻּלְּהוּ אִתְאֲבִידוּ בְּיַמָּא, בְּגִין דִּבְכָל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא, בְּדִינָא הֲוָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). As we have learned: What is the meaning of that which is written, “They did not come near one to the other all the night”? (Exodus 14) (דְּתָנֵינָן, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב וְלָא קְרָב זֶה אֶל זֶה כָּל הַלַּיְלָה). It teaches that the supernal angels came to sing praise that night before Kudsha Berikh Hu (מְלַמֵּד דְּאָתוּ מַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאֵי לְשַׁבְּחָא בְּהַהוּא לֵילְיָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). He said to them: Are the works of My hands drowning in the sea, and you sing praises before Me? (אָמַר לוֹן, וְכִי [ס״א בְּנַי] עוֹבָדֵי יְדַי טַבְעִין בְּיַמָּא, וְאָתוּן מְשַׁבְּחָן קָמָאי).

Immediately: “They did not come near one to the other all the night” (מִיַּד וְלָא קְרָב זֶה אֶל זֶה כָּל הַלַּיְלָה). What is written? “And it was in the morning watch, and Hashem looked” (Exodus 14) (מַה כְּתִיב, וַיְהִי בְּאַשְׁמֹרֶת הַבֹּקֶר, אַשְׁגַּח קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). He looked upon the merit of Avraham, who rose early in the morning to perform the will of his Master (בִּזְכוּתָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, דְּאַקְדִּים בְּצַפְרָא לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְּמָארֵיהּ, כְּדִכְתִיב וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר). Then the sea was split, and the waters fled before Yisrael (כְּדֵין אַהְדָּר יַמָּא, וְעָרְקוּ מַיִין קַמָּיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל). As it is written: “And the sea returned toward morning to its strength” (Exodus 14) (דִּכְתִּיב וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר לְאֵיתָנוֹ).

And we have learned (וְתָנֵינָן): “To its strength” means, “to its stipulation” (לְאֵיתָנוֹ: לִתְנָאוֹ)—to that stipulation which Kudsha Berikh Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] made with it when He created the world (לְהַהוּא תְּנַאי דְּהִתְנָה עִמֵּיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כַּד בָּרָא עָלְמָא). “To its strength” (לְאֵיתָנוֹ)—here it is written “Le’eitano” [to its strength] (לְאֵיתָנוֹ), and there it is written: “A Maskil of Eitan the Ezrahite” (וּכְתִיב הָתָם מַשְׂכִּיל לְאֵיתָן הָאֶזְרָחִי) (Tehillim 89:1). And because of this, “toward morning” (וְעַל דָּא לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר): at that time when Avraham rose early to perform the will of his Master, the sea was split (בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאַקְדִּים אַבְרָהָם לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, כְּדֵין אִתְקְרַע יַמָּא). And here it is written: “And He troubled the camp of Egypt” (הָכָא וַיָּהָם אֶת מַחֲנֵה מִצְרָיִם) (Shemot 14:24). And because of this, the splitting of the Sea of Reeds was difficult before Him (וְעַל דָּא קְשֵׁה הֲוָה קַמֵּיהּ קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף).

In this manner, marriages are difficult before Kudsha Berikh Hu as the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, קָשִׁין זִוּוּגִין קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף). Just as the splitting of the Sea of Reeds killed some on this side and sustained some on this side (מַה קְרִיעַת יַם סוּף קָטִיל לְאִלֵּין בְּהַאי סִטְרָא, וּמְקַיֵים לְאִלֵּין בְּהַאי סִטְרָא), so too with marriages (אוּף הָכָא בְּזִוּוּגִין). As it is written: “He brings out the prisoners in prosperity” (Psalms 68) (כְּתִיב מוֹצִיא אֲסִירִים בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת).

And we have learned: “With weeping and with songs” (וְתָנֵינָן בְּכִי וְשִׁירוֹת). This one dies, and his wife is given to another (מַיִּית הַאי, וְיָהִיב אִתְּתֵיהּ לְהַאי). And sometimes to one who is guilty, a worthy woman is given (וּלְזִמְנִין לַחַיָּיבָא מִזְדַּמְנָא לֵיהּ אִתְּתָא מָעַלְיָא). But these are hidden mysteries, and all is in judgment (אֲבָל רָזִין סְתִימִין אִינּוּן בְּכֹלָּא, וְכֹלָּא הוּא בְּדִינָא).

And what my Friends have already aroused concerning this—surely so it is (וּמַה דְּאִתְעֲרוּ חַבְרַיָּיא בְּהָא, וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא). And that which they have aroused: it is written “before Me” (Leviticus 22) and not “from before Me” (וּמַה דְּאִתְעֲרוּ לִפְנֵי, וְלֹא מִלְּפָנַי). “Before Me”—before Him who stands before Kudsha Berikh Hu and ministers before Him (לִפְנֵי הַהוּא דְּקָאִים לִפְנֵי, קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְשִׁמֵּשׁ קַמֵּיהּ). And because of this they did not say: Marriages are difficult to Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְעַל דָּא לָא אָמְרוּ דְּקָשִׁין זִוּוּגִין לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And so too, the sustenance of man is difficult before Kudsha Berikh Hu (וְכֵן קָשִׁין מְזוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁל אָדָם לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). Not “to Him” but “before Him” (אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי). And all of these are difficult (וּלְהַאי קַשְׁיָין כָּל הָנֵי), for behold, they do not stand in his authority (דְּהָא לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קַיְימֵי), even though he acts (אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד), he acts under another authority (בִּרְשׁוּתָא אַחֲרָא עָבִיד). Some say: but even though he acts (נ״א: אֲבָל אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד).

It is written: “And that soul shall be cut off from before Me” (Leviticus 22) (כְּתִיב וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא מִלְּפָנַי). What is “from before Me”? (מַאי מִלְּפָנַי). Rather, this is the World to Come, where all life stands (אֶלָּא דָּא עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, הַהוּא דְּכָל חַיִּין קַיְימִין תַּמָּן). Another explanation: this is the supernal channel, the river whose waters never cease for all eternity (דָּבָר אַחֵר, דָּא צִנּוֹרָא עִלָּאָה, נָהָר דְּלָא פַּסְקִין מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין). And all is one (וְכֹלָּא חַד). And this is what takes all the delights of the World to Come (וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּנָטִיל כָּל עִדּוּנִין דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי). And from those supernal delights is poured forth that soul—from the place of that delight of Hashem that is there—and this is “from before Me” (וּמֵאִינּוּן עִדּוּנִין עִלָּאִין תִּשְׁתֵּצֵי [הַאי נֶפֶשׁ] מֵאֲתָר דְּהַהוּא נֹעַם יְיָ תַּמָּן, וְדָא אִיהוּ מִלְּפָנַי).