מבאר דברי המורה בענין קריעת ים סוף, שהיה נס בשני הפכים.
Maimonides on Miracles
2
וגם בענין הנסים מ"ש בל"ה משני, שהנס היותר גדול הוא קריעת ים סוף, שהיה התגלות גדול בפרהסיא עצומה לעיני האוהב והשונא הנאות לו והחולק עליו, שבכל נסי הנביאים לא היה בפרהסיא כל כך, וכאן היה נגד אוהבים ונגד שונאים, והיינו שכלל שניהם יחד בהנס אחד. וזה מתאים עם דברי זה"ק תרומה (דף קע:) ועל דא קשה הוה קמיה קריעת ים סוף, כגוונא דא קשין זווגין קמי קוב"ה כקריעת ים סוף, מה קריעת ים סוף קטיל לאלין בהאי סטרא ומקיים לאלין בהאי סטרא. והענין שעיקר הנס היה במקום אחד בנושא אחד היו שני הפכים, שישראל ניצולו ומצרים נטבעו, כמו שיתבאר הענין לקמן בפתיחה בענין הנסים:
In the second section of the Guide, chapter 35, he discusses miracles. There he says that the greatest of all miracles was the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. The level of God’s revelation experienced with the splitting of the Sea of Reeds was unparalleled. With this tremendous miracle, God’s presence was totally apparent to those who loved Him and those who hated Him, to God’s supporters and detractors alike. The miracles that happened to all other prophets were not as revealed as the splitting of the sea, which was attested to by God’s revilers as much as by God’s beloved. That is to say, they were both included in the miracle as one. This goes well with the view of the Zohar (Teruma, 170b): For this reason,121From the aspect of God’s justice it was difficult for God to save the Jews, since, according to strict justice, the children of Israel had no merit in which to be redeemed, and were nearly indistinguishable from the Egyptians in their worship of idols. we say that the splitting of the sea of reeds was difficult before Him. In a similar fashion we say that bringing a husband and wife together in marriage is as difficult for Holy One, blessed be He,122The Zohar mentions the case of of a widow whose second husband may be wicked. The Zohar stresses that it is a great secret, and occurs following God’s true justice. as the splitting of the sea of reeds, which saves these on this side, and kills these on the other side. The essence of the miracle was how in one place and with one agenda there were two opposite effects – the saving of the Israelites and the killing of the Egyptians. This will be explained below in the body of the introduction to the Beit Yaakov on the subject of miracles.
מבאר דברי המורה בענין קריעת ים סוף, שהיה נס בשני הפכים.
Maimonides on Miracles
וגם בענין הנסים מ"ש בל"ה משני, שהנס היותר גדול הוא קריעת ים סוף, שהיה התגלות גדול בפרהסיא עצומה לעיני האוהב והשונא הנאות לו והחולק עליו, שבכל נסי הנביאים לא היה בפרהסיא כל כך, וכאן היה נגד אוהבים ונגד שונאים, והיינו שכלל שניהם יחד בהנס אחד. וזה מתאים עם דברי זה"ק תרומה (דף קע:) ועל דא קשה הוה קמיה קריעת ים סוף, כגוונא דא קשין זווגין קמי קוב"ה כקריעת ים סוף, מה קריעת ים סוף קטיל לאלין בהאי סטרא ומקיים לאלין בהאי סטרא. והענין שעיקר הנס היה במקום אחד בנושא אחד היו שני הפכים, שישראל ניצולו ומצרים נטבעו, כמו שיתבאר הענין לקמן בפתיחה בענין הנסים:
In the second section of the Guide, chapter 35, he discusses miracles. There he says that the greatest of all miracles was the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. The level of God’s revelation experienced with the splitting of the Sea of Reeds was unparalleled. With this tremendous miracle, God’s presence was totally apparent to those who loved Him and those who hated Him, to God’s supporters and detractors alike. The miracles that happened to all other prophets were not as revealed as the splitting of the sea, which was attested to by God’s revilers as much as by God’s beloved. That is to say, they were both included in the miracle as one. This goes well with the view of the Zohar (Teruma, 170b): For this reason,121From the aspect of God’s justice it was difficult for God to save the Jews, since, according to strict justice, the children of Israel had no merit in which to be redeemed, and were nearly indistinguishable from the Egyptians in their worship of idols. we say that the splitting of the sea of reeds was difficult before Him. In a similar fashion we say that bringing a husband and wife together in marriage is as difficult for Holy One, blessed be He,122The Zohar mentions the case of of a widow whose second husband may be wicked. The Zohar stresses that it is a great secret, and occurs following God’s true justice. as the splitting of the sea of reeds, which saves these on this side, and kills these on the other side. The essence of the miracle was how in one place and with one agenda there were two opposite effects – the saving of the Israelites and the killing of the Egyptians. This will be explained below in the body of the introduction to the Beit Yaakov on the subject of miracles.