BUT LIFT THOU UP THY ROD, AND STRETCH OUT THINE HAND OVER THE SEA, AND DIVIDE IT. This signifies: “Lift up thy rod, on which is engraved the Holy Name; stretch out thine hand with the side bearing this Holy Name, so that the waters, beholding it, may flee before the power that is in its letters. The other side of the rod will be used for other ends.”
Said R. Eleazar: ‘How is it that the rod is termed sometimes “the rod of God” and sometimes “the rod of Moses”?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘In the book of R. Hamnuna the ancient it is rightly remarked that the two names are equivalent, the purpose of the rod in either case being to stir up the powers of Geburah (Might, or Judgement). “Thine hand” indicates the Left Hand, which is that connected with Geburah.
Woe’, R. Simeon continued, ‘unto those who are deaf to the lessons of the Torah, which it proclaims to them every day. Water originates from the side of Geburah and issues thence. Now, therefore, that God desired to dry up the water, why did He bid Moses use his left hand?
The answer is that Moses was bidden to “lift up his staff’ to dry the waters, and to “stretch forth his hand” to bring them back on the Egyptians, through the agency of Geburah-the two operations being distinct.
What is called here “sea” is later called “deeps” (Ex. 15, 8). This shows that God performed one miracle within another: causing the deeps to congeal in the heart of the sea, so that “the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea” (xv 8-19).’
(ס"א אלא בעתיקא תלייא מלתא) (שמות י״ד:ט״ז) וְאַתָּה הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ וְגוֹ'. הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ, דִּי בֵּיהּ רָשִׁים שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, אַרְכִּין יְדָךְ בְּסִטְרָא דִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, וְכֵיוָן דִּיֶחמוּן מַיָּא שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, יָעַרְקוּן מִנֵּיהּ. וּמִקַמֵיה (נ"א קמיה) וְעַל דָּא, וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ, לְסִטְרָא חֲדָא, דְּסִטְרִין אַחֲרָנִין דְּהַהוּא מַטֶּה, אִצְטְרִיךְ לָךְ לְמַיִּין (נ"א ליה למלין) אַחֲרָנִין.
BUT LIFT THOU UP THY ROD, AND STRETCH OUT THINE HAND OVER THE SEA, AND DIVIDE IT. This signifies: “Lift up thy rod, on which is engraved the Holy Name; stretch out thine hand with the side bearing this Holy Name, so that the waters, beholding it, may flee before the power that is in its letters. The other side of the rod will be used for other ends.”
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, חֲמֵינָא, דְּזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי הַאי מַטֶּה, מַטֵּה הָאֱלהִים, וּלְזִמְנִין אִתְקְרֵי מַטֵּה דְּמֹשֶׁה. אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן (תרי הוו והכי אוקימנא) בְּסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, שַׁפִּיר קָאָמַר, דְּכֻלְּהוּ חַד, בֵּין תֵּימָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּבֵין תֵּימָא דְּמֹשֶׁה, וְהַאי מַטֶה, לְאַתְעֲרָא סִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה. וְעַל דָּא, וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ, יְדָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא, דְּאִיהוּ בְּסִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה.
Said R. Eleazar: ‘How is it that the rod is termed sometimes “the rod of God” and sometimes “the rod of Moses”?’ R. Simeon replied: ‘In the book of R. Hamnuna the ancient it is rightly remarked that the two names are equivalent, the purpose of the rod in either case being to stir up the powers of Geburah (Might, or Judgement). “Thine hand” indicates the Left Hand, which is that connected with Geburah.
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וַוי לְאִינוּן דְּלָא חָמָאן, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא קָארֵי קָמַיְיהוּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, (ס"א ולא ידעין) וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּסִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה מִתְעָרֵי מַיָּא בְּעָלְמָא, וְנַפְקֵי מַיָּא, וְהַשְׁתָּא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְנַגְבָא מַיָּא, אֲמַאי וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ, דְּאִיהוּ שְׂמָאלָא.
Woe’, R. Simeon continued, ‘unto those who are deaf to the lessons of the Torah, which it proclaims to them every day. Water originates from the side of Geburah and issues thence. Now, therefore, that God desired to dry up the water, why did He bid Moses use his left hand?
אֶלָּא הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ, לְנַגְבָא מַיָּא. וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ, לְאָתָבָא מַיָּא, לְאַתְעֲרָא סִטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה, וּלְאָתָבָא מַיָּא עַל מִצְרַיִם. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, תְּרֵין מִלִּין הָכָא, דִּכְתִּיב הָרֵם אֶת מַטְּךָ, וּנְטֵה אֶת יָדְךָ עַל הַיָּם וּבְקָעֵהוּ.
The answer is that Moses was bidden to “lift up his staff’ to dry the waters, and to “stretch forth his hand” to bring them back on the Egyptians, through the agency of Geburah-the two operations being distinct.
וְהָא תְּהוֹמֵי הֲווֹ. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עָבֵד נִיסָא גּוֹ נִיסָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות ט״ו:ח׳) קָפְאוּ תְהוֹמוֹת בְּלֶב יָם. וַהֲוָה אַזְלִין בְּיַבֶּשְׁתָּא בְּגוֹ יַמָּא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם בַּיַּבָּשָׁה.
What is called here “sea” is later called “deeps” (Ex. 15, 8). This shows that God performed one miracle within another: causing the deeps to congeal in the heart of the sea, so that “the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea” (xv 8-19).’