CLEAR VISION

One of the most powerful moments in the Song of the Sea, which we sing this Shabbat, is the phrase, “This is my G-d, and I will exalt Him…” (Shemot 15:2). This declaration, sung by the Israelites after their miraculous deliverance, holds a key insight into the nature of divine revelation.

Rashi, citing the Sages of the Midrash, tells us that at that moment, everyone experienced sublime heights of prophecy. “Even a maidservant saw things at the Red Sea that were not perceived by the prophets Ezekiel or Isaiah” (Rashi, ibid.)

This raises a compelling question: what was it about the experience at the Sea that enabled the Israelites to reach such extraordinary heights of prophecy, surpassing even the greatest literary prophets of the bible?

The Israelites had suffered terribly in Egypt. Despite the punishments the Egyptians received with all the miracles of the Ten Plagues, when the Israelites left Egypt, the Egyptians pursued them with the intention of re-enslaving them.

With their deliverance at the Red Sea, they could finally experience real freedom.

They had been trapped at the Red Sea – the Sea split for them, and the enemies pursuing them were drowned in the depths of the sea. The prelude to the Song of the Sea, concludes with the words: “And they believed in G-d, and in Moses, His servant.”

The praise the Israelites sang at that moment represents a rare moment of clarity in human history.

They saw G-d’s justice against their enemies. All the wrongs against them were righted.

By contrast, the great prophets of the Bible foresaw the tragedies that would befall our people, as well as the future redemption and the joy of the Messianic age. Their words have uplifted us throughout the generations, but they never lived to see the fulfilment of their visions. For the prophets, the realization of their prophecies remained abstract—just as it remains for us today. Yet the humble maidservant at the Sea was able to experience that absolute clarity of tangibly seeing G-d fulfil His promise of salvation.

For most people, the complete answers to the Big Questions of life may only occur in the next world. Yet the generation of the Exodus experienced moments of absolute transparency, when they were able to proclaim, “This is my G-d, and I will glorify Him.”

This passage forms part of our morning prayers. When we recite it, we recall not only the clarity our ancestors experienced, but we also look forward to a future redemption. In that day, we, too, will experience the complete fulfilment of G-d’s promise of salvation with the same transparency and certainty that the Israelites knew at the Sea. May that day come swiftly, bringing peace to Israel and to the world.