When Pharaoh permitted Israel to depart, he was under the impression
that they were going only a three days' journey into the wilderness for
the purpose of offering sacrifices. He sent officers with them, whose
duty was to bring them back at the appointed time. The exodus took
place on a Thursday. On the following Sunday the king's watchers
noticed that the Israelites, so far from preparing for a return, were
making arrangements looking to a long sojourn in the desert. They
remonstrated and urged them to go back. The Israelites maintained that
Pharaoh had dismissed them for good, but the officers would not be put
off with their mere assertions. They said, "Willy-nilly, you will have
to do as the powers that be command." To such arrogance the Israelites
would not submit, and they fell upon the officers, slaying some and
wounding others. The maimed survivors went back to Egypt, and report
the contumacy of the Israelites to Pharaoh. Meantime Moses, who did not
desire the departure of his people to have the appearance of flight
before the Egyptians, gave the signal to turn back to Pi-hahiroth.
Those of little faith among the Israelites tore their hair and their
garments in desperation, though Moses assured them that by the word of
God they were free men, and no longer slaves to Pharaoh. [12]
Accordingly, they retraced their steps to Pi-hahiroth, where two
rectangular rocks form an opening, within which the great sanctuary of
Baal-zephon was situated. The rocks are shaped like human figures, the
one a man and the other a woman, and they were not chiseled by human
hands, but by the Creator Himself. The place had been called Pithom in
earlier times, but later, on account of the idols set up there, it
received the name Hahiroth. Of set purpose God had left Baal-zephon
uninjured, alone of all the Egyptian idols. He wanted the Egyptian
people to think that this idol was possessed of exceeding might, which
it exercised to prevent the Israelites from journeying on. To confirm
them in their illusory belief, God caused wild beasts to obstruct the
road to the wilderness, and they took it for granted that their idol
Baal-zephon had ordained their appearance. [13]
Pi-hahiroth was famous, besides, on account of the treasures heaped up
there. The wealth of the world which Joseph had acquired through the
sale of corn he had stored up during the seven years of plenty, he had
divided into three parts. The first part he surrendered to Pharaoh. The
second part he concealed in the wilderness, where it was found by
Korah, though it disappeared again, not to come to view until the
Messianic time, and then it will be for the benefit of the pious. The
third part Joseph hid in the sanctuary of Baal-zephon, whence the
Hebrews carried it off as booty. [14]
When Amalek and the magicians brought the information to Pharaoh, that
the Israelites had resolved not to return to Egypt, his heart and the
heart of his whole people turned against them. The very counselors that
had persuaded him to dismiss the children of Israel spake now as
follows: " If we had only been smitten with the plaques, we could have
resigned ourselves to our fate. Or if, besides being smitten with the
plagues, we had been compelled to let the Hebrews depart from the land,
that, too, we could have been borne with patience. But to be smitten
with the plagues, to be compelled to let our slaves depart from us, and
to sit by and see them go off with our riches, that is more than we can
endure."
Now that the children of Israel had gone from them the Egyptians
recognized how valuable an element they had been in their country. In
general, the time of the exodus of Israel was disastrous for their
former masters. In addition to losing their dominion over the
Israelites, the Egyptians had to deal with mutinies that broke out
among many other nations tributary to them, for hitherto Pharaoh had
been the ruler of the whole world. The king resorted to blandishments
and promises, to induce the people to make war against the Israelites,
saying, "As a rule the army marches forth first, and the king follows
in security, but I will precede you; and as a rule the king has the
first choice of the booty, and as much of it as he desires, but I will
take no more than any one of you, and on my return from the war I will
divide my treasures of silver, gold, and precious stones among you."
In his zeal Pharaoh did not wait to have his chariot made ready for him
he did it with his own hands, and his nobles followed his example. [15]
Samael granted Pharaoh assistance, putting six hundred chariots manned
with his own hosts at his disposal. [16] These formed the vanguard, and
they were joined by all the Egyptians, with their vast assemblages of
chariots and warriors, no less than three hundred of their men to one
of the children of Israel, each equipped with their different sorts of
weapons. The general custom was for two charioteers to take turns at
driving a car, but to overtake the Israelites more surely and speedily,
Pharaoh ordered three to be assigned to each. The result was that they
covered in one day the ground which it had taken the Israelites three
to traverse.
The mind of the Egyptians was in no wise directed toward spoil and
plunder in this expedition. Their sole and determined purpose was to
exterminate Israel, kith and kin. As the heathen lay great stress upon
omens when they are about to start out on a campaign, God caused all
their preparations to proceed smoothly, without the slightest untoward
circumstance. Everything pointed to a happy issue. [17] Pharaoh,
himself an adept in magic, had a presentiment that dire misfortune
would befall the children of Israel in the wilderness, that they would
lose Moses there, and there the whole generation that had departed from
Egypt would find its grave. Therefore he spoke to Dathan and Abiram,
who remained behind in Egypt, saying: "Moses is leading them, but he
himself knows not whither. Verily, the congregation of Israel will lift
up their voice in the wilderness, and cry, and there they will be
destroyed." He thought naturally that these visions had reference to an
imminent future, to the time of his meeting with his dismissed slaves.
But his error was profound - he was hurrying forward to his own
destruction. [18]
When he reached the sanctuary of Baal-zephon, Pharaoh, in his joy at
finding him spared while all the other idols in Egypt had been
annihilated, lost no time, but hastened to offer sacrifices to him, and
he was comforted, "for," he said, "Baal-zephon approves my purpose of
drowning the children of Israel in the sea." [19]
When the Israelites beheld the huge detachments of the Egyptian army
moving upon them, and when they considered that in Migdol there were
other troops stationed, besides, more, indeed, than their own numbers,
men, women, and children all told, great terror overwhelmed them. [20]
What affrighted them most, was the sight of the Angel of Egypt darting
through the air as he flew to the assistance of the people under his
tutelage. They turned to Moses, saying: "What has thou done to us? Now
they will requite us for all that hath happened - that their first-born
were smitten, and that we ran off with their money, which was thy
fault, for thou didst bid up borrow gold and silver from our Egyptian
neighbors and depart with their property."
The situation of the Israelites was desperate. Before them was the sea,
behind them the Egyptians, on both sides the wild beasts of the desert.
[21] The wicked among them spoke to Moses, saying, "While we were in
Egypt, we said to thee and to Aaron, 'The Lord look upon you, and
judge, because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of
Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand
to slay us.' Then there died many of our brethren during the days of
darkness, which was worse than the bondage in which the Egyptians kept
us. Nevertheless our fate in the desert will be sadder than theirs.
They at least were mourned, and their bodies ere buried, but our
corpses will lie exposed, consumed in the day by drought and by frost
in the night."
Moses in his wisdom knew how to pacify the thousands and myriads under
his leadership. He impressed them with the words, "Fear ye not, stand
still, and see the salvation of the Lord." "When will His salvation
come?" questioned the people, and he told them it would appear the
following day, but they protested, "We cannot wait until to-morrow."
Then Moses prayed to God, and the Lord showed him the angel hosts
standing ready to hasten to the assistance of the people. [22]
They were not agreed as to what they were to do. There were four
contending parties. The opinion of the first party was that they seek
death by drowning in the sea; of the second, that they return to Egypt;
the third was in favor of a pitched battle with the enemy, and the
fourth thought it would be a good plan to intimidate the Egyptians by
noise and a great hubbub. To the first Moses said, "Stand still, and
see the salvation of the Lord;" to the second, "The Egyptians whom ye
have seen to-day, ye shall see them again no more forever;" to the
third, "The Lord shall fight for you;" and to the fourth, "Ye shall
hold your peace." "What, then, shall we do?" these asked their leader,
and Moses answered them, saying, "Ye shall bless, praise, extol, adore
and glorify Him that is the Lord of war!" Instead of the sword and the
five sorts of arms which they bore, they mad use of their mouth, and it
was of greater avail than all possible weapons of war. The Lord
hearkened unto their prayer, for which He had but been waiting. [23]
Moses also addressed himself to God, saying: "O Lord of the world! I am
like the shepherd who, having undertaken to pasture a flock, has been
heedless enough to drive his sheep to the edge of a precipice, and then
is in a despair how to get them down again. Pharaoh is behind my flock
Israel, in the south is Baal-zephon, in the north Midgol, and before us
the sea lies spread out. [24] Thou knowest, O Lord, that it is beyond
human strength and human contrivance to surmount the difficulties
standing in our way. Thine alone is the work of procuring deliverance
for this army, which left Egypt at Thy appointment. We despair of all
other assistance or device, and we have recourse only to our hope in
Thee. If there be any escape possible, we look up to Thy providence to
accomplish it for us." [25] With such words Moses continued to make
fervent supplication to God to succor Israel in their need. But God cut
short his prayer, saying: "Moses, My children are in distress - the sea
blocks the way before them, the enemy is in hot pursuit after them, and
thou standest here and prayest. Sometimes long prayer is good, but
sometimes it is better to be brief. If I gathered the waters together
unto one place, and let the dry land appear for Adam, a single human
being, should I not do the same for this holy congregation? I will save
them if only for the sake of the merits of Abraham, who stood ready to
sacrifice his son Isaac unto Me, and for the sake of My promise to
Jacob. The sun and the moon are witnesses that I will cleave the sea
for the seed of the children of Israel, who deserve My help for going
after Me in the wilderness unquestioningly. Do thou but see to it that
they abandon their evil thought of returning to Egypt, and then it will
not be necessary to turn to Me and entreat My help." [26]
Moses, however, was still very much troubled in mind, on account of
Samael, who had not left off lodging accusations before God against
Israel since the exodus from Egypt. The Lord adopted the same procedure
in dealing with the accuser as the experienced shepherd, who, at the
moment of transferring his sheep across a stream, was faced by a
ravening wolf. The shepherd threw a strong ram to the wolf, and while
the two engaged in combat, the rest of the flock was carried across the
water, and then the shepherd returned and snatch the wolf's supposed
prey away from him. Samael said to the Lord: "Up to this time the
children of Israel were idol worshippers, and now Thou proposest so
great a thing as dividing the sea for them?" What did the Lord do? He
surrendered Job to Samael, saying, "While he busies himself with Job,
Israel will pass through the sea unscathed, and as soon as they are in
safety, I will rescue Job from the hands of Samael." [27]
Israel had other angel adversaries, besides. Uzza, the tutelary Angel
of the Egyptians, appeared before God, and said, "O Lord of the world!
I have a suit with this nation which Thou hast brought forth out to
Egypt. If it seemeth well to Thee, let their angel Michael appear, and
contend with me before Thee." The Lord summoned Michael, and Uzza
stated his charges against Israel: "O Lord of the world! Thou didst
decree concerning this people of Israel that is hall be held in bondage
by my people, the Egyptians, for a period of four hundred years. But
they had dominion over them only eighty-six years, therefore the time
of their going forth hath not yet arrived. If it be Thy will, give me
permission to take them back to Egypt, that they may continue in
slavery for the three hundred and fourteen years that are left, and Thy
word be fulfilled. As Thou are immutable, so let Thy decree be
immutable!"
Michael was silent, for he knew not how to controvert these words, and
it seemed as if Uzza had won his suit. But the Lord Himself espoused
the cause of Israel, and He said to Uzza: "The duty of serving thy
nation was laid upon My children only on account of an unseemly word
uttered by Abraham. When I spoke to him, saying, 'I am the Lord that
brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to
inherit it,' he made answer, 'Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit
it?' Therefore did I say to him, 'Thy seed shall be a stranger.' But it
is well-known and manifest before Me that they were 'strangers' from
the day of Isaac's birth, and. reckoning thence, the period of four
hundred years has elapsed, and thou hast no right to keep My children
in bondage any longer." [28]