Sunday, February 05, 2006

A common misconception about קריעת ים סוף

Most people picture the sea splitting and Bnei Yisrael going through to the other side. However, both Tosafos (ערכין ט"ו) and the Rambam (אבות ה,ד) state that Bnei Yisrael actually went in a semicircle and ended up on the same side that they started from. This makes the נס even bigger, because the shevet on the outside had to go much further then the innermost shevet and therefore Hashem had to make sure that the innermost מצרים were slowed down so that they would not emerge before the outermost Jews.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I know this is the wrong place for this comment, but I wasnt sure if you would see it...

I have just finished last week mishpacha magazine and i didnt notice any article against MP3 players. If you still have it, please let me know what page.

Thanks

bluke said...

It was in the Hebrew edition in the newspaper not the magazine

Anonymous said...

innermost mitzrim were slowed down? or do you mean innermost jews?

bluke said...

The innermost Mitzrim, otherwise they would have come out before the outermost Jews and not drowned.

Anonymous said...

Bluke,

Very interesting post. According to these mefarshim when did Bnei Yisroel cross back over to the other side?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

I don't understand. Why did the Egyptians have to be slowed down? They drowned.

Anonymous said...

i mean to say it sounds from the psukim as though they enter the water later, after bnei yisrael and are still entering the water when the waters fall back and drown them

Anonymous said...

For those interested, Me'am Loez brings all the opinions, i believe.