Rashi on TanakhExodus 15

Then Moshe sang. [I.e.,] Then, when Moshe saw the miracle, it entered his mind (שֶׁיָּשִׁיר) to sing a song. Similarly: “Then יְדַבֵּר Yehoshua.” Similarly: “And a house יַעֲשֶׂה for Pharaoh’s daughter,” [meaning:] he thought in his heart to make it for her. Here, too, יָשִׁיר [means] his heart told him that he should sing, and he did so [as is immediately added:] “וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֵאמֹר and they said, ‘I will sing to Adonoy’” Similarly in the case of Yehoshua — when he saw the miracle, his heart told him to speak, and he did so [as it says:] “And he said before the eyes of Israel.” This also applies to the Song of the Well, which begins with: אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל it explicitly states afterwards: “Come up, you Well — sing to it” [similarly:] אָז יִבְנֶה שְׁלֹמֹה בָּמָה, which the Sages of Israel explained that he wanted to build [an altar for an idol] but he did not [actually] build one. We learn from this that the prefix letter י' is used to express intention. All of the above is to satisfy [the verse’s] plain meaning. However, its midrashic explanation: Our Sages, of blessed memory, said: From here we derive an allusion that the resurrection of the dead [has its source] in Scripture. This applies to all [the examples cited] except for the one regarding Shlomo which they explained “he intended to build but did not build.” One cannot say and explain this usage the same way as other things written in the future tense and, yet, referring to the present; for example: “Thus (יַעֲשֶׂה) is Iyov doing” [or:] “At the command of God (יַחֲנוּ) they encamp” [or:] “Sometimes the cloud is [on the Mishkon].” This is because they are things that were continuously happening and they can accept both future and past. But this (יָשִׁיר and the other examples) which was only a one-time occurrence cannot be explained in these terms.

For He is most high. גָּאֹה גָּאָה is as Onkelos translates it. (An alternate explanation: The repetition [of גָאֹה גָּאָה] intends to convey that He did something that is impossible for a human to do. When he (the human) fights against his fellow man and overpowers him, he will throw him from his horse, whereas, here: “The horse and its rider he threw into the sea.” And regarding anything that cannot be done by anyone else [except Him], the correct expression is גֵאוּת (גָאָה) as in: “For (גֵאוּת) gloriously has He done.” Similarly, everywhere in the Shira you will find repetitive expressions, [e.g.,] “the strength and retribution of God was the cause of my deliverance.” [or:] “Adonoy is the master of war Adonoy is His name.” And so on [in the rest of the verses]. — From an old Rashi manuscript) Another explanation: For He is most high, He transcends all songs. and as much as I may praise him, there is still more in Him [to be praised] and not like a king of flesh and blood who is praised and does not possess [those attributes].

Horse and its rider — both tied to each other and the water brought them up high and then threw them to the depths and, yet, they did not come apart.

He threw. [רָמָה means] He threw. Similarly: “(וּרְמִיו) They were thrown into a burning furnace.” There is a Midrash Aggada: One verse states רָמָה — thrown upwards, whereas another verse states יָרָה — thrown downwards. This teaches that they went up to the heights and went down to the abyss; as in: “who (יָרָה) threw down the cornerstone?” — from above to below.

The strength and retribution of God. Onkelos translates [עָזִי וְזִמְרָת as:] “my might and my praise,” עָזִי being the same as עֻזִי, vocalized with a shuruk and וְזִמְרָת being the same as וְזִמְרָתִי . But I wonder at the wording of the verse for there is none vocalized like it in Scripture, except in three places where it is placed next to “וְזִמְרָת,” whereas, everywhere else it is vocalized with a shuruk, [e.g.] ה' עֻזִּי וּמָעֻזִּי [or:] עֻזּוֹ אֵלֶיךָ אֶשְׁמֹרָה . Similarly, every two-letter word that is vocalized with a malopum (cholam), when it is extended by a third [suffix] letter, and the second one is not a sheva or chatef, then the first [letter] is vocalized with a shuruk: For example: [The word] עֹז [becomes] עֻזִּי, [the word] רֹק [becomes] רֻקִּי חֹק [becomes] חֻקִּי, עֹל [becomes] עֻלּוֹ [e.g.] “יָסוּר עוּלּוֹ,” כֹּל [becomes] כֻּלֹוֹ [e.g.] וְשָׁלִישִׁים עַל כֻּלּוֹ . But [in] these three — עָזִי וְזִמְרָת which appears here, and the one in Yeshaiyahu (12, 2) and the one in Tehillim (118, 14) — [the letter ע'] is vocalized with a short kamatz. And furthermore in none of them is it written וְזִמְרָתִי, but וְזִמְרָת and they are all followed by וַיְהִי לִי לִישׁוּעָה Therefore, I say, so that the wording of the text fit, that עָזִּי does not mean the same as עֻזִּי nor does וְזִמְרָת mean the same as וְזִמְרָתִי, but, rather, עָזִי is a noun as in: “הַיּשְׁבִי (the One Who dwells) in the heavens,” [or:] “שֹׁכְנִי (the one who dwells) in the cracks of the rock,” [or:] “שֹׁכְנִי (the one who dwells) in the bush.” And the following is the praise [conveyed here]: “The עֹז and the זִמְרָה of God were a deliverance for me,” and וְזִמְרָת is in the construct to the word ה', as in: לְעֶזְרַת ה' — “to the help of God,” [or:] בְּעֶבְרַת ה' — “by the anger of God,” [or:] עַל דִּבְּרַת בְּנֵי הָאָדָם — “because of the speech of men.” The word וְזִמְרָת is from the same root as “לֹא תִזְמוֹר” [or:] “זְמִיר עָרִיצִים” — “The cutting down of the evil ones” [זְמִיר] being a term for mowing down and cutting off. [Thus the meaning here is] “The strength and retribution of our God was a deliverance for us.” Do not wonder about the use of וַיְהִי (lit. “it will be”) that it does not say הָיָה (“it was”), for there are verses that express themselves in this way, and the following is an example: “around the walls of the house, for the Temple and the Holy of Holies, (וַיַּעַשׂ) he made side-structures all around,” where it should have said עָשָׂה [instead of וַיַּעַשׂ]. Similarly in Divrei Hayomim: “And [as for] the B’nei Yisrael who dwelt in the Judean cities, Rechavom וַיִּמְלֹך (reigned) over them,” where it should have said מָלַךְ עַלֵיהֶם רְחַבְעָם [instead of וַיִּמְלֹךְ]. [Or:] “Due to the inability of God, etc. He slaughtered them, where it should have said שְׁחָטָם [instead of וַיִּשְׁחָטֵם]; [Or:] “And the men that Moshe sent, etc. (וַיָּמֻתוּ) died,” where it should have said מֵתוּ [instead of וַיָּמֻתוּ]; [Or:] “Whoever paid no heed to the word of God. (וַיַּעֲזֹב) left [his cattle, etc.],” where it should have said עָזַב [instead of וַיַּעֲזֹב].

This is my Almighty. With his glory (His very Self) did He reveal Himself to them and they pointed at Him with a finger. A handmaiden saw at the Sea what even the prophets could not see.

And I will glorify Him. Onkelos translates it (וְאַנְוֵהוּ) from the term נָוֶה [from:] “נָוֶה שַׁאֲנָן” — “peaceful dwelling,” [or:] לִנְוֵה צֹאן — “A dwelling for sheep.” An alternate explanation: וְאַנְוֵהוּ denotes נוֹי — beauty [and וְאַנְוֵהוּ means] I will relate His splendor and praise to the inhabitants of the world. For example: [The nations ask Israel:] “What is your beloved more than any other beloved, etc.,” “My Beloved is white and ruddy” and [all the praises of God expressed] in that section.

The God of my father — is this, and I will exalt Him. The God of my father. I am not the first to hallow Him but [this concept] has been held and has remained with me — this holiness and Godliness over me — from the days of my fathers.

Adonoy is the master of war. [אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה means] master of war as in אִישׁ נָעֳמִי — “the master (husband) of Naomi.” Wherever אִישׁ or אִישִׁי, or אִישֵׁךְ [appear] they are translated by Targum as “master of.” Similarly: “Be strong and be an אִישׁ” [לְאִישׁ having the same meaning as] לְגִבּוֹר .

Adonoy is His Name. He does not conduct His wars with weapons but, rather, He wages war with His Name, as David said (to Goliath): “I come against you in the Name of Adonoy of Hosts.” An alternate explanation of ה' שְׁמוֹ: Even while He wages war he retains His attribute [expressed by “יהוה”] to be compassionate to His creatures by feeding all the inhabitants of the world; not as is the practice of earthly kings that when he is occupied by war he turns away from all his other functions and does not have the power to do both.

He hurled into the sea. [יָרָה בַיָּם is translated by Onkelos:] שַׁדִּי בְיַמָּא, שַׁדִִּי having the meaning of hurling. Similarly it says: אוֹ יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה, where Onkelos translates it אוֹ אִשְׁתְּדָאָה יִשְׁתְּדִי (from שְׁדִי), and the letter ת' is used in these words (אִשְׁתְּדָאָה יִשְׁתְּדִי in place of (i.e., indicating) the יִתְפְַַּל (reflexive) form.

Elite. [וּמִבְחַר] is a noun [having the same form] as מֶרְכָּב, מִשְׁכָּב and מִקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ .

Were sunk. The term טְבִיעָה always denotes sinking in a muddy place, as in “טָבַעְתִּי I am sunk in muddy depths.” [or:] “Yirmiyahu (וַיִּטְבַּע) sank in the mud.” This indicates that the sea turned to mud to pay them (the Egyptians) back in kind, for they had subjugated Yisrael with mortar (mud) and with bricks.

Covered them. יְכַסְיֻמוּ is the same as יְכַסוּם with the middle letter י' being extra. This is usual in the verses [of Scripture]; as in: “Your cattle and sheep (יִרְבְּיֻן) will increase,” [or:] “(יִרְוְיֻן) They will be satiated from the abundance of Your House.” The first letter י' [of יְכַסְיֻמוּ], which denotes the future tense, is explained as follows: They sank in the Reed Sea so that the water should return and cover them. יְכַסְיֻמוּ has no similar vocalization in Scripture, and is normally vocalized יְכַסְיֻמוֹ with a melopum (cholam).

Like stone. Elsewhere it says: “They sank like lead” and elsewhere it says: “consumed them like straw.” [This is because] the wicked ones were like straw being continuously scrambled as they were thrown up and down. Those who were average were like stone, and the relatively righteous were like lead and came to their rest immediately.

Your right hand, Your right hand. Twice! When Israel does God’s will the left hand, too, becomes a right hand.

Your right hand, Adonoy, is adorned with power — in order to save Yisrael, while Your other right hand crushes the enemy. However, to me it seems [that the second יִמִינְךָ means] that very same right hand crushes the enemy, which is something impossible for a human — to do two acts with one hand. However, the plain meaning of the verse is: “Your right hand, which is adorned with power.” What is its function? “Your right hand crushes the enemy.” There are many verses that are like it. “For behold, Your enemies, Adonoy, for behold Your enemies shall perish.” [or:] “How long shall the wicked ones, Adonoy, till when will the wicked ones exult?” [or:] “The rivers have raised Adonoy, the rivers have raised their voice.” [or:] “Not for our sake, Adonoy, not for our sake.” “‘I will respond,’ says Adonoy, ‘I will respond to the heavens.’” [or:] “I to Adonoy, I will sing.” [or:] “Had it not been for Adonoy ... had it not been for Adonoy, who was with us when man rose up against us.” [or:] “Awaken! awaken! Devorah, Awaken! Awaken! sing a song!” [or:] “A foot shall trample her, the foot of a pauper.” [or:] “He gave their land as an inheritance, an inheritance to Israel, His people,” and their like.

Adorned. The letter י' is extra as in “(רַבָּתִי) full of people,” [or:] “(שָׂרָתִי) the princess among countries, [or:] “(גְּנֻבְתִי) stolen during the day.”

Crushes the enemy. It is constantly crushing and breaking the enemy. Similar to this (the use of רְעַץ to mean to crush) is: “(וַיִּרְעֲצוּ) They crushed and shattered the B’nei Yisrael” in the Book of Shoftim (10, 8). (An alternate explanation: “Your hand that is adorned with power is the one that breaks and strikes the enemy. [This is connected to the next verse as follows:]

In Your great majesty. If the hand alone crushes the enemy, then when He raises it in His great majesty, He will destroy His opponents. And if in His great majesty alone His opponents are destroyed then, certainly, when He sends forth His fury, it will consume them.)

You destroy. You constantly destroy your opponents, (קָמֶיךָ) those who stand up against You. Who are considered those who stand up against Him? It is those who stand up against Yisrael. Similarly, it says: “For behold your enemies are in an uproar —” and what is this uproar? — “against your people they plot deceitfully,” and it is for this that they are called “enemies of God.”

The wind of Your nostrils. The wind that comes out of the two nostrils. The verse speaks — as if this were possible — regarding God, as if compared to a human king, in order to attune the ears of people in accordance with [their own] experience so that they might understand the matter. When a person becomes angry breath [furiously] comes from his nostrils. Similarly: “Smoke arose from His nostrils.” Similarly: “By the breath of His nostril are they consumed.” This is meant by Scripture’s saying: “For the sake of My Name I will lengthen My breath.” When one’s anger is calmed, his breath is longer, but when he is angry his breath is short. [The verse there continues] וּתְהִילָּתִי אֶחֱטָם לָךְ [which means] “For the sake of My praise, I will place a nose-ring in My nose in order to close up My nostrils against the anger and the breath so that they not come out.: לָךְ [here means] for your sake. אֶחֱטָם [has the same meaning as:] נְאָקָהּ בַּחֲטָם which is found in Maseches Shabbos This is what it seems to me. Whenever אַף and חָרוֹן are joined together in Scripture I say that the following is the explanation: [In the expression] חָרֹה אַף [the word חָרָה] is similar to [the word חָרָה in:] “My bone is חָרָה from the heat” [where חָרָה] means burning and heat, because the nostrils become hot and burning, at a time of anger. חָרוֹן is derived from חָרֹה . The same way רָצוֹן is derived from רָצֹה . Similarly the word חֵמָה (wrath) is also derived from חֲמִימוּת (heat). It is for this reason that it says: “(וַחֲמָתוֹ) and his anger burnt within him,” and when anger subsides one says: “His mind has cooled off.”

The waters were heaped up. Onkelos translates [נֶעֶרְמוּ] as derived from עַרְמִימוּת (cleverness). However, according to the clarity of Scripture it has the same meaning as עֲרֵמַת חִטִּים — “A mound of wheat.” The expression “stood like a wall” indicates this. Heaped up. [I.e.,] from the heat of the breath that came out of Your nostrils the water dried up and became like piles and mounds of grain-stacks which are high.

Like a wall. [כְּמוֹ נֵד means] as Onkelos translates it כְּשׁוּר — “like a wall.”

A wall. נֵד is a term for heaped up and gathered, as in: “As a (נֵד) pile of branches on a day of sorrow,” [or:] כֹּנֵס כַּנֵּד — “He gathers like a mound.” It is not written כּוֹנֵס כַּנֹּאד but rather כַּנֵּד, and if כַּנֵּד would be the same as כַנֹּאד and כּוֹנֵס would have the same meaning as הַכְנָסָה, it should have been written: “(מַכְנִיס כְּבַנֹּאד) He gathers, as if into a leather water-pouch the waters of the sea.” But כּוֹנֵס denotes gathering and piling up. Similarly: “[the waters] rose up as one mound” [and:] “they stood as one mound. The terms rising and standing do not apply to water-pouches, only to walls and piles. [Also] we find נֹאד vocalized only with a cholam as in: “place my tears (בְנֹאדֶךָ) into your flask,” [or:] (אֶת נֹאוד) — the milk pitcher.”

Congealed. As in: “And like cheese (תַקְפִּיאֵנִי) you have solidified me,” for they (the depths) hardened and became as stone and the waters threw the Egyptians upon the stone with force, and battled against them with all kinds of harshness.

In the heart of the Sea. [Meaning:] In the very strongest part of the sea. It is usual for Biblical verses to speak this way: [e.g.] “to the very middle of the heavens,” [or:] “in the very middle of the oak-tree,” denoting the essence and strength of a thing.

The enemy said — to his nation, when he seduced them with words, “I will pursue and overtake them and I will divide the spoils with my ministers and my servants.”

I will satisfy [myself]. [תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ means] my soul will be filled with them. —[נַפְשִׁי meaning:] My spirit and my will. Do not wonder about a word that expresses something expressed by two words, [viz.,] תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ [expresses the same thing as] תִּמְלָא מֵהֶם, for there are many instances of such an expression: [e.g.] “For the southern land נְתַתָּנִי,” [נְתַתָּנִי being] the same as נָתַתָּ לִי — “You have given me.” [or:] “They could not דַּבְּרוֹ peaceably,” [דַבְּרוֹ being] the same as דַּבֵּר עִמּוֹ — “Speak with him,” or: “My children יְצָאוּנִי,” [יְצָאוּנִי being] the same as יָצְאוּ מִמֶּנִי — “went away from me,” [or:] “The number of my steps אַגִּידֶנּוּ” [אַגִּידֶנּוּ being] the same as אַגִּיד לוֹ — “I will tell him.” Here, too, תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ means: תִּמְלָא נַפְשִׁי מֵהֶם — “My soul will be filled from them.”

I will draw my sword. [As Onkelos translates it:] “I will draw.” It is because he empties (מֵרִיק) the sheath upon drawing it and it remains empty (רֵיק) the term “emptying” (הַרָקָה) fits it, as in: “(מְרִיקִים) They empty their sacks” [or:] “And his vessels (יָרִיקוּ) they will empty.” Do not claim that the term רֵיקוּת — emptying does not apply to that which is being removed but, rather, [it applies only] to the container, or the sack and to the vessel from which it has been removed, but not to the sword or the wine and, therefore, have to resort to a forced explanation [that] אָרִיק חַרְבִּי has the same meaning as: “[וַיָּרֶק] And he armed his trained servants,” [thereby making the meaning here:] “I will arm myself with my sword.” [This is unnecessary for] we find the term [הֲרָקָה] referring also to that which is being removed, [e.g.] “Oil (תּוּרַק) which is emptied,” [or:] “It (the wine) was not emptied from vessel to vessel.” It does not state here: “The vessel was not emptied” but, rather: “The wine was not emptied from vessel to vessel.” Thus we find the term referring to the wine: Similarly: “(וְהֵרִיקוּ) They will draw their swords against the beauty of your wisdom” [in the narrative] concerning Chiram.

Will destroy them. תּוֹרִישֵׁמוֹ is a term denoting רֵישׁוּת (poorness) and poverty, as in מוֹרִישׁ וּמַעֲשִׁיר — He impoverishes and enriches.

You made [Your wind] blow. [נָשַׁפְתָּ is] a term meaning blowing. Similarly: “He also (נָשַׁף) blew upon them.”

They sank. [צָלֲלוּ means] they sank, they went deep from the word מְצוּלָה — depth.

Like lead. [עוֹפֶרֶת means:] lead, plom in Old French.

Among the mighty. [בָּאֵלִים means] among the mighty, as in: “And (אֵילֵי) the mighty of the land he took,” [or:] “(אֱיָלוּתִי) My strength, hasten to help me.”

Awesome in praise. [I.e.,] it is fearsome to relate Your praises, for one might fall short [in his praises], as is written: “For You, silence is praise.”

You extended your right hand. When God extends His hand the wicked become extinct and fall, because all things are held in His hand and they fall when it is extended. Similarly it says: “When God will extend His hand then the helper will stumble and the one being helped will fall.” This can be compared to glass vessels that are held in a person’s hand; if he extends (opens) his hand slightly they fall and break.

The earth swallowed them. From this we derive that they were privileged to be buried, as a reward for having proclaimed, “Adonoy is the righteous One!”

You guided — has the same derivation as מְנַהֵל — leader. Onkelos, however, translates it [סוֹבַרְהִי] relating to carrying and bearing, but he was not meticulous to explain it according to the exact Hebrew language.

And they tremble. [יִרְגָּזוּן means] מִתְרַגְּזִין — they tremble.

The inhabitants of Philistia. Because it was they who killed Ephraim’s descendants who had calculated prematurely the end [of the Egyptian exile] and went out [of Egypt] by force, as is related in Divrei Hayomim: “The men of Gath (the Philistines) killed them”

The chiefs of Edom the mighty men of Moav. But, surely, they had nothing to fear for they (the B’nei Yisrael) were not going against them! But [the explanation is:] it was because of greivance, for they were greived and pained over the honor of Yisrael.

Melted away. [נָמוֹגוּ means] they melted away, as in: “With showers (תְּמֹגְגֶנָּה) you make it soft.” They said: “They are coming against us to annihilate us and inherit our land.”

Horror fall upon them. [אֵימָתָה is fear] upon those who are far away.

And dread. [פַּחַד is fear] on those who are nearby. This is similar to what is said: “For we have heard how He has dried up, etc.”

Until they cross over, until they cross over. As Onkelos explains it.

You acquired. [I.e.,] “You hold it dearer than other nations, similar to an object acquired (קָנוּי) at a high price that is held dear by the person.

You will bring them. Moshe prophesied that he would not enter the land. It therefore does not say תְּבִיאֵנוּ — “You will bring us.”

The place for Your habitation. The Temple below is lined up exactly opposite the Throne above that פָּעַלְתָּ — You made.

The Sanctuary. The intonation on it (the word מִקְדָשׁ) is a zakef godol in order to separate it (מִקְדָשׁ) from the word ה' which follows it, [thus giving it the meaning of] “the Sanctuary, which your hands, Adonoy, established.” [This indicates the] preciousness of the Beis Hamikdosh, for the world was created with “one hand,” as it is said: “Truly My hand has established the earth,” whereas the Mikdosh [was made] with “two hands.” And when will it be built with “two hands?” when the time comes that “Adonoy will reign forever and ever,” in the future when all the kingdom will be His.

Forever and ever. וָעֶד is an expression denoting eternity and the letter ו' in it is part of the root therefore it is vocalized with a patach But [in the verse] “I am the One Who knows (וָעֵד) and bears witness,” where the letter ו' in it is a prefix, it bears the kametz vowel (וָעֵד).

When Pharaoh’s horse came. [כִּי בָא means] when it came.

Miriam, the prophetess, took. Where was it that she prophesied? It was when she was [only] Aharon’s sister, before Moshe was born. She [then] said: “My mother is destined to give birth to a son, etc.,” as is related in Maseches Sotah. An alternate explanation [as to why she is identified as] Aharon’s sister: Because he put his life in jeopardy for her when she was struck by leprosy, she is identified by his name.

The drum. An instrument for certain kinds of music.

With drums and dancing. The righteous women of that generations were sure that God would perform miracles for them so they took drums out of Egypt.

Miriam led them in the response. Moshe sang the song for the men — he would say it and they would respond after him. And Miriam sang the song for the women.

Moshe led. He made them travel against their will. For the Egyptians adorned their horses with gold and silver ornaments and precious stones and the Israelites kept finding them in the sea [to the point that] the booty of the sea was greater than the booty [taken out] of Egypt, as it is said: “We will make gold bracelets for you (from the booty of the sea) together with silver studs (from the booty of Egypt).” Therefore he had to make them travel against their will.

They came to Marah. [מָרָתָה is] the same as לְמָרָה — to Marah. The letter ה' at the end of the word is in place of the letter ל' at its beginning. The letter ת' is in place of the ה' which is part of the root-word מָרָה, and when it in the construct state when it is joined to a ה' which is added in place of the ל', then the root-letter ה' is changed to a ת' . Similarly any ה' that is part of the root-word changes to a ת' in the construct state, as in: “I have no חֵמָה (anger),” “וַחֲמָתוֹ (And his anger) burned within him.” There you have a ה' of a root-word changing to a ת' because it is joined to the added ו': Similarly: “A slave and an אָמָה (servant-maiden),” [which changes to] “Here is אֲמָתִי (my hand-maiden) Bilhah” [or:] “to a creature חַיָּה (of life)” [becomes] “חַיָּתוֹ (his life) makes bread repulsive to him” [or:] “Between רָמָה (Ramah and Bethel)” [which changes to] “His return was הָרָמָתָה (to Ramah).

They complained. [וַיִּלֹּנוּ] is in the nifal form: Onkelos, too, translates it in the nifal form: וְאִתְרָעָמוּ . (In Aramaic the אִתְפְּעֵל represents the Hebrew נִפְעַל .) This is the way of expressions of complaint to revert the statement to the person [complaining], [e.g.] מִתְלוֹנֵן (complain), מִתְרוֹעֵם (resent) and it is not said in the form of לוֹנֵן, רוֹעֵם . The French man also expresses it this way: “decomplaisant se.” The action reverts to himself by the use of the expression “se.”

There He set before them. In Marah He gave them some sections of the Torah so that they occupy themselves with [studying] them: [the sections dealing with] Shabbos the Parah Adumah (the red heifer) and the administration of justice.

And there He tested them. (lit. Him). [Meaning:] the nation, and saw their stubbornness, for they did not consult with Moshe with respectful language, [i.e.] “Pray for compassion for us so that we may have water to drink,” but, rather, they complained.

If you vigilantly obey. [שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע] implies acceptance — that they accept upon themselves [God’s commands].

Do. [Meaning:] the actual performing [of the mitzvos].

Give ear. Incline the ears in order to be exact in [fulfilling] them.

All His statutes. Things that are solely a decree of the king with no [given] reason, where the evil inclination finds fault with them: [by saying:] “What is the sense in their prohibition — why were they prohibited?” For example: [the prohibition against:] wearing shatnez and the eating of pork [and the mitzvah of] the Parah Adumah (red heifer), and their like.

I will not bring upon you. [Meaning:] and if I do bring it it will be as if it were not brought — “for I am Adonoy, Who heals you.” That is its midrashic explanation. But its plain explanation is: “For I am Adonoy, Who heals you, and teaches you Torah and mitzvos so that you may be saved from them (the diseases).” It is like a doctor who tells a person: “Do not eat this particular thing lest it bring you to disease this represents listening to the mitzvos. this is what is meant when it says. “It (obedience to mitzvos) will be healthful to your navel.”

Twelve springs of water — corresponding to the twelve Tribes were made available to them.

And seventy date trees. Corresponding to the seventy elders.