#splitting_sea

וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלְכוּ בַיַּבָּשָׁה בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם -שמות יד, כט

But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea… (Shemot 14:29)

“Everything that exists on land also exists in the sea” (Chulin 127a). The difference between land and sea then is that all that is in the sea is out of sight to the human eye, while on land all can be plainly seen. Accordingly, the spiritual experience of Kriat Yam Suf, in which physically “the sea was transformed to dry land” (Tehilim 66:6), is interpreted by Chassidut as a moment when spiritual realities which are normally hidden became clear and visible (Torah Ohr 62b and elsewhere). This explains the statement of the Midrash that, “By the sea, a maidservant perceived what prophets did not perceive” (Mechilta, see Rashi, Shemos 15:2).

One practical application of this spiritual Kriat Yam Suf in our personal service of Hashem is bridging the gap between the experience of Tefilah, and the rest of the day’s activities. The focus of Tefilah is arousing conscious feelings of attachment and submission to G-d within ourselves, feelings that tend to recede and be hidden from our conscious minds during the rest of the day, when we are primarily occupied by mundane realities and pursuits. From Kriat Yam Suf we draw the ability that our “hidden world” of the sea can become a “visible world” of dry land. Even while engaged in our material responsibilities and activities we can and must maintain the feeling of submission before G-d that we each have stored within.