Why did the angel move from in front of Yisrael to behind them?
Rashi #1 and Targum Yonasan: To make a division between the Egyptian camp and the camp of Yisrael; and to catch the arrows and slingshots that the former were shooting at Yisrael.
Rashi (to Devarim 4:37): Like a father who places his son in front of him (in order to see that no harm befalls him).
Ramban #1 (citing the Ibn Ezra) and Rashbam: The angel led the Cloud (mentioned later in the Pasuk) to divide between the two camps, creating darkness that prevented the Egyptians from closing in on Yisrael the entire night; while the Pillar of Fire lit up the night 1 for Yisrael. 2
Seforno: The angel led the Pillar of Fire 3 to the rear of Yisrael, while the Pillar of Cloud positioned itself between the Pillar of Fire and the Egyptians. 4
Hadar Zekenim: The 'Mal'ach' was actually the Pillar of cloud. 5
Moshav Zekenim: The 'Mal'ach' was actually the Pillar of Fire, which is considered a Mal'ach, since it has Ru'ach Chayim.
Rashbam: As the Pasuk states in Yehoshua 24:7 .
Rashi too, gives this explanation with regard to the Pillar of Cloud (refer to 14:20:1:1), only he considers the angel and the Pillar of Cloud two separate entities (see Sifsei Chachamim on this Pasuk, and see Gur Aryeh below). That is also how Targum Yonasan in this Pasuk explains it. Alternatively, "Mal'ach Ha'Elokim" refers to the Beis-Din of Ha'Kadosh-Baruch-Hu, which dwelt in the Pillar of Fire (refer also to 14:20:1:2 ).
Seforno: Which was not needed to lead Yisrael that night - since they had no option but to follow the pathway in the sea.
Why does the Torah refer to it as "Mal'ach Ha'Elokim," instead of the more common 'Mal'ach Hashem'?
Rashi (citing the Mechilta): Because Yisrael were standing in judgment before Hashem, whether to be saved or whether to perish together with the Egyptians. 1
Besides the fact that Hashem already informed Moshe a number of times in this Parshah that He will save Yisrael (see for example Pesukim 14:13, 16), it is not clear why the Mechilta attributes the Midas ha'Din to Yisrael and not to Pharaoh. Moreover, in 14:14, Hashem said to Moshe that Hashem (Midas Rachamim) would fight on behalf of Yisrael?
Rashi (to Sukah 45a) writes that the three next verses (14:19-21) contain precisely 72 letters each; and from these verses, we derive the Divine Name of seventy-two letters. The sources tell us that by this Name of Hashem, the sea was split. Why, and how, was this so?
Maharal #1 (Be'er Ha'Golah, Be'er #2 Ch. 4, p. 27): In contrast to sorcery, which is a departure from the natural order Hashem set into creation, acts using Hashem's Name do not constitute such a deviation - for the world as a whole was created with Hashem's Name. Such miracles are analogous to the effect of Tefilah upon the world. 1 Thus, Chazal received the tradition that Moshe Rabeinu split the sea with the Name of seventy-two letters.
Maharal #2 (Chidushei Agados, beg. Vol. 2, to Nedarim 7b): Hashem's existence is Pashut (straightforward), to the greatest degree. Physical beings are by definition Murkavim (composite); and as such, they cannot stand along with Him. 2 Thus, the sea could not stand before His Great Name. 3
Also see Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 3, p. 166, to Sanhedrin 67b) - It is improper to deviate from the order of Creation (see Shabbos 53b - CS). Miracles are not a deviation, but rather linking into a higher order of the Nivdal realms. (This would explain Maharal in Be'er Ha'Golah as well, as to why sorcery is forbidden, as opposed to miracles using Hashem's Name, which are within Creation, only at a higher level. - EK) See Maharal further (Chidushei Agados ibid. p. 172, to Sanhedrin 82b) - Nisim emanate from the Letter Vav of Hashem's Name.
Maharal is explaining the Gemara, which teaches that commonly using Hashem's name (outside of the proper context) leads to poverty.
"Harkavah" means complexity, being assembled of components; whereas "Peshitus" means simplicity, straightforwardness. Any created entity is comprised of both self and cause; whereas Hashem, as Creator, is the Prime Cause. Hashem's existence is absolutely Pashut, in the sense that He has no cause, and He is dependent upon no one else. To explain using Maharal's terminology, any physical entity is comprised of both Chomer and Tzurah (raw material / function-specific form; or potential / actualization). Hence, physicality is the antithesis of simplicity. The more Chomer an entity is, the more easily it assumes and sheds its form; and water is Chomer that has no specific form at all (see 14:15:4:1 above). Thus, upon the uttering the simplicity of Hashem's Name, the physical waters of the sea were negated. (EK)
Rashi (to Sukah 45a) writes that the sea was split by Hashem's Name (see 14:19:4 ). If so, why did Moshe need to raise his Mateh in his hand?
Gur Aryeh (to Shemos 2:14): A person must do some physical act, so that Hashem will act. 1
As to whether the sea was split by Moshe or by Hashem, refer to 14:21:1.1:1 . Gur Aryeh (loc. cit.) seems to be addressing a different question - By which act did Moshe split the sea -with the Mateh, or by uttering Hashem's Name?
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "[The Mal'ach ha'Elokim moved...] and went behind them - In order to separate the Egyptian camp from the camp of Yisrael; and to catch the arrows and catapults [shot at them by] Egypt." How can we show that the angel did both of these tasks, and not the pillar of cloud (which is mentioned below)?
Gur Aryeh: Whichever one could stop the arrows in mid-flight, could certainly stop the Mitzrim themselves from approaching. 1 If it was the cloud that did both of these tasks, then what was the task of the angel (who is mentioned specifically in this Pasuk)? Rather, it must have been the angel that did both tasks. 2
Rashi to 18:6: Later, when Yisro came to Bnei Yisrael, he informed Moshe of his arrival via a messenger. See Chizkuni (to 18:6, citing Tanchuma) - Yisro was forced to do so, because his entry to the camp was blocked (at first) by the cloud! Yisro tied his message to an arrow, and shot it to within the cloud. This supports Gur Aryeh's logic, that it is more of a given that the cloud would prevent outsiders' entry to the camp, than that it would prevent arrows from penetrating. (EK)
Gur Aryeh: And not the cloud - which was permeable like any other cloud. (If both of these tasks were done by the angel, why did the pillar of cloud move behind the camp at all? Gur Aryeh (see the following question, 14:19:2.2:1) - A Mal'ach is also a spiritual being, who also would not be a buffer against physical arrows. Rather, the Mal'ach stopped them by means of the cloud. (See further explanation in 14:20:1.2:1* , towards the end of the footnote.))
Rashi writes: "[The Mal'ach ha'Elokim moved...] and went behind them - In order to separate the Egyptian camp from the camp of Yisrael; and to catch the arrows...." A Mal'ach is not a physical being, so how did it intercept the arrows? Furthermore, Rashi to 19:4 (end of DH Al Kanfei Nesharim) writes that it was the cloud that caught the arrows?
Gur Aryeh: The Mal'ach moved behind the camp along with the physical cloud, by means of which it caught the arrows. 1 This is analogous to a person who catches something with his hand -- although the flesh of the hand is what catches the item, it is the Neshamah that directs the hand to do so, to act on its behalf.
Gur Aryeh: Even when the cloud travelled in front of the camp, as usual, it was directed by a Mal'ach (as is evident from our Pasuk); yet the Pasuk mentions this only here, due to his role. (It seems that in Gur Aryeh's text of Rashi, the parable of the traveler who protects his son appears at this point; Rashi uses it to illustrate his point about the two-pronged salvation - EK.) But one may ask, didn't the cloud always prevent infiltration by outsiders! When Amalek attacked, they could only strike "those who lagged behind" (Devarim 25:18); as Rashi comments (loc. cit.), this refers to those who had been expelled from the camp. Also, only after Aharon's passing, and the disappearance of the clouds, were the Kena'anim of Arad able to attack (Bamidbar 21:1 with Rashi). We must say that the Mal'ach always stopped outsiders (via the cloud); and what was unique here is that it also stopped their arrows. (See the parable of the eagle in Rashi to 19:4; also see the Midrash regarding Yisro, which we cited in the preceding question (14:19:2.1:1* )).
Rashi writes: "'The pillar of cloud moved - When it became dark, and [the cloud] handed over the camp to the pillar of fire, the cloud did not disappear as it usually did...." Why explain this way?
Gur Aryeh: The pillar of cloud could not have been displaced by day; for the verse already told us, "[Hashem] did not remove the pillar of cloud by day... from before the people" (13:22).
