Once the Israelites cross over the Sea of Reeds, they erupt in song, embodying their joy of freedom. Before this celebration, the Israelites only know themselves as slaves in Egypt. Now, they begin to return to the age of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Liberation stuns this generation, for they feel God returns to them with this act. Due to his lack of answering their numerous pleas, the people doubt God in Egypt. Suddenly, God redeems the Jewish people, humiliating Pharaoh and all of Egypt in the process. The punishers become the rightfully punished, and the Jewish people rejoice at the loyalty of their God. In a final display of mightiness, God seemingly traps the Israelites in the wilderness. God commands Moses to hold out his arm, and the sea splits in this most recognized scene in the Bible. Pharaoh army chases after the Israelite people until the very conclusion of their escape. With a pillar of cloud, God inhibits Pharaoh ability to catch Moses' caravan. When God removes the pillar, Pharaoh rushes onto the path between the halves of sea, but God closes the waterway. The power of the few Israelites defeated Egypt, the most powerful empire at this point in the ancient world. Only God performs miracles with such vigor, people of all nations.
The Jewish people enter a new stage in their journey with God at the Sea of Reeds. In the Song of the Sea, the Israelites ask who is like Adonai, fearing the might that strikes Egypt down with ease. These newly free people proclaim God crushes Egypt with only Adonai's right hand. Being freed from Egypt forces the Jews to comply to follow God's commandments. Some Jews fathom God is loving, and therefore God's miracles need to be performed. Others cower in the presence of God, worrying that failing to comply with God's will decreases their chance of survival. Throughout the desert, the Israelites continually complain to God and doubt their privilege to be free. Then, God solves their problem, and they begin to praise God again. One needs to find balance between these opposing views.
Should we fear or love God? Fear of God depicts God as an oppressor, but God is rather a healer, a lover, and a redeemer. However, God like a parent deserves respect. Loving as God appears, God also omnipotently controls every force in the universe. Either way the commandments in the Torah are meant to help humanity. Most of these laws include helping one another, reflecting the image of God. While following every commandment to some degree lessens one's doubt in betraying God, God praises all who perform gemiulut hasidim, acts of love and kindness. On Yom Kippur, it is said that God weighs all Jew's sins against their good deeds. Depending on the way the scale balances and the forgiveness one offers, God grants them pardon or scolds their narrow-minded actions. Loving God prompts one to perform these acts in the spirit of God, but fearing God pushes one to do this. Performing the miracles of God helps sustain Moses with purpose. Balancing the fear and love of God becomes difficult, but it provides the same reward as the leader of the Jewish people felt at the Sea of Reeds. Inspiring a mass collaborative of human beings brightens the sun's rays and increases the joy of human life. By helping one another in the spirit of God, we truly help ourselves.
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