Shevii shel Pesach 5786 -Circle of Life

The Circle of Life

On Shevi’i shel Pesach, we commemorate Kriyas Yam Suf, the splitting of the sea. The Torah describes this miracle in vivid terms:

“The Children of Israel came within the sea on dry land; and the water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left.” (Shemos 14:22)

However, after describing the drowning of the Egyptians, the Torah appears to repeat the same idea:

“The Children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea; the water was a wall for them, on their right and on their left.” (14:29)

This repetition raises two questions. First, why does the Torah restate what seems to be the same fact? Second, why does it reverse the order? In the first verse, the people enter “the sea on dry land,” while in the second, they are described as being on “dry land in the midst of the sea.”

Rav Moshe Feinstein, ZT”L explains that the Torah is teaching a profound lesson about human nature. People tend to assume that their current circumstances—whether good or bad—will continue indefinitely. The Torah’s dual description of the splitting of the sea challenges that assumption.

Initially things looked bad – the sea in front of them was impassable. However, there were those who trusted in Hashem even before the miracle occurred and did not despair. Instead, they stepped forward into the sea with full faith that things could change. When they did this, the sea became dry land beneath their feet. This is captured in the first verse—“within the sea on dry land.”

Others, however, waited until the sea had already split before entering. Things seemed good - they walked on dry land, but the sea could come back and cover them in an instant. The Torah therefore describes them as being “in the midst of the sea,” emphasizing that even when things appear stable, the underlying reality can change and the sea could return.

This dual perspective reflects a fundamental truth about life. Circumstances are never as fixed as they seem.

As Rabbi Yishmael teaches, there is a “wheel” that turns in the world (Shabbos 151b). Fortunes can shift rapidly. Yosef went in a single day from prison to becoming viceroy of Egypt (Bereishis 41:14). Conversely, Haman fell just as quickly—from power and prestige to humiliation and death (Esther, chapters 6–7).

The Torah’s two descriptions of the sea capture these extremes. When we face hardship, we must not despair. Just as the sea can suddenly turn into dry land, our situation can change for the better in ways we cannot foresee. At the same time, when life is going well, we must not become complacent. Even “dry land” can quickly become “the midst of the sea.”

Over the course of life, most people experience both ups and downs. The only constant is Hashem. When we internalize this, we can avoid arrogance in times of success and despair in times of difficulty.

True stability does not come from our circumstances—it comes from our trust in Hashem.