בס”ד 29 March 2024 - י״ט באדר ב׳ ה׳תשפ״ד‎

The seventh day of Pesach

Sheviyi Shel Pesach

The seventh day of Pesach is when the Jews passed through the split sea, known as “Kriyas Yum Suf“. This is the last day of Pesach and is the climax and final step in redemption. The beginning of Pesach celebrates the actual end of enslavement with the actual physical exodus. However, the Jews were still endanger of being recaptured and returned to slavery. Therefore it was only on the seventh day of Pesach when their captors were killed did this fear dissipate – the day when their enemy died. A special miracle made the dead bodies of the Egyptians come up to the sea shore so that the Jews could recognise their dead tormentors and now feel safe.

The seventh day of Pesach – 26th day from creation

The seventh day of Pesach falls on the 21st of Nissan. There is an argument as to when the world was created – in the month of Nissan or Tishrei. According to the opinion it was in Nissan, this is referring to the sixth day when man was created was the first of Nissan. This means that the world was created on the 25th of Adar. The seventh day of Pesach being on the 21st of Nissan means that this is the 26th day of the world from creation. The number 26 is highly symbolic being the numerical value of the Shem Havaya, Hashem’s Name. Hence, it is on this day, in the form of Kriyas Yum Suf that Hashem revealed Himself with numerous miracles on this 26th day from creation. In the haggoda we say Hallel Hagodol that contains 26 lines of miracles that each end with the phrase כי לעולם חסדו. There are 26 generations from Odom until Moshe who received the Torah. This tells us that these 26 generations only existed from the kindness of Hashem’s Name that has the gematria of 26. In the same vein, the Jews left Mitzrayim without any merits and there exodus was pure kindness seen in the pinnacle day of leaving Egypt – the 26th day from creation.

Two pathways of the King

Hashem reveals himself in two different pathways. The same can be seen by a human king. The first is through the usual protocol of many different ministers. To get to speak to the king you need to go through a long process of dealing with lots of different people, each time dealing with people closer to the king. The second pathway is one where the king makes himself available to the local populace without the need for any intermediaries. Throughout the year, Hashem acts in the normal pathway of being hidden behind intermediaries. However, during Pesach and especially on Sheviyi Shel Pesach Hashem revealed Himself openly. This was seen by the clear miracles seen by all how Hashem is in charge of the world and does as he pleases.

Miracles on this day

We talk about in the Haggoda Shel Pesach that there are different opinions of how many miracles of punishing our enemy occurred by Kriyas Yum Suf. All opinions agree that it was at least four times the amount of the ten plagues meted out in Mitzrayim. This demonstrates that the level of revelation of Hashem was seen to a greater extent on the seventh day of Pesach – the climax of the redemption. The babies in the mother’s stomachs participated in singing the shira. Even a maidservant was granted the spiritual revelations greater than what the great prophet Yechezkel saw – known as the Maasa Hamerkava. This miracles was felt in the whole world. Water everywhere split at the same time as Kriyas Yum Suf. This impact created fear to all the other nations of the awesomeness of Hashem and His Chosen Nation, the Jews. (This continued until Amolek undid this situation.)