Faith Before the Miracle: Why Some Walked Into the Sea and Others Waited

We all believe in God, and we are all descendants of believers. Yet despite this shared faith, there are meaningful differences between us.

There are those who believe consistently — day to day, in routine life, and even when they are doing something that involves a certain level of risk. And there are those who believe only when there is truly, absolutely no alternative — when nothing more can be done, when everyone around has given up. Only then do they lift their eyes heavenward and declare: “God will help,” “With God’s help it will be okay,” or even, “Whoever believes is not afraid.”

This is a form of belief that functions as a last resort — a set of resignation phrases rather than a living faith.

Faith as a Last Resort Is Weak Faith

This is a very low level of faith. If faith can be used before all other options are exhausted, why save it for the moment when nothing else remains, only to become disappointed when it does not seem to “work”?

The Talmud (Bava Kamma 38a) tells of the great Amora Ulla. His colleagues once asked him to join them in consoling mourners. Ulla refused, saying that he would not participate in condolence visits in Babylonia because the people there uttered words that bordered on disrespect toward Heaven.

When consoling one another, they would say: “What can be done?”

What disturbed Ulla about this phrase? After all, if something could have been done, they truly would have done it. Had the deceased still been alive, would they not have called an ambulance or summoned the finest doctors?

So what was so troubling about their words?

Ulla explains: If you truly believe in God and understand that He knows better than you what should happen, which decree to issue and which covenant to enact, then you would never speak after the fact as though you could have changed God’s decision.

If you understand that what God does is the ultimate good — then even though He allowed you to consult doctors and do everything in your power during your loved one’s lifetime, now that He has closed the gates of Heaven to further prayer and the gates of earth to further intervention, it means that the best possible outcome for your loved one and for you is their departure from this world to a world that is entirely good.

And if that is so, then despite the pain and sorrow, one should not speak in a way that reflects resistance to the loss.

Faith Is Not for After Everything Fails

Faith is not meant to appear only as reluctant acceptance of misfortune. It should be on the shelf at all times — every day and every hour.

Even when there is something we can do within the permission God has granted us, we are expected to rely on Avinu Malkeinu, our Father and King, who knows far better than we do what is truly good and what is not, and who always does what is eternally best.

The difference between these two “types” of believers becomes clear before the moment of no return — while action is still possible. At that stage, is a person loyal to God’s will? Do they act according to the “Manufacturer’s instructions”? Do they pray, or do they rely solely on their own strength and intelligence?

After the critical moment has passed, it is neither wisdom nor faith to say, “God will help,” or “Everything is from Heaven.”

“God Will Help” vs. “Everything Is from Heaven”

Rabbi Elimelech Biderman once explained this insightfully: When a person is planning success or rescue, they tend to say: “With Heavenly assistance,” or “God will help” — meaning, I will succeed, and God will merely assist.

But after failure, people say: “Everything is from Heaven” — meaning, if I failed, then Heaven didn’t want it; the failure belongs entirely to God.

Two Verses at the Sea — Almost Identical, Yet Worlds Apart

In this week’s Torah portion we find two verses that are nearly identical, yet profoundly different.

First verse: “The Children of Israel came into the sea on dry land, and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left” (Shemot 14:22)

Second verse: “The Children of Israel walked on dry land within the sea, and the waters were a wall for them on their right and on their left” (Shemot 14:29)

Before continuing, pause and try to identify the differences between the two verses.

Two Key Differences

The first difference: In the first verse it says “into the sea on dry land”, while in the second it says “on dry land within the sea.”

The second difference: In the first verse, the word “wall” (chomah) is written in full spelling, while in the second it is written without the letter vav, making it read as “chemah” — anger.

Where does this difference come from? Every letter in the Torah is precise and deliberate.

Two Types of Faith at the Sea

The Midrash explains that the deficient spelling teaches that the ministering angels were filled with anger toward Israel because idol worshippers were still among them.

The Vilna Gaon (as cited by later commentators) explains more deeply: There were two types of people among Israel.

God told Moshe: “Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey forth… and they shall come into the sea on dry land” (Shemot 14:15–16) God commanded the people to enter the sea while it was still a sea. Only afterward would it split.

One group believed and entered immediately. As the Talmud (Sotah 37a) describes, Nachshon ben Aminadav walked in until the water reached his nostrils, and only then did the sea split.

The second group refused to enter until they saw dry land with their own eyes. They waited on the shore until the miracle occurred, and only then stepped forward.

A Wall of Protection — or a Wall of Anger

The first verse refers to those who entered the sea first. For them it says: “They came into the sea on dry land,” and for them the waters were a full wall — complete protection, without anger.

The second verse refers to those who waited. For them it says: “They walked on dry land within the sea,” and the waters were a wall spelled without the vav — hinting at anger and judgment.

Astounding, isn’t it?

Only those who believe while they still have a choice — while they could remain safely on shore, merit miracles beyond nature, performed with mercy and without anger.

The others will still experience the miracle, but only after it occurs, and accompanied by a measure of divine displeasure.

Jumping Into the Water in Our Own Lives

Time and again we stand at crossroads in life. There is always a path that is more aligned with God’s will, though the differences may seem small and unclear.

The correct path can be clarified through Torah guidance — or at least by asking which choice allows us to serve God with greater focus, integrity, and spiritual clarity.

Into that narrow gap between obedience and avoidance enters the yetzer hara. It convinces us that this isn’t really what God intended, that this isn’t the right time for “spiritual luxuries,” and that money, honor, or material success are more important — even for our spiritual future and our children’s future.

Yet divine providence grants special favor to those who know how to “jump into the water” according to God’s will as revealed in the Torah and by its sages.

In contrast stands a delayed, hesitant path — full of questions and inner resistance, for those who wait until others jump first and only proceed once the ground looks safe.

This applies to mitzvot that challenge our comfort, to marriage and child-rearing, to charity and acts of kindness.

Each time a new path appears that seems harder than what we are accustomed to, we must know that the Heavenly court is watching with admiration, waiting for our step of faith. From there, the path to blessing and fulfillment in the service of God is very short indeed.