The Splitting of the Red Sea: The Spiritual Meaning of the Seventh Day of Passover

In Parashat Beshalach, the Torah tells us about the miracle of the splitting of the Red Sea. According to the plain meaning of the Torah and the teachings of the Sages, this event took place on the twenty-first of Nisan, the seventh day of Passover. Why specifically on this day?

The True Climax of the Exodus

The seventh day of Passover represents the peak moment of the Exodus from Egypt. Until that night, the Jewish people had already left Egypt physically, yet Egypt was still pursuing them. Fear remained close behind, and their freedom was not yet complete.

Only when the sea split, the path opened, and the pursuit ended did redemption become irreversible. At that moment, liberation was no longer a temporary escape but a permanent transformation.

From Hidden to Revealed: The Kabbalistic Meaning of the Sea

Kabbalah describes the splitting of the sea as a transition from concealment to revelation. The “sea” represents a hidden world, full of life and depth yet covered from sight. The “dry land” represents the revealed world, where everything is visible.

When the sea turned into dry land, a higher order became visible within a place that naturally conceals. Beyond physical salvation, this moment revealed Divine guidance: what appeared to be the fixed boundaries of nature suddenly became a pathway. According to Chassidic teachings, the revelation of the seventh day of Passover reaches a level where even the boundaries themselves dissolve. Darkness begins to shine, and the Song of the Sea already senses the future.

Seven Days and Seven Spiritual Attributes

The seven days of Passover correspond to the seven spiritual attributes, the sefirot. The first day reflects kindness and a redemption that comes from Above. The seventh day represents malchut, kingship, the point where redemption becomes real within the world.

Malchut is associated with speech and song, which explains why the miracle concludes with the Song of the Sea. This is the day when redemption is given a voice, when it becomes an inner awareness shared by an entire nation.

Nisan, Speech, and the Power to Move Forward

According to Sefer Yetzirah, the month of Nisan is associated with the constellation of Aries, the letter hei, and the faculty of speech. It is also connected with the “right foot” of the soul, symbolizing forward movement and confidence.

These themes are strongly expressed on the seventh day of Passover. It is the night when walking becomes possible even where no path exists, and the day when collective song rises from the people, reflecting refined speech and awakened faith.

The Lamb as a Symbol of Beginning and Breakthrough

Aries, the lamb, symbolizes beginnings and emergence, like a young lamb stepping into the world. Nisan is the first month, and Passover marks the birth of the nation. Yet there is a difference between beginning and completion. One can start to leave, only to find that the past is still chasing behind.

The splitting of the sea is the moment when the beginning gains strength and stability. Like a lamb breaking free and leaping into open fields, the people move decisively into a new future by breaking through what once seemed an unpassable barrier.

The verse “And they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant” appears only after the sea split. Chassidic thought explains that faith in God is strengthened through connection to Moshe, the channel of faith for the generation. This moment creates a deeper level of belief that begins to move toward understanding and knowledge, preparing the people for the giving of the Torah.

Why the Twenty First of Nisan?

The number twenty one corresponds to the Divine Name “Ehyeh” (Aleph 1, Hei 5, Yud 10, Hei 5). This Name is associated with redemption and with God’s presence accompanying Israel through change and becoming, as expressed in the phrase “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh.”

For this reason, the twenty-first of Nisan marks the completion of the Exodus. It represents the moment when the Jewish people fully entered a new reality, standing not only as those who escaped Egypt, but as a truly free nation.