This shiur is going to be concerning Shabbos Shira. It's the Shabbos when we read the shira in the Torah, the shira that the Yidden said after Kriat Yam Suf. Now we know that Kriat Yam Suf was one of the most important events that took place in Jewish history. And the reason why it is considered one of the most important events bepashtut is because this is one of the greatest miracles that ever happened. But in truth, the inyan of Kriat Yam Suf is more than that. As we will explain, the inyan of Kriat Yam Suf and the way it seems from the mefarshim and the sefarim gives us a much deeper insight in the general idea of what the בריאת העולם was and what the metziut of the world is. Concerning Kriat Yam Suf, the pasuk says in פרשת בשלח, קאפיטל י\"ד, פסוק כ\"ז: וישב הים לפנות בקר לאיתנו, that the ים returned early morning לאיתנו, as Rashi explains, means לתקפו הראשון, to its original strength. After the Yidden entered and they went out, and then the מצרים entered, then the ים returned back לאיתנו to its original strength. The midrash says on this pasuk, in Bereshit Rabbah פרשה ה' ה', and also in Shemot Rabbah פרשה כ\"א ו', and it's also mentioned in the Zohar, in the second חלק דף קצ\"ח עמוד ב', that when Hashem created the ים, Hashem made a condition with the ים, that he should split when the time will come for the Yidden to cross the ים. And this is what the pasuk means, וישב הים לאיתנו, the word לאיתנו are the same letters as the word לתנאו, to its condition, as the Baal HaTurim brings on the pasuk. And this is what the פסוק means: the ים returned לפנות בקר לאיתנו, לתנאו שהתנתי עמו מתחילה, to its condition that I lechatchilah made with the ים. But the question that comes up right away: the פסוק וישב הים לאיתנו is not talking about the splitting of the ים, but the opposite! That after the ים split, then it came back to its original matzav as it was before קריעת ים סוף. So it comes out that when did the ים fulfill its condition? Not at this point. It fulfilled its condition before! When it split, that's when it fulfilled the condition. But when the פסוק mentions וישב הים לאיתנו, the פסוק is speaking already after it was finished and it came back to its original stage. So how could we say that this is what the פסוק means, לתנאו, it returned to its condition, meaning that by returning and becoming a ים again, that's when the condition was fulfilled?

So the mefarshim explain, the Yedei Moshe on the Bereishit Rabbah says, that the pshat is that when Hashem made a condition with the ים, it wasn't just a condition that he has to split, but the condition was that if he will not want to split, then he will not be a ים anymore, there will be no more water there. Similar to what the Gemara says in Chulin דף ז' עמוד א', that ר' Pinchas ben Yair wanted to cross נהר גינאי, the river גינאי, and he said that the river should split. And when the river did not want to split for him, he said: אם אי אתה חולק, if you're not going to split, גוזרני עליך שלא יעברו בך מים לעולם, I will make a gezeirah on you that never again should there be water here. The same is with the condition Hashem made with the ים סוף: that he should split when the יידן will have to cross, but if he will not want to split, then he should not be a ים anymore. So it comes out that when was everything finished? That when the ים returned לפנות בקר לאיתנו, it returned back to its original stage, that's when everything was over, this condition was over. Because if he wouldn't have fulfilled the condition, then he wouldn't have been able to return back to the way he was before, because as the gezeirah was, that if you won't fulfill the condition, then he will not be a ים. And that is why the word לתנאו is hinted in the וישב הים, because the whole reason that it was possible for וישב הים לאיתנו, that the ים should return back to its original matzav, is only לתנאו, is only because it fulfilled its תנאי, and therefore he was able to continue to be a ים. But Lichorah, this still needs explanation. Because as it comes out, if the ים would not have fulfilled the condition, then the ים would not have been a ים at all. Not only wouldn't the ים have been with the same strength as it was before, but a weaker type of ים, but he wouldn't have been a ים at all. Now the simple pshat, as we said before, in the words וישב הים לפנות בקר לאיתנו is that it returned, as Rashi says, לתקפו הראשון, to its original strength. Which means that if not for these words, we would have thought that the ים returned not to its original strength, but after Krias Yam Suf, the ים wasn't as strong as before. So the pasuk tells us that it returned to its original strength. According to what we said before, that the pasuk is telling us that because the ים fulfilled its תנאי, that's why it returned to its original strength, lichorah, if it wouldn't have fulfilled its תנאי, not only would it have not returned to its original strength, it wouldn't have been a ים at all. So how can we make these two things fit together? The simple pshat of לאיתנו, which means to its original strength, and the word לתנאו, that it returned because it fulfilled its תנאי, as if it's saying that because it fulfilled the condition, that's why it went back לאיתנו, to its original strength, when really it should have said that because it fulfilled its תנאי, that's why bichlal it was able to return and be a ים. So it should have said וישב הים, that the ים returned, and someplace there should have been hinted that it returned and bichlal was a ים because of the condition. But the way it's now, it seems as if it's saying that the תנאי gave a תוקף. When it fulfilled the condition, that's when it went back to its original תוקף, to its original strength. But the truth is that the pasuk here wants to tell us a very deep concept in the ענין of the creation of the ים, not only concerning the creation of the ים, but concerning the creation of the whole מעשה בראשית, of the whole universe. Because as the Midrash says there, that this condition was not only made with the ים, but Hashem made a condition, he says there, in כל מה שנברא בששת ימי בראשית, with everything that was created in the ששת ימי בראשית, in the six days of creation, that when the time will come, they should change their nature because of the tzadikim, because of Yidden. So it comes out that this concept of making a condition with the ים is not only noge'a to the ים, but this is a concept concerning the whole creation, that Hashem made a condition with the whole creation, that they should do the ratzon of the tzadikim, the ratzon of the Yidden, they should do the will of the tzadikim, the will of the Yidden, when the time will come, even if it will be against their nature. So obviously, whatever we're going to explain concerning the meaning of the tenai that Hashem made with the ים will also apply not only to the ים, but to the whole of the creation. To understand what this really means, there is a very strong question that can be asked here. Why did Hashem have to make a condition with the ים to begin with, at the time when He created the ים, that it should split when the Yidden will have to cross? Why did He have to do that? Since Hashem created the world, Hashem is the only Baal HaBayit over the world, He controls everything of the world, and He is able, obviously, to do everything, so why couldn't He make it that when the time will come for the Yidden to cross the ים, He will make the ים split? Why did He have to make a condition lechatchilah before He created the ים? Usually a condition is made when you're afraid that if you don't make the condition lechatchilah, later, when you'll want that thing to happen, it'll be out of your hands. If you give something away and you don't make the condition, it's not yours anymore, so that other person does what he wants and you're not in control. That's why you make a condition lechatchilah, so then when the time will come, he'll have to do it. But in this case, since Hashem is the Baal HaBayit of the world, so Hashem, when the time comes for the Yidden to cross, was able to split the ים. Why did He have to make a condition lechatchilah?

The truth is that the Rambam in Moreh Nevuchim חלק ב׳, פרק כ״ט, explains, and the truth is he also writes the same idea in Perush HaMishnayot on Pirkei Avot, פרק ה׳, משנה ו׳, and the same idea is brought out in the Rabbeinu Bachya on this פסוק לאיתנו, that the reason Hashem had to make a condition was because עולם כמנהגו נוהג. The world goes according to its own minhag, the way Hashem created it. And it's not shayach, as he says, that ישתנה טבע אחר מעשה בראשית, that the nature should change after מעשה בראשית, או יתחדש רצון אחר שהונח כן, or there should be a change in the will of Hashem after Hashem made it so that this is how it should be, so it's not shayach it to change. And therefore, the only way it's possible that it should change is if lechatchila He made a condition with מעשה בראשית.

Now the truth is, first of all, the way the Rambam explains this does not seem to fit to what the Rambam himself explains in Moreh Nevuchim חלק ג׳, פרק כ׳. There he explains on the פסוק כי לא מחשבותי מחשבותיכם, השם says, \"Not like your thoughts are My thoughts,\" so he explains that even if the נסים would be things that would make a חידוש, would make something new in the מעשה בראשית, it's still not considered a שינוי רצון, חס ושלום, that Hashem changed, as he explains there. So it comes out that this contradicts to what he himself writes in Moreh Nevuchim, חלק ב׳, פרק כ״ט, and in Perush Hamishnayot, that the reason Hashem had to make the condition because if he wouldn't make the condition, then later on, when he would make the נס, it would be a change in his רצון, in his will. Because he wanted the nature to be in a certain way, and this will be a change of his will. When he himself writes in the other place in Moreh Nevuchim that this is not considered a change, the way he explains it. And the truth is that the Tosafos Yom Tov actually says that these two things contradict. But in addition to that, even if we'll go according to the way he writes in חלק ב׳, פרק כ״ט, that this would be considered a שינוי רצון, that if Hashem would change the nature later on without the condition lechatchila, it would be considered that he changed his will, we still have a question. Because in order to avoid the problem of שינוי רצון, of it shouldn't be a change in his will, so then it was, it would be enough if Hashem would lechatchila put into the creation the idea that later on it should split. He should create it lechatchila in such a way that it has the potential that when the time will come, it should split. Why does it have to be in a form of a תנאי in the creation of the ים? He could have made it lechatchila, he would create the ים, and at the time of the creation, he would put into the creation of the ים that when that time will come, it'll have to split. The concept of a תנאי is not that. A condition is that we're saying that if you don't fulfill the condition, your whole creation is not a creation. In other words, he put this condition into the concept of creating the ים. In the whole general creation of the ים, he put in this condition. But why was that important? He could have created the ים סתם, and also, part of that creation would be that when the time of the splitting of the ים would come, the ים would split. But when we say he made a condition in the creation, what we're really saying is that the whole creation, so to speak, as if depends on this condition. This is the whole concept of a condition. When a person sells something, for instance, on condition, the whole sale is only valid if the condition is fulfilled. So here, too, what he did was, he said that the whole בריאה is valid only if the condition will be fulfilled. Why did he have to make it in a form of a condition? He could have made the creation by itself, and in that creation itself, part of it would be that when the time will come to split, it will split. But the pshat is, as we just said, that idea of a condition is not only that this is a side thing, but the whole thing depends on the condition. And this is what Hashem wanted, that the whole creation of the ים should depend on fulfilling this condition of splitting for the Yidden. And the same is with everything else in the מעשה בראשית, that Hashem made a condition with everything in מעשה בראשית that it should change its nature when the time will come, when the tzadikim will want, when it'll have to be done for the Yidden. So it comes out that the whole creation depends on that. What was the purpose of this?

We know what Rashi bring down and it says in the Midrash, that when Hashem created the world, it was בשביל ישראל ובשביל התורה. It was because of the Yidden and because of the Torah. As the pasuk says, ״בראשית ברא אלקים״, the word בראשית is made up of two words: ב׳ ראשית, which means that there are two things which are called ראשית. The Torah is called ראשית and the ישראל are called ראשית. And what the pasuk is saying, that the creation of the world was because of these two ראשית. Or, the ב׳ could be a ראשי תיבות, an abbreviation of the word בשביל. So really the word בראשית means בשביל and ב׳ ראשית, because of the two ראשית. The whole creation of the world is because of these two ענינים. Now simple peshat means that the world was created, and the world is a being by itself, its purpose is to serve the בני ישראל, to serve the Torah. But the truth is more than that. Not only is it something that serves the בני ישראל and the Torah, its whole מהות, its whole essential being, is only because of the Torah. And if not for the Torah, it has no existence. Not only if not for the Torah, this being would not have done what it's supposed to, would not fulfill its purpose, but if not for the Torah, then the whole existence of the world does is not there. That's the inner meaning of בשביל ישראל ובשביל התורה, that the whole מציאות of the world is the Torah and the בני ישראל. And this is the idea of the תנאי. Just like we said, when you make a תנאי, the whole thing depends on the תנאי, and if the תנאי is not fulfilled, then the whole ענין is not valid. If you sell something on תנאי, and you don't fulfill the tenai, not only wasn't the purpose done, but then the whole thing lechatchila is not valid, which means that the whole essence of this sale is this tenai. And that is the reason why Hashem didn't just say, ״I'm creating the world, I'm also saying that when the time will come, the yam should split, or every should do what the tzadikim want. But Hashem made that a condition in their creation, which means their creation, their being itself is dependent on this tenai. So it comes out that their true מהות is the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael. If Hashem would have created them and then also would have said that they should split, even if He would have said it in the beginning of their creation, it would have to be done, but then their creation and their being is not dependent on that. So that is not the essence of their existence. But now that He put it in as a condition, so it comes out that the essence of the existence of the yam and the same thing with the whole world is the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael. And self-understood, by Hashem doing this, He gave the yam and the same is with the whole world a much stronger existence, a stronger tokef. Because if Hashem wouldn't do this, the existence of the world would be a being in itself, then it would be a limited thing. As we understand that the world, the universe, which is a creation of Hashem, is מוגבל, limited. By saying that the whole essence of the world is really the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael, this gives the world also a concept of being unlimited. Because the Torah is unlimited, the Bnei Yisrael, which have holy neshamot, which is part of Hashem, is unlimited. And if this is the true essence of the world, of the existence of the world, of the whole beriah, then the whole beriah has in itself a concept of infinity, being its whole existence is the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael. And this is what the pasuk means, וישב הים לאיתנו, that the yam returned, as Rashi says, לתקפו הראשון, to its original strength. And this was done לתנאו, because it fulfilled its tenai. And we asked before, why mention here לתקפו הראשון, to its original strength, when really, if not for the fulfillment of the tenai, not only wouldn't it have its original strength, but it wouldn't be a yam at all. This is exactly what the pasuk is trying to tell us. That by fulfilling the tenai, then it came back to its strength. If not for the tenai, it wouldn't have a strength. The world, and in this case the yam, would be a limited thing. When something is limited, which means it will eventually come to an end, even while it's there, it's not really 100% there. As we know the din by מים המכזבים, that water that dries up once in seven years is called not true. Because even while it's there, since eventually it's going to stop, it's not truly true. So the existence of the world, being that it's a limited thing and it has a limited time, שית אלפי שני הוי עלמא, 6,000 years the world will be, so it is limited. So it doesn't have the proper strength. But by doing this tenai, by having the tenai and then fulfilling it, then it got תוקפו הראשון, then it got the original strength that was given by מעשה בראשית, that Hashem actually put a real strength in the world, He made the world have a connection to infinity, being that the real metziut of the world is the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael, because this was lechatchila put in as a condition in the creation. So the whole validity and metziut of the world really is only the Torah and the Bnei Yisrael.