And Pharaoh brought himself close

 

וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב

Shmot  14. 10- שמות

10.’ And Pharaoh brought himself close- וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב (678+2 words=680=14=8), and the Children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold Egypt were chasing after them, and they were very scared, and the Children of Israel cried out to Hashem-וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְהוָה (5302+16 words=5318=17=8 counting final Mems as 600).

And the Children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold Egypt were chasing after them

וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם 

2402=8

And behold Egypt was chasing after them

וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם

890=17=8

And they were very scared

וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד

278=17=8 or + 2 words=19=10=1

Rashi comments here that the verse should read “and Pharaoh drew close”-קרַב   וּפַרְעֹה. Thus the verse teaches us that Pharaoh brought himself close and attempted to go ahead of his army as he said he would (verse 6 above and Rashi there).

I say that Pharaoh “sacrificed”- הִקְרִיב. He arrived at Baal-Zephon- בַּעַל צְפֹן and sacrificed to the remaining Egyptian deity-“Baal-Zephon” for success in his battle against the Children of Israel. This is learnt by taking the last two words of the previous verse “Baal-Zephon”- בַּעַל צְפֹן and joining them to the first two words of this verse- וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב. The end and the beginning are one.

The joint gematria of the words support this opinion:

And Pharaoh Sacrificed to Baal-Zephon

בַּעַל צְפֹן- וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב

1000=1

Rashi adds that “Egypt were pursuing after them”- מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם as a single entity-with one heart and as one man-בלב אחד כאיש אחד.Moreover, Israel saw the Ministering Angel of Egypt travelling from the Heavens to assist Egypt (Mechilta; Shmot Rabbah 21.5; Tanchuma 13).

Thus we can say that a cosmic battle was also waging at the same The Ministering Angel of Egypt-שר מצרים against the Ministering Angel of Israel- שר ישראל.

Ministering Angel of Egypt

שר מִצְרַיִם

1440=1+8

Ministering Angel of Israel

שר יִשְׂרָאֵל

1041+2 words=8+2 words=10=1

Rashi adds that here the words “and the Children of Israel cried out”-וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל was for salvation through prayer-תפלה and they adopted the methods of their Forefathers-Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as related in the Talmud (Berachot 26.b):

Abraham (Beraishit 19.27):

27.’And Abraham arose early in the morning to the place where he had stood before Hashem- וַיַּשְׁכֵּם אַבְרָהָם בַּבֹּקֶר אֶל הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר עָמַד שָׁם אֶת פְּנֵי יְהוָה(2672=17=8).

Isaac (Beraishit 24.63):

63.’ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field towards evening- וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַבַּשָּׂדֶה לִפְנוֹת עָרֶב (1810=17=8), and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, camels were approaching- וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה גְמַלִּים בָּאִים (2042=8 counting final Mems as 600).

Jacob (Beraishit 28.11):

11.’And he touched (encountered -Rashi) upon The Place, and stayed there the night, because the sun had set- וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ(3241+7 words=17=8 counting final Nun and Mems as 700 and 600), and he took from the stones of The Place, and placed around his head-וַיִּקַּח מֵאַבְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם וַיָּשֶׂם מְרַאֲשֹׁתָיו (1731+5 words=17=8), and he lay down in That Place- וַיִּשְׁכַּב בַּמָּקוֹם הַהוּא (1103+3 words=8 counting final Mem as 600).

From our Forefathers we learn that Abraham “stood”, Isaac “meditated” and Jacob “lay down/prostrated himself” in order to pray to Hashem. The prayer was the “Standing Prayer”-עמידה of 18 Benedictions- תפלת שמנה עשרה.

·               To Stand-                לעָמוד =150

·         To Meditate-           לָשׂוּחַ =352

·         To Prostrate-           לשְׁכַּב =344

846=18

And the Children of Israel cried out!

וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל!

885+3 words=888

 Code of Hai

 צפן חי

888 (Nun 700)

He put an End to Darkness

 קץ שם לחשך

888