Memar Marqah Book 2

1 In the name of God! May the Lord’s favor rest on this too. 2 We stand at the edge of the spring of Eden, of eternal life, if we know how to drink its water; indeed, great rivers lie before us. Blessed be God, who brought forth every kind of creature for the sake of humankind. Glorious is the form of the human being, created in the form of God, that is, the form of the heart, not of outward appearance. He divided the animals into four kinds; three he created for the sake of the fourth, humankind. And he made this one stand upright with his wisdom, so that he might be complete for the radiance of the spiritual. Yet not just one witness remains to testify to this about the man; that is why the perfect Torah granted its servants “life and length of days.” For by keeping the Torah the soul is given drink, and through the soul the body is given drink. Just as the soul makes up the true substance of a person, so through the Torah the soul endures for ever. “For a person does not live by bread alone, but by everything that comes from the mouth of God.”

1 For an everlasting blessing I remember the great prophet Moses, who opened the Garden of Eden, the Torah, to us. For its sake he remembered the tribes of Jacob, the sun of Isaac, the stars of Abraham. The third part of the subjugation, one hundred and forty years, still remained, for they had a reckoning of the four hundred years, and as they neared the end of it, messengers went out. When the completion of the years came, they groaned and cried out in bitterness of spirit. “And God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.” So too he remembered the son of Lamech when the hundred and fifty days were completed. God remembered the man of eighty years once he was perfect in heart and perfect in understanding. When he had gained these three qualities for his prophetic office, the honored and wonderful name of the Lord was revealed to him. And so they believed in the Lord and Moses three times, but they did not stay steady in their faith. 2 The first time, when he performed the wonder before their eyes in Egypt, they all believed; but they did not stand firm. They turned away and said, “May the Lord look on you and judge.” 3 The second time, when they saw the wonders he did in Egypt, they did not stand firm either, but soon turned away and said, “You have brought us out to die in the wilderness.” 4 The third time was when they saw more than before, the wonders at the Red Sea, whose like they had never seen. 5 Great is the holy congregation, which the pious prophet led with great wonders out of the “iron furnace” to keep the perfect teaching that came down from the holy dwelling.

1 From the day that Moses, peace be upon him, came to the mountain of God at Horeb, the four elements of the world served the congregation of the Lord, and the Lord sent him equipped with exalted wonders, distress for the Egyptians and deliverance for the hosts of the Lord. Three times he revealed to you the going forth of the great fire from the Lord out of heaven, to serve the children of Israel from Horeb to the wilderness of Shur. The winds served the tribes of favor ten times and pressed their enemies as far as the Red Sea. The water served them fourteen times as far as the wilderness of Shur, and the dust served them six times. Thirty-three times the elements protected the beloved and pressed hard on the enemies. 2 The fire of the Glory, which was revealed to Moses in the bush for the deliverance of the tribes; the fire of the hail, which mixed with it, was a blessing for the Hebrews and vengeance for the Egyptians. And the fire that was revealed among the waves consumed the enemies of God and of Israel. These are the three occasions on which the fire of the Lord served the servants of God and of the Lord. 3 We will tell the meaning of the wind, which did service ten times, and those who understand will hear it. 4 The first: it carried great birds to tear apart the enemies of the Lord God with the plague of swarms. 5 The second: the wind that brought devastation, so that it caused a great pestilence among the livestock of the Egyptians. 6 The third: through Moses it spread the leprous sores over the whole land of Egypt. 7 The fourth: it carried the locusts and set them down in all the territory of Egypt, until they had eaten everything the hail had left. 8 The fifth: very strong winds carried the locusts away and sank them in the Red Sea. 9 The sixth: it brought darkness before the eyes of the Egyptians, so that no one could rise from his place for three days. 10 The seventh: the Lord drove the sea back all night with an east wind and made the sea dry ground. 11 The eighth: by the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the wind became like waterskins to them. 12 The ninth: he brought the sea back to its course; it returned and ruled for death and for peace. 13 The tenth: he blew with the breath of his Glory, and the Egyptians were covered after his servants had been rescued. 14 For all this we say: yours, Lord, are the mighty deeds, worker of wonders, and so on. And the earth, the dust, served several times. We will list the six occasions, to increase the wisdom of all who search. 15 The first: Moses’ staff became a serpent before Moses’ face, hinting at a secret, that Pharaoh was in his hand. 16 The second: before Pharaoh the serpent swallowed the staffs and neither grew nor shrank. 17 The third: “All the dust of the earth became gnats,” vengeance on the Egyptians and a respite for all the Hebrews from shaping bricks. 18 The fourth: all the beasts of the land came out of the forest to tear the wicked apart. 19 The fifth: the soot of the furnace that Moses scattered became boils, breaking out in sores. 20 The sixth: the land at the Red Sea swallowed the enemy. “You stretched out your hand; the earth swallowed them.” Yours, Lord, are the mighty deeds, worker of wonders. 21 I remember Moses, the man of God, who helped the congregation of the Hebrews to blessing at God’s command. High is his greatness; none like him has arisen, and none will arise for ever. 22 Through him the water served the hosts of the Lord fourteen times. 23 The first time, he took some of the water of the river and poured it out on dry ground before the eyes of the people, so that they would believe and know that just so he would pour out the blood of the enemy. Yours, Lord, who keep covenant and steadfast love, are these mighty deeds, for the Lord is greater than all gods. 24 The second: he turned the water of the river into blood, vengeance on the Egyptians. In this wonder ten wonders met in the water, bringing relief to the servants of God, so that their enemies saw that the Lord was greater than all their gods. 25 The third: the water that was in all the land of Egypt was turned into human blood. Seven days passed, and they could not drink the water, while the Hebrews had fresh water. One water it was that became death for the Egyptians and life for the children of the Hebrews, for the Lord is greater than all gods. 26 The fourth: after seven days the blood became water again, and it made frogs swarm out. They renewed themselves as often as they wished and came up in swarms into the places of the Egyptians. A most wretched kind of vermin, yet they behaved as if they had reason, so that they could rightly tell friends from enemies. Through them kings were humbled and heroes brought low, for the Lord is greater than all gods. 27 The fifth: he made hail rain down, and with it he made extraordinarily loud thunder heard. “And fire fell to the earth.” It is said that fire was in the midst of the hail and the water of the hail surrounded it, and it is said that the fire shone and burned among the hail. Mighty deeds belong to him who did all this, for the Lord is greater, and so on. 28 The sixth: the Red Sea divided when the sea perceived his prophetic office at the Lord’s command. A road was prepared in it for the hosts of the Lord, a wonder whose like never happened and never will for ever. For great is, and so on. 29 The seventh: in the eyes of the tribes passing through, the water was like high walls, and they were raised on a high embankment to protect Israel’s crossing until they had passed through. For great is, and so on. 30 The eighth: it was turned to dryness, and he made the sea dry ground as if there were no water in it, though water had flowed in it from the day it was created; this happened so that Israel would not be harmed in crossing. Mighty deeds belong to God, for great is, and so on. 31 The ninth: the current changed. All the water in the Red Sea flowed very strongly from below upward, though the current of water tends from above downward. The water stood as walls to protect the tribes. Blessed be the Lord, for great is, and so on. 32 The tenth: at this time the water was raised up as a just judge, to judge between the pious and the wicked. The wicked was overthrown by it, and it killed him with many kinds of plagues and freed the pious from him, and at the command of the great Lord it made a distinction between the one and the other. For great is, and so on. 33 The eleventh: when the Lord’s servants went out of it and the Egyptians went out against Israel and harnessed the wheels of their chariots, the walls turned over on them and crushed their heads. With their teams they sought escape, but did not find it. Then everyone knew that God, and so on. 34 The twelfth: the sea returned to its strength before Pharaoh and his servants. They saw it while they were all still alive; they saw it, but they were powerless. Then the Lord lifted them up so that the Israelites could see them on the shore of the sea, but afterward they sank into the depths like a stone, for great is, and so on. 35 The thirteenth: his voice was heard at all the ends of the earth when the waters went back, so that the nations would hear of it. Moses made the matter known in the verses of “Then sang”; whoever heard it knew that the Lord is greater than all gods. 36 The fourteenth: the water closed over Pharaoh and all his people; not one of them was left. 37 And all the Israelites went out in peace like kings. They rejoiced at their deliverance and gave thanks to the Lord of the world, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who had remembered his covenant with them. And they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. These are the thirty-three that served Israel and killed all the Egyptians.

1 How fine it was to see the great prophet Moses standing by the sea speaking with Pharaoh! But Pharaoh hardened his heart to his own shame. Moses said to him: “Pharaoh, give up your wickedness and breathe it out; give up your sin and drive it from your heart. Consider all the punishments that have struck you because of your rebellion. Look at the sinful ways of those who were punished before you: Cain and his punishments, and his son and what happened to them. Think too of the generation of the Flood and the builders of the tower, and what was decreed against them. Remember Nimrod the mighty hunter, and the people of Sodom and their burning, if only a part of their punishments should befall you. You sought destruction; it came from you, but God is blameless toward you. By your apostasy you cause your own death. Your words have become the enemies of your bones; they destroy you, and your deeds strangle you. For the whole of your evil work, receive the wages for all of it. Truly, whoever sows evil reaps thorns.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and it destroyed him; as he had been told, so it came about, and he was punished. Woe to you, Pharaoh, sinner, what have you done to yourself! Where has your understanding wandered? Turn back! Whoever does evil, his share is fixed in this way in the world. Woe to you, Pharaoh, sinner, though he was warned by the great prophet Moses! Moses said: “Do you know what will happen when the magicians come and see how I destroy you at the Lord’s command? Did they not tell you that I would perish in the sea at their hands, because of their greatness? Today they will see who it is that is destroyed in the sea; by the sea they will testify that the Lord is great. Go, sinner, and pay attention, so that you may learn the reward for all your deeds. The Lord will destroy you with many kinds of slaughter. If the magicians tell you that I will be destroyed in the sea, the Lord has taught me that you will be destroyed. Then you will see whose word is true, the magicians’ or the Lord’s.”

1 Let us watch the sea and hear what it says: “Far be it from me to do anything that would anger the True One.” “You were created not for apostasy or rebellion but for obedience to the commands of the True One.” The great prophet Moses said to the sea, “Be calm, for a judgment is being carried out through you; you will judge in truth.” And the sea spoke to Moses in its terror: “Whatever you command me I cannot resist, for you know through the True One that at the beginning of your creation your Lord exalted you, and you received all your power from him. You were placed in me when you were an infant; the Lord prepared me to carry you.” 2 Moses answered it with the permission of the great True One, who revealed himself there: “Pay attention! If a sign was revealed through you for my sake, signs will be done by my hand. If your waters carried me when I was still an infant, then carry me and all the myriads of the True One who are with me. If the Egyptians were terrified when I was placed in you, you should be terrified when I walk through you. If the Egyptians were reassured by their magicians, they will be put to shame by the True One. If Pharaoh rejoiced in insolent words, he will perish by the words of the righteous. Sea, be calm when we come to you; our Lord has appointed you judge; judge in truth.” 3 And the sea said: “Pious one, in everything you will find me ready to do what I am permitted. Nothing is permitted me but what pleases the True One, so proclaim everything.” 4 Moses said to it: “Let your water and your raging be calm, for through you come deliverance and destruction. What great glory, and afterward terror among all creatures, for all the nations of the earth have never heard of such a thing as is happening here. For Pharaoh stood out by great wickedness and so surpassed the sinners who were punished for it; therefore his punishment is also greater than all of theirs.” 5 Let us go to the sea and listen. 6 “I do not want to make myself unclean with Pharaoh and his people, who gathered every abomination in themselves. Let none like him ever come near us.” 7 Moses the great prophet answered, “How do you reconcile this with the pious, if you kill the sinners?” The sea replied, “Why should the one who gathered everything vile in himself make his grave in me?” 8 Moses said to it, “If this grieves you, then rejoice in the welfare of the children of the pure!” 9 The sea answered, “Can I take pleasure in the passage of the pious if I am to be a grave for the unclean with all the kinds of his uncleanness?” 10 Moses answered it, “Their passage is like the water that sanctifies the unclean and purifies them from all uncleanness.” 11 After these words the sea fell silent and recognized that he was the chosen one. 12 Then the True One spoke to Israel: “Go now in peace; be obedient to me, and I will make you great.” The Merciful One said to them: “We will not leave you; we will watch over you as you go. The pillar of cloud honors your camps, so that no flaw appears among you.” The pillar of fire gave them light, so that any spy in their midst came to light. The angels too went with them, destroying the sinners who opposed them. The great Glory fought for them and made their majesty known among all the nations. 13 The sea began to speak with Israel, and it spoke like a teacher instructing one who wants to learn: “Come in peace, holy people; pass through me in peace; mighty heralds go before you. Come in peace, you who are like your forefathers; God revealed himself and freed you with power. Good and lofty leaders have been chosen, so that you may pass through in peace and rule in truth. Come in peace and do not humble yourself, for now I am ready to let you pass through me.” 14 Moses went on speaking to Pharaoh and the Egyptians: “What have you come for? Now a people has been made ready, against whom no one rises up but you and all who follow after you.” 15 See the great prophet Moses, whose rule is beginning; he raises his hand over the sea with great power. See his hand, which does wonders in abundance, raised with great power over the sea. See his holy mouth, which grew in holiness from the day he was created, from the day he was called. When he raised his hand over the sea and divided it, he praised his Lord. How the sea clothed itself in great fear when Moses raised his hand over it and addressed it: “Be calm toward those who pass through you.” 16 It answered with great fear and extraordinary humility: “I will not withdraw from my Lord’s command, because of the ten things that dwelt in me from evening until morning: the word that gathered my waters, and his light by which I was lit, and his wind that spread me out, and his fire that dried me, and his signs that split me, and the signs that shut me in, and the creation that moved me, and the east wind that dried me, and the fury loosed in me, and the darkness that was made first, from which everything came to be.” 17 Moses said to it: “Do not let all this grieve you, for you were chosen for this; that is why these things came upon you.” 18 Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and the True One said to him: “I will proclaim your majesty to all the generations of the world.” 19 When Moses stretched his hand over the sea, the hidden and the revealed trembled, and the world then stood in a fear that had no equal.

1 Moses went up, and the Glory exalted his going through the Red Sea. Consider Moses between the two goings! Moses went up and Pharaoh went in. Moses went in, and his God exalted him; Pharaoh went in, and his God destroyed him. Moses went in, and the Glory gladdened his heart; Pharaoh went in, and the Glory shook his heart. Moses went in, and the Glory gladdened him; Pharaoh went in, and his deserts destroyed him. Moses went in, and the angels paid him homage; Pharaoh went in, and the angels slaughtered him. 2 When Moses and the Israelites went into the sea, the wind gathered and stood ready to meet them. When Pharaoh and the Egyptians went into the sea, judgment was prepared for them. 3 See how the prophet begins to proclaim the proclamation of Enosh, who was great in truth: “Then he began to call on the name of God.”

1 At the beginning of his Song he too begins with “Then.” “Then,” that is, the planting of the great garden of Eden, the True One, the Torah, reports, and Abraham renewed it. 2 The True One reports: “And the Lord God planted,” and “Abraham planted a grove,” the True One writes. So Moses began at the sea and made his Song a garden full of praises. 3 “Then” he planted, to make the good tree of life grow tall in the garden. And further, he begins the text with the word az, “then,” because creation was renewed here. 4 In this “then,” az, Bereshit is included, and the Sabbath, whose exaltedness is great and which is full of goodness. If God did not exalt it for the founding of his creation, why did he begin with the great Bet? Az points to Bereshit, the entrance to every good thing. The Sabbath is a city full of blessing. Bereshit is a foundation full of spirit; the Sabbath is a place wholly holy. 5 Here the insight of Moses showed itself to the world; it is food for the living and insight for the sake of the dead. He goes on and says yashir, “he sang,” a great word that cannot be changed. 6 Exalted words, shining stream! “Then he sang”: I will explain it, and you, listen. In the word az lies a great mystery, a hint that cannot be overturned. With the word az the renewal of creation at the beginning is hinted at, and by the numerical value of Zayin the Sabbath and the covenant of Abraham were revealed. 7 Consider the word yashir, with which the great prophet Moses began and which he made a safeguard for the count of the years. All of it holds the number 510 and has three parts: the years the forefathers lived as strangers, the years of the children’s slavery, and the years until Moses reached this standing. 8 Another interpretation. 9 “Then Moses the great prophet sang, and all the children of Israel with him.” Az, “then,” because before this the elders of Israel, who had gathered, asked him to proclaim the wisdom of the wonders that God had done through his servant Moses in Egypt, these being the wonders done before those at the sea. Why, they asked, are the wonders of the sea mentioned in this Song before those that happened in Egypt? “And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the shore of the sea, killed by the great hand with which the Lord had worked wonders in Egypt.” 10 The answer to this question is that they had not kept on believing in God and in his servant Moses. When they saw the work of God and his wonders at the sea and the death of the Egyptians, they believed in the Lord and in his servant Moses. 11 After the death of the Egyptians, he raised them in anger and fury to the surface of the waters of the sea, and it delighted them, for he turned their faces upward so that the Israelites would see them; and when they had seen them, they sank, and they saw them no more. 12 “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song.” But why does he use the word yashir as the word for praises? Because it is a collective word for the words of praise. Moses and the children of Israel took up a remarkable arrangement when they sang this song. Moses stood by the sea with his face turned toward Mount Gerizim, Bethel; behind him stood all the elders of Israel, and behind the elders all the children of Israel. The prophet Moses sang the song piece by piece, and when he had finished it all he fell silent, and all the elders answered with the cry: “Sing, sing to the Lord, for a proud people, horse and rider, he has thrown into the sea.” 13 And all Israel answered, “My strength and my song is the Lord, and he has become my salvation,” up to “The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.” And they fell silent. And the prophet Moses sang again, for Miriam too sang and said, “Sing to the Lord,” with the elders, and their women said with the children of Israel, “My strength and my music is the Lord,” to the end; for the proud people means Pharaoh and his riders, who lifted up their pride against the children of Israel. 14 “Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea.”

1 When the Egyptians reached the sea, they placed themselves in four divisions. The riders of the horses, Pharaoh’s chosen men, went ahead, together with his charioteers, the owners of the horses, and their foot soldiers. And even when the princes, their leaders, came upon the sinful thing that does not please God, they sinned by letting themselves be led astray through their abomination, for he is a King who does not change. They drew up in a great square facing Baal Zephon. Pharaoh alone stood facing it, his chosen men on his right, his charioteers on his left, and all the foot soldiers opposite them, with Baal Zephon in the middle. All of them surrounded it, and Pharaoh sought help from it and sacrificed to it, and all the Egyptians bowed down before it. So the divine Torah tells you: “facing Baal Zephon, and Pharaoh drew near.” 2 And the True One said to him: “This position does not please me, and there will be no forgiveness for it ever again. It is a sinful sacrifice that earns destruction, and its outcome remains in my hand, the hand that will exact the penalty from them. The Egyptians were divided into divisions, and each of them brought distress on the beloved children, and all this was done out of enmity toward me. Each of them did harm to Israel. But I will show each one of you his destruction as it is, and I will reveal ten more judgments, so that they may know my rule and majesty.” He made a cloud that gave light and darkness all through the night, so that they would be shaken in their guessing about what sign would come first. Had it not been done this way to Egypt, his guidance would not have been recognizable; that is why he said, “and the one did not come near the other.” An exalted and great sign was revealed there, the cloud, and it is the beginning of all the signs. For of the two signs that Moses did before Pharaoh in the land of Egypt, the one, the boils, was destructive, and the other was the thick darkness. So he renewed them at the sea with power. The wicked Pharaoh was terrified when it was shown to him, and he knew that the Lord had appeared to destroy him. At the time of the boils the Israelites were well, but all the Egyptians were burned by them. So it was also at the time of the darkness: all were confused, and they knew that it was the Almighty who did it. When he looked at them in the sea with the pillar of cloud, they said, “I must flee from Israel.” When the True One heard this speech, he revealed a second sign and looked at them with the pillar of fire and cloud from the highest dwelling, so that their terror grew and the multitude was alarmed. Woe to the one whom the True One frightens! By this the sinners had to know that He pays them their wages; but whoever flees to the True One escapes. 3 Pharaoh’s army said: “Now we know that our destruction is near. What he did to us in Egypt for the Israelites’ sake was never hidden from us, yet we pursued them. What a terrible danger this is for us; what shall we do now?” Let us see how they spoke with Pharaoh! “Where is your understanding? You saw how from the beginning the water of the sea changed from clear to cloudy! But now the matter is worse than what went before. If we could be saved at first, we must be destroyed at the end.” 4 But the True One said to them: “Rejoice; it is as you say. I will destroy you!” 5 And Pharaoh answered them: “Baal Zephon sees us and what is happening to us; he will not allow it and will not abandon us.” 6 But the True One spoke to him thus: “Your heart is hardened; evil is coming upon you for your destruction. See what the Almighty does!” 7 The third sign. He grew stronger in his resistance, so that he had the chariots driven with force, as Holy Scripture also says: “He harnessed his chariot and took his people with him.” It was a mighty harnessing with the instruments of victory, so that no one could flee from there. When they were harnessed this way in the sea, the picked men of the whole great army gathered on their account. The allies of the army, each of whom rejoiced in his soul, said to Pharaoh: “We will win your victory for you; do not be afraid. We are your chosen comrades in arms, and no one has power over us.” The great army rose up in arrogance with great might, and he harnessed his people with force. 8 Exalted Great One, great Ruler, where is the king who can rise up against you! Great Mighty One, great Ruler, woe to the one who rebels against him! Great Exalted One, great Ruler, who is it that seizes rule for himself? 9 There they spoke, when they saw their bones broken, their whole army weakened and the army of Israel triumphant, for no weakness clung to them. They did not say it in secret: “It is right for us to flee from the Israelites. Is it not the Lord who fought for them against us in Egypt!” 10 The proud words were humbled, and they said: “Acknowledge the True One and call on him! The God of truth is proved right before us, for we turned away from him and did not hold fast to him, and he pressed hard on them in their glory. God, great in strength, how can a weak thing of dust stand before his majesty? If only this pious one had not been there to free them from their distress! If only the sinners had recognized their wickedness!” The four divisions were destroyed. To each of them he revealed a sign and its destruction, and the one was not like the other. Woe to you, Pharaoh! What I let you see of the plagues in Egypt and at the sea was prepared so that it would appear as a true reward. 11 The fifth sign, carried out on Pharaoh and his chariots: he lifted them up and threw them into the sea. All the Israelites saw it and were afraid at this deed. Pharaoh said to the officers of his army: “What a great reversal is beginning with me! My power has turned into great weakness. Where is my might, which was my strength? Those who are with me do not bow before me! Where is the glory I had? All who are with me do not fear me. Where has my rule gone? All who are with me do not tremble before me.” 12 But the True One addressed him: “Your existence rested on wickedness; that is why the True One destroyed you and yours. Where are the counselors who taught you evil? Let them come and free you here.” Israel saw all this, and its heart trembled at this speech. Israel said to Moses the great prophet: “Do not leave us, for you are like a tender father who raises his children in glory. How great is the day when we saw you and you told us what the Lord meant to do for us! Blessing upon blessing is ours, the blessings our God taught you. You, for whose sake every good thing was revealed to us, which our Lord announced beforehand for our good! We will believe in the Lord and in your prophets, and we will not turn aside from what you taught us.” 13 The sixth sign, which the Almighty commanded to be done in glory on their chosen chariot fighters, who led Pharaoh’s armies: they sank into the sea with their loads. It was an evil death, whose like was never seen in the world and never will be. 14 And the True One addressed them when they were being destroyed: “Where are those who led you?” By the hand of the True One they were punished, and there was no resisting them. Where is his lasting heroism, where his power? Where is beauty, where glory, where lasting exaltation, except with the True One? Destruction overtook them; overthrow scattered them, for this is their wage and their punishment from me. Great is the Lord, who rewards every deed according to the deed, whether for good or for evil. 15 Israel saw the whole event, and its heart trembled at what it saw. Its fear grew, and its heart was filled with dread. For its sake all these events were revealed. The praise of Adam returned at this place, the call of Enosh was renewed, and they called out with their mouths. The path of Enosh lay before them, so that they might walk on it. And the merit of Abraham: now it was clear that this deed was done for his sake. Isaac’s steadfastness confirmed it, for this whole deed was done for his sake. Further, the perfection of Jacob shone; for its sake this whole deed was carried out. Further, the purity of Joseph was also set up; the whole deed was done for its sake. And all the angels took their stand for Moses’ sake, to honor him. Great place, full of good fortune for the holy congregation, which has no equal among all the nations of the world! 16 The seventh sign, which befell their accursed hosts. The waters that had flowed back returned to their former current, as God said: “The deeps covered them.” They went on; dangerous was its course; the deeps entangled them with great slaughter. They said, “We will rule over Israel!” The judgments said, “We will rule over you in truth.” They said, “We will kill Israel!” His anger said, “We will truly kill you.” They said, “We will take from them what belongs to us.” The True One said, “They took only what was lawfully theirs from you.” They said, “We will take property back from them.” The True One said, “Nothing of theirs belongs to you.” They said, “We will make war on them.” He said, “Get ready for war now!” They said, “We will break their necks.” But the True One said, “I will shake your necks!” Now Israel will multiply and be exalted; the True One multiplies them, and his merit honors them. World, let them be at rest! He has revealed his goodwill toward them, and Israel receives a good portion because of the righteousness of the Mighty One, a treasure of his goodness. For Israel’s sake you have lit a lamp for every age for those who acknowledge it. Where in the world has the glory of a people become so mightily visible? You have done various signs and wonders for its sake! A host of angels came to support it, the great Glory was glorified for its exaltation, his radiance covered it, and its Lord shepherded it. 17 The eighth sign, which befell their taskmasters, who oppressed the Israelites with wickedness; they beat them as they gathered straw until they delivered the number of bricks. And so the True One says in Scripture: “You sent out your power; they were consumed like straw.” Because they tormented us all the time to bring straw and make bricks, their bodies were burned in the sea in the fire. When Israel saw this, its heart grew strong, for the True One fought for them. He took away the plague prepared from their oppression, and Israel recognized the greatness of its inheritance, what was still hidden for it in the future, and everything that was to happen for its exaltation. 18 May Moses the proven prophet come in peace; the world says it and the creatures long for it. 19 May the great prophet Moses come in peace and reveal the truth and destroy the lie. May the great prophet Moses come in peace, glorifying the pious and destroying the sinners. May the great prophet Moses come in peace; may he make the pious great and scatter the sinners. May the great prophet Moses come in peace and reveal a good reward for the pious. 20 Great things were seen at this place: the mingling of water and fire as one. Where is there a greater sign? It is mightier than all that went before. For water and fire were united; there the rule of the water was seen driven out, and the power of the fire became exceedingly great. There the creation of the human being was understood, for in him water and fire are united. Adam’s body was created from dust and fire. Power dwells in him, he carries it in his spirit, and the fullness of his wisdom dwells in his heart. This King who is became known, whose coming into being increases his word. 21 Blessed hour, in which water and fire were prepared in the sea! Blessed hour, in which water and fire were prepared for the destruction of the liars! 22 The world was enlightened to accept the True One as God; he made himself visible for the sake of his beloved, the Israelites. The True One is good, and good are his beloved, and it is the welfare of the world that he made himself visible. Let us keep watch before him and pay homage to his majesty, so that we show ourselves worthy of him. So let us bow before him and say: there is only one God. 23 The ninth sign, which in his great majesty he showed the enemy with terror: when the great prophet Moses called out, the mouth of the earth opened to swallow. Exalted is a King whose rule is so exalted! So it is said in Holy Scripture: “You stretched out your right hand; the earth swallowed them.” How great is the guilt of the one who hands himself over to this! Because the guilt of Korah and his followers was greater, they were punished in the same way, for their saying, “You have gone too far!” Four manifestations were joined to exalt the deed that was done: his spirit from above and his power in the middle. 24 A word went out like an arrow from the banner of his glory; thunder spread his power. What happened to the one happened to the others. Judgment below, plague above: as here a wind blew and his power became audible, so with Korah the earth opened its mouth to swallow the men. From above it looked down into the four elements by which the human being is great. Pious people are raised up with favor in the counterpart. 25 The tenth sign was the destruction of the Egyptians, when they were wiped out at the sea; at the break of morning they were destroyed. This happened through the wisdom of the True One, when he brought the water back as it was at the beginning. By the strength of his power he subdued it; but they, the Egyptians, were taken away in judgment and slaughtered by the greatness of his power. Adam stood in the world in the morning to multiply his thanks, and so the Egyptians too were destroyed in the morning. The whole world fears this deed of yours, and so Holy Scripture also says: “And the sea returned to its depth at the turn of the morning!” Mark the mystery of this word, and praise the Lord with an upright heart. He spoke on account of the sea, which returned to its depth with great joy. This happened so that all generations might know that it is not in anyone’s power to cross it. For if the sea had not had a tremendous depth, there would have been no sign in what happened. But by his great power he raised the water in it on high, and because of their tremendous height they were like mountains, from which one can tell that there was a tremendous depth there. And high wisdom said that it is not in human power “to grasp it.” Pharaoh and his people were destroyed in the sea with great annihilation and extraordinary power. The signs seen at this time were crowned with more majesty than those revealed before. Six signs were revealed in the sea, and these four signs did service in four divisions. 26 Consider the six signs in the sea, and praise the mighty Worker of wonders. 27 The first sign: the overturning of the sea’s waves from below to above by the greatness of his power. 28 The second sign: the dividing of the water on both sides to level the way for Israel’s crossing, and it says, “And the Lord drove the sea back by an east wind.” 29 The third sign: the raising of the waters into high walls on the right and on the left, and so it says, “And the waters were a wall to them on their right and on their left.” 30 The fourth sign, which happened through the great power of God: he turned the water from below to above, as it says, “And by the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up.” 31 The fifth sign: by the power of God the waters stood up like flowing heights; so Holy Scripture says, “They stood up like flowing walls.” 32 The sixth sign: when he had carried out their destruction in truth, the water returned to its course as it was before, as it also says: “And the water returned at the turn of the morning to its former course.” 33 And the four signs done by the great power. The first: the mingling of water and fire with each other by his great power, as was said: “You sent out your fury; it consumed them like stubble.” 34 The second sign: when he commanded the earth, it opened its mouth and swallowed them like plunder, as it is said: “You stretched out your hand; the earth swallowed them.” 35 The third sign, which he did by the strength of his power, was the drying up of the water in the sea, as was said: “And he made the sea dry ground.” 36 The fourth sign of his great deed, which he carried out in the Red Sea, was a road to walk on, as it is said: “The deeps ran into the heart of the sea.” 37 Praised be the great King, who in his oneness always stays the same before all his deeds, and afterward for ever. So the great prophet Moses sang with a raised voice: “My strength and my song is he who helps with his power and stays the same for ever. And he became my help,” for he helped his people with the signs that were revealed in Egypt and at the sea.

1 This is my God, who shepherded me in the loins of Amram. 2 This is my God, who formed me in the womb of Jochebed, the daughter of Levi. 3 This is my God, who kept me safe in the basket in the river of Egypt. 4 This is my God, who let Miriam prophesy because of what was to be done through me. 5 This is my God, who let me be nursed with pure milk, not by a foreign woman. 6 This is my God, who led me beyond the wilderness to the mountain of God. This is my God, who kept me from drinking unclean milk. This is my God, who appeared to me in the flame of the burning bush. This is my God, who called me first after my fathers. This is my God, who said to me, “Come now, and I will send you and be with you.” This is my God, who revealed his name to me, Ehyeh asher Ehyeh. This is my God, who made known to me secrets new and old. This is my God, and I will praise him! Happy are you, Israel! Who else is God? Do what he commands you. 7 God of my father Adam, who formed him from the dust and chose him with wisdom. God of my father Noah, who saved him from the flood and saved the Israelites from the waters of the Red Sea. God of my father Abraham, who led him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and made seven exalted covenants with him. God of my father Abraham, who heightened his sight, so that he saw the four quarters of the world, and said, “I will give him what they contain.” God of my father Abraham, who raised his hands to the Ruler of heaven and earth! God of my father Abraham, who believed in the Lord, and He counted it to him as righteousness. God of my father Abraham, who said to him, “Your offspring will be strangers, and afterward they will come out.” God of my father Isaac, who looked up to the highest heaven and gave his soul over to his Lord. 8 God of my father Isaac, to whom it was said, “Do not go down.” God of my father Isaac, to whom He said, “For I will be with you.” God of my father Jacob, who saw God’s camp of hosts. God of my father Jacob, who said to him, “I will go down with you and I will bring you up again.” That is why He said to me, “I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and I remember my covenant.” That is why He said to the children of Israel, “I, the Lord, reveal Israel’s greatness in the world. For his divinity and his prophecy stand ready to bring it to honor. His divinity will set it free with signs, and his prophecy will be confirmed.” His divinity was honored and his prophecy confirmed! He exalted Israel because it obeyed him. “I let Abraham see this in a confirming vision, and made it known to Moses in a command. I brought Abraham deliverance, for he struck them and pursued them.” What a deliverance! When Moses struck the dust of the earth, there was an extraordinary display of power. In all these events the True One showed that nothing is hidden from him. Woe to the guilty one who rises against him! Woe to you, Pharaoh, how blind you were to grow strong in sin and be destroyed through its rule! Woe to them, the Egyptians: they were swept away for what they did. Their kingdom was destroyed, both for their deeds and for their sins. 9 “The Lord is a warrior.” God fought forty battles with them, twenty in Egypt and twenty at the sea. In his Song Moses said, “Is he not your father, who acquired you?” He is, through the signs he revealed for your sake. The great prophet rebukes them in the passage “For ask now” in seven words. And this is with trials, for God tested his enemies, not so that things would go well for them in the end, as he did for his friends. “With signs,” for they brought together various kinds of the wondrous and the exalted, seeming to act as God does. “With wonders,” for their magicians strove to do the same as the great and awesome God had done. “And with war,” for God fought for them, to rescue the children of the pious. “And with an outstretched arm”: he stretched out his right hand against every root bearing poison and wormwood. “And with great sights”: in them was everything precious for the seeing of the eye, but not for the hearing of the ear. 10 He exalted the prophet and revealed great glories through him, whose like were never created in all the earth or among all the nations. The Lord our God alone is one, and there is no prophet like Moses, and he is his trusted one and his servant. 11 All the names of God are shared with other things, except the name the Lord; no other name can be joined with it. That is why the great prophet says in this Song, “The Lord is his name”: there is no name like this one. 12 This Song contains twenty praises. The great prophet praised the great Lord, blessed be he, who upholds all things, and he raised up the Egyptians so that they saw Israel go out in peace. That is why he said, “Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he sank in the sea.” And the warriors, the men of the strong hand, the pick of his charioteers, were sunk in the sea. When the Israelites had seen the Egyptians sink dead like stone into the depths of the sea, the great prophet Moses said, “Your hand, Lord, is glorious in power. Your hand, Lord, shatters the enemy.” When the enemy saw the power of the Lord, he was utterly shattered. “And in the greatness of your majesty”: these are the high-flying arrows of his judgments, with which he destroyed his adversaries as in a moment. Great is his power, which burned their bodies in the sea, and the water did not put out the fire. For Israel’s sake God changed the fixed law of the world. The fixed rule is that water strives downward to rest, but at the Red Sea he ordered it to rise. “For the waters piled up like a wall one could walk along, like high mountains, to make a way for the Israelites.” 13 The enemy said, “I will overtake, I will divide the spoil” of their possessions and goods. From this one learns the great violence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. For no enemy takes the spoil of his enemies until he has killed them, but Pharaoh said that he would kill them after first taking their spoil. 14 “You blew with your wind”: that is, your anger and fury. The sea covered them when it returned to its depth, and they were like lead, which sinks quickly and soon melts. By the mighty waters, the many waters, they could not put out the fire that consumed them. 15 Who is like you among the gods, Lord, who is like you? He does every least thing, and not the least thing is like you. 16 “Who is like you, glorious in holiness?” He carries out righteous judgment. He is holy and pure from all that liars say. Holy names belong to him, and great is their depth; such names belong to no other being. “Awesome in praises, working wonders.” He worked forty wonders in Egypt and at the sea. All his deeds are great wonders. 17 “You stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them.” Two divisions are contained in this speech. The first, when the floor of the sea was divided and Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen was swallowed up. 18 The second division is the account of how the sea threw the Egyptians, once they were dead, out onto the shore, so that the earth had to split a second time. That is why it says, “And Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.” Their faces were turned upward and the Israelites recognized them, and the Egyptians confessed their crimes to them; then the edge of the sea split open and swallowed them. 19 “The peoples heard and trembled.” They were afraid that the prophecy that had come from the Understanding, the Spirit of God, was true and was now beginning to come true: that what the great prophet Moses had said of it was true, that the rule of Israel would be renewed. So the peoples were afraid when they heard that the rule of the Egyptians had departed from them, and that from then on only the great King would reign over them. So they were afraid because of this news. Two deeds were done there, one surpassing the other: the splitting of the sea and what befell the Egyptians there. So the peoples of the world were afraid and said in their hearts, “As Egypt was destroyed, so it will be with us.” But the True One said to them from on high, “Wait and see, for a greater ruin is set for you than for them.” That is why the world is filled with great lamenting because of the sinners in it, and their lament rose to the high dwelling. The Egyptians provoked the world to anger by what they did, and the world lamented. When those people cried out from their great distress, God looked down in his mercy, and he helped and remembered. Woe to those who turn away, and to what is prepared for them! But blessing is set for the pious, so that they may be rewarded. For the Taheb is coming and will reveal the truth, and God will raise the dead from the four quarters of the world. They will come. Woe then to those who are living in the world at that time, if you are afraid now of this event that will happen then! It is right that you should know this: what is prepared for them will truly happen, for so it will be. Praised be the Almighty, who out of the fullness of his goodness enlightens their understanding by making his truth known. 20 Let us see what Moses the great prophet proclaims about the inhabitants of Palestine, as it is said in the holy Scripture: “Trembling seized the inhabitants of Philistia.” In this weighty prophecy he reveals the deliverance of Isaac and the exaltation of the one who was bound. He was set free from Paradise through a ram and given the land of the Philistines. So it also says, “Stay in this land, and I will be with you and bless you. To you and your offspring I will give all this land.” The great prophet Moses trembled when he heard of the exaltation of his father Isaac, and he knew that this ram would shatter all the inhabitants of Philistia. Mark it, Israel, how great your exaltation is, for these great wonders are done because of you. Exalted is the great prophet Moses, to whom the Lord showed how he glorifies; indeed, he also glorifies all who live in the world, everyone who draws near to God. Who heard from God what Moses heard? Does anyone stand as high as Moses stood? Does anyone see what Moses saw, or is anyone as trusted as Moses was? Does anyone ask for something and receive it, or command something and it happens as he commanded, and what pleased him came about? Is anyone as perfect in understanding as Moses, or has anyone been clothed with the image of light and performed signs enough? His tongue poured out blessings! The Lord did for him what he did for no one else. His secrets delighted him; created beings rejoice at his revelation and trembled at it. “The heavens listen to his words, and the earth hears his speech.” His understanding feeds the living and refreshes the dead. Where is anyone like Moses, and who resembles Moses? No one like him has arisen, and none like him will arise for ever. 21 “Then the chiefs of Edom trembled.” Nothing comes close to this: the subjugation of the Edomites and the Moabites. The one were brought low by terror and the other by trembling, when the wondrous deeds were made known to them. So the divine teaching tells you, “Then the chiefs of Edom trembled,” because the Edomites saw that their rule was changing. When Jacob came to Esau with great wealth and Esau went out to meet him, their enmity ended and afterward turned into friendship. And when the Edomites heard of the wonders, their enmity turned back into what it had been before. The two lessons were a reminder of what had happened and a renewal of what was to come. For the writings of the fathers were in their hands; they could read them, and they learned it also through Israel. When Moses read the writings of the fathers to their children, they were taught, believed in the True One and recognized that Moses’ mission was true. But when the Edomites heard of it, they trembled, renewed their enmity and saw that they were in Israel’s hands; they were afraid and rose against them in great force. That is why he mentions their chiefs here, because the True One let them know it through the prophet when he said, “And these are their kings!” Moses said these words as a question. Then the mouth of the True One answered him, “It is good for you to know this, for you write their books and know the secret hidden in the Scripture, and so you will be renowned among all creatures.” 22 Praised be the King who always exists of himself, who grants his mercy to all and guards us at all times. So let us always bow to the ground before him with a faithful heart, and honor the memory of Moses, the trusted one of the Almighty over all creatures. Let us see how he received his prophecy in his prediction in the midst of the sea. He spoke, and the True One bore witness to him, and the world held him in honor for what he had spoken. When he began with the Moabites, how he terrified them! So the true Torah also says, “The leaders of Moab, trembling seized them.” And where did Moses get this knowledge? Had it not been for his knowledge of prophecy, he would not have said this here. So the true Torah also writes what Balaam said about Israel: “He crushes the seers of Moab,” and the great prophet Moses said, “Woe to you, Moab!” He makes its destruction known with the words “You are destroyed.” It seemed as though it had happened yesterday. Yesterday Moses said, “Woe to you”; now its complete destruction has come. They trembled when they heard that the sea had killed the Egyptians and that I had shattered Pharaoh’s kingdom in anger because of the children held in pledge by him. 23 World, mark what has happened to you and what is still to come to you in the second age, in the third age and in the last age, for disorder is not all there is, and perversity is not to be seen. Woe to it, the age to come; it is full of judgments and mighty punishments. Should we not then forestall this age, so as not to see what it holds for us? We are guilty, empty of the wisdom that lengthens life. If we hurry to seek the True One and learn his wisdom, then no perversity will be seen among us; rather we will always run to oppose evil, and there will be resistance in this darkness. Woe to us, and how the judgments will punish us if we do not heed them! So let us return to the True One and believe in the Lord our Creator and Master, and also in Moses our prophet and deliverer. Had it not been for Moses, the world would not have been created and none of these wonders would have been seen.

1 See how it began! After he had pointed by his prophecy at the sea to the memory of the inhabitants of Canaan, he announced their destruction to the Israelites, and that there would be no recovery for them, as he had already said before. At God’s command it was written down by Moses, and now the truth of Moses’ prophecy was renewed, and he made known that the Lord was now carrying out what he had long before promised to the heirs of the pious: “To your offspring I will give this land, and he built an altar there.” But where did he build an altar? Facing the House of the Mighty One, whose name was formerly “Mountain of the East.” And why was it called Har Qedem? Because it and the Garden of Eden became visible before the dry land. From it the form of the human being was created, for God created him from the dust of the blessed mountain. Adam is the glory of creation, and the blessed mountain is the glory of the dry land. Adam’s body was made by the hand of God and adorned with his holy spirit and a speaking soul. He served in the holy place; everything glorious was handed down for sanctification, not for defilement. So too everything precious that human hands set apart in the name of his holiness, so that it may grow strong and be glorified. That is why Adam’s body was taken only from the holy place, and why God said of him that he was to work the ground from which he was taken. The blessed mountain is the holiest of all mountains. From the beginning, from the very start, he began with the Holy One. Jacob recognized it by its holiness, came upon it, saw there what he saw and said, “This is nothing other than the house of God.” 2 There are seven glories in the world that the True One set apart for his divinity: the Torah, the Sabbath, Mount Gerizim, Adam, the two stone tablets, the great prophet Moses, and Israel. The Torah is from the fire, for fire is the beginning of all things; out of it he spoke, and in it he stood. The two tablets he released with power from the glory of his divinity by the gaze of his understanding. The Sabbath is the most glorious of all days, for which he set a reward. Adam is the most glorious of all creatures, for from him prophets and pure ones arose for the world. Mount Gerizim, on which the Glorious One set up a sanctuary as the dwelling of his glory. Moses, whose glory is greater than the glory of the others. And Israel, the most glorious of all nations, which God chose and made his elect. So God also wrote in the Scripture of Enoch, “And Enoch walked with God”: he recognized the place of the True One and ran to it. 3 In the same way Abraham ran when He called him and said to him, “Go to the place that I will show you.” And what was it that he saw? Only the blessed mountain! And he renewed his word again at the time of his testing, when he was about to offer Isaac and He revealed his holiness to him. He said, “Go to the land of the vision of Yah,” the beautiful and blessed land; Abraham recognized it and ran there with understanding. 4 Now hear a question about what was said to Abraham here. What use was there in the True One’s saying to him, when he was about to offer Isaac, “Go up on one of the mountains that I will show you,” when he had already made the place known to him at the beginning of his call? Prepare your mind to grasp the answer. 5 A question, and hear the answer at once. 6 A second instruction was not needed, since he came trusting in piety and uprightness and sought the chosen place. But the moment he saw it from far off, he turned toward it and prayed. When he had finished his prayer, he lifted up his eyes, but he did not lift them from the place of worship where he had stood praying in the morning. And where was his prayer directed, if not toward Mount Gerizim! As he prayed in uprightness, he saw it in its glory. But do not say this because it says asher omar elekha, which refers not to the future but to the past, for the word asher indicates this, and this disclosure also makes the saying clear. I will give you yet another reliable sign from which one can see that asher changes the sense of the passage to refer to the past. When God proclaimed the Ten Words, did he not say there asher hotsetikha, “who brought you out”? If this referred to the future, Israel would not yet have left Egypt then and would not have stood there to hear the commandments. 7 So it is good for you to know that Adam worshiped on it, and on it Enoch proclaimed the name of the Lord. Noah built an altar facing it, stood on Mount Gerizim and praised the Lord of the world. That is why it is said of him, as a pattern for Abraham, “Noah built an altar,” and Abraham too built an altar there. As Noah did it in truth, so Abraham did it in truth. Praise to our God, who planted secrets in the hearts of the pious, who were bound and joined to their Lord; his purity enlightened them, and his truth filled them with goodness. Isaac saw Mount Gerizim, Jacob recognized it, and Joseph the king inherited it in great peace, from fathers to children; blessed are their kings and blessed their heirs. No great chastisements and no great punishments were among them; they are all pious from beginning to end. You blessed the whole world at the time when Moses the great prophet appeared! For our own sake let us praise the Lord and not neglect it, so that we are not destroyed! Let us serve with courage in the face of all events, for to whom else should we flee in trust? We rely in faith on the Lord and his servant Moses, for had there been no Moses, the Torah would not have been revealed and the Law would not have come down. So let us praise our Lord, believe in him, bow down and say, “There is only one God.” 8 How can we receive blessing from the Lord, the merciful and gracious one, who brings about good for his beloved? Only if we look to Moses the man of God at the sea, who said in his great prophecy, “on the mountain of your inheritance.” And who is his inheritance? Israel is his inheritance, as it is said, “Israel is his inheritance,” prepared for his dwelling. This has two parts: the first is the holy Tent, and the second is the place where the angels of God go up and down. From then on it is the house of God and the dwelling of his glory; the Shekhinah is on it alone, as it is said, “You shall seek his dwelling.” No slaughtered offering except one turned toward it, no offering except on it, no heave offering except one directed toward it, and no freewill gift, no tithe, no firstfruits and no redemption; no blessing is received apart from it for ever. For it is the place of the True One’s Shekhinah and the dwelling of his great glory. Woe to those who confuse truth with falsehood, who choose a place of worship other than it! Tell them, what sinful error is this that you have fallen into? Where did Abel bring his gift, if not to the place where the Shekhinah was? But if you answer, “Who is it that pitched the Tent, and who built it?” then woe to the mind that turns away from the truth and lays bare its own nakedness in everything it sees! You chosen from all nations, bear witness to the truth and do not turn from it; there is no woe like this one. It is good for us to walk in God’s favor and to come to understand the saying of the great prophet. 9 “Lord, your hands have prepared it” refers to the holy Tent, as it is said, “And I will dwell among the children of Israel.” There he will dwell, and you shall be in his favor. And again he repeats his word to the great prophet Moses: “Make me a sanctuary, and I will dwell among you.” A Tent without sacrifice: what use is a sacrifice that lacks his favor? What does it profit? That is why the great prophet Moses says, “Lord, your hands have restored it,” for nothing is restored except after its destruction. Let us praise our Lord at every time, let us laud him always, and let us exalt him on every path. And in Moses the prophet, who brought us life and warned us against death, and taught us what our well-being depends on, let us believe. 10 The Lord will reign for ever and ever; he remains always the same and does not change. The Lord will reign for ever and ever; woe to the one who is God’s enemy. The Lord will reign for ever and ever; happy is the one who believes in him. The Lord will reign for ever and ever; happy is the one who draws near to him, and woe to the one who goes far from him. 11 The Lord will reign for ever and ever. Placing the name the Lord together with Mount Gerizim shows that from the day God created the chosen place he made it holy for ever, until the Day of Vengeance. It has thirteen names in the Torah, and each of the names proclaims its glory. 12 The first: Har Haqedem, because God chose it beforehand, from the days of old that came before the day of creation, before he revealed the dry land. And he set seven trustworthy witnesses to it in the Ten Words, which were revealed through the mouth of the Mighty One to the faithful and pious prophet. “Lord, your hands have prepared it; the Lord reigns for ever and ever.” 13 The second: Bethel, for God, the mighty and awesome, is a shield and support to the one who believes in him and makes him his refuge; he is salvation to all who return to God. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 14 The third: Beth Elohim, for the holy angels do not leave it; they camp there continually, praising their Lord, and on it they seek God. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 15 The fourth: Gate of Heaven, for all who turn to it to seek God find him near. It is the place for the Nazirites who bring the tithes, and for the half-shekel offerings, vows, blessings, gifts, whole burnt offerings and all sacrifices. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 16 The fifth: its name was first Luz, because of its glory, its light, as Jacob said, “How awesome is this place!” “Lord, your hands,” and so on. The sixth: he made it a sanctuary like the holy dwelling, a place for the holy Tabernacle, facing the holy congregation, where holy words rise to God who is majestic in holiness, as the holy prophet said, “the sanctuary, Lord, that you have made.” “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 17 The seventh: Har Gerizim, a place of blessing, as it is said, “You shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim, and make my name dwell there; then I will come to you and bless you.” “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 18 The eighth: Beth YHWH, as it is said, “You shall bring it into the house of the Lord.” And as this name has no namesake, so among all mountains none is like this place. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 19 The ninth: Hahar Hatov, for all good things were brought there; this began with Abel. So God also says, “All the best of your vows and every service shall be offered to God on it.” “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 20 The tenth: Hamaqom Hanivchar, for of it was said, “And it shall be that the place the Lord chooses.” “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 21 The eleventh: Givat Olam, the first of the mountains, preferred above all other mountains for the holiness and the glory of the Lord. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 22 The twelfth: Achad Heharim, “in one of the tribes,” as it is said, “In one of your tribes,” chosen from the earth for the most glorious of all human beings. “Lord, your hands,” and so on. 23 The thirteenth: Abraham’s name for this place, YHWH Yireh, shows that whoever prays on it will not have his prayer return empty. “Lord, your hands,” and so on.

1 The cloud and the pillar of fire and the glory of the Lord were the guides of the children of Israel when they crossed the Red Sea; they went before them and behind them until they had crossed in peace. The God of gods protected the children of his servants “as an eagle guards its nest and hovers over its young,” for it carries its young on its wings and rises with them higher than other birds, carries them over the heights of the sea and sets them in the rocks of the mountains. So God spoke of the children of his servants: “He carried them on eagles’ wings and led them through the sea onto dry ground,” following his Glory and Moses, his trusted one. 2 Praised be the son of Amram, the faithful prophet, “whom the Lord knew face to face,” in the hidden and the revealed, in all the signs and wonders God sent him to perform, which he made known to him in the land of Egypt and at the sea, and on all Pharaoh’s servants: they all fell from their height and died through ten plagues, and the rest in the Red Sea. In their whole land he destroyed everything in it, and all of it came about through his strong hand, by means of the various kinds of wonders that Moses, the most glorious of all flesh, performed, for each of their names contains great wonders. Praised be He who created them, together with the great vision, from the day Moses began to perform them until he split the Red Sea, and whatever else he did there. Blessed be the day on which Moses began to prophesy and was sent to free the children of God’s servants from the power of the Egyptians after a slavery and torment of two hundred and forty years. During those two hundred and ten years the children multiplied so greatly that the seventy persons became six hundred thousand. 3 Blessed be Abraham, the father of a multitude of nations, whom the Lord remembered by making known to him the fortunes of his children. The Lord showed him the tribes, and he saw the pious one descended from Isaac at the river, Jacob, when he stood there with the man and the man touched him at the hollow of his thigh. This was an exaltation without equal. He divides them into three parts: the first was in a vision, so it was in the dream, and the third vision was like the first. At the beginning the Lord made known to Abraham ten parts, clear as sunlight. In the first period of Israel’s rule it was divided among thirteen parts, and in the last kingdom it was divided among ten, according to the number of the second kingdom’s existence. These are the thirty-three divisions that were made known to Abraham, peace be upon him, at the place. 4 From this we can explain, and God shows by it, that the words of God were fulfilled as he foretold them to Abraham concerning his descendants. The four hundred years began with Isaac and ran to the night of the Passover; to those with understanding, the departure from the service of a man into the service of God was revealed by a correct reckoning. He rescued them in his majesty in Egypt; they kept the Passover and went to Rameses, and walked three days until they came to the Red Sea. In the night of the second festival, as morning broke, they came through the sea, and Moses and all the children of Israel began this Song with him. 5 “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” great songs at the Red Sea. When they came up out of the sea and saw the Egyptians killed by various kinds of suffering, they raised their voices, saying, “Sing to the Lord.” Whoever longs to can see Moses and the children of Israel singing this Song at the sea; he may listen to hear it, yet he can perceive their response, “Sing to the Lord,” only with the eye of his heart. 6 The great prophet Moses stood, and all the elders of Israel stood around him, and all the heads of the tribes stood around the elders, and the children of Israel behind them. Miriam too, and with her all the beloved women, sang this Song to the Lord. 7 The great prophet sang the Song in parts, and as soon as he had finished a part he fell silent, and the elders and all the Israelites said with raised voices, “Sing to the Lord, for he has sunk a proud people, horse and rider, in the sea.” 8 And all the Israelites answered the voice of the elders, small and great, young and old, with raised voices as one: “My strength and my song is the Lord, and he has become my help. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is mighty in war; the Lord is his name.” After this cry they fell silent until they heard the voice of the prophet Moses. When he took up the second part, all the elders answered with raised voices, “Sing!” and they sang. When they stopped singing, they went on behind Moses and the Glory, like stars moving across the earth. The sun and the moon went on, that is, Moses and the Glory.

1 Exalted is the prophet Moses, whom his Lord clothed with his name. He dwelt with the hidden ones and was filled with his light. The True One revealed himself to him, gave him the writing of his hand and let him find the ten precious springs, seven in heaven and three on earth. His divinity brought him the water of life, watering his heart until it bore life. His prophethood brought him the water of life, cleansing his soul so that it might make every soul great. Truth brought him the water of life, enlarging his spirit so that it would begin to shine. And his four names bring him the water of life, so that he may be exalted and honored in every place: the name with which He clothed him, the name He revealed to him, the name of glory and the name of power. The first name begins with Bereshit, and He clothed him with it and began with it: “See, I have made you God to Pharaoh.” There he begins and here he begins. With Bereshit he began the world of his goodness, and here he begins the world of his wrath. 2 “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh: this name I have revealed to you; it will be a shield to you; do not fear the war. ‘I am a shield to you,’ I said to Abraham; do not fear because of this name. I made it known to you as a prophet for ever, so that you may bear witness before those who fall away. But my name the Lord you shall not make known to them.” A pious messenger before you revealed its blessing: “Then he began to proclaim the name of the Lord.” This distinction is credited to Enosh, but the Scripture makes known, “My name the Lord I did not make known”; the splendor of its glory shone out for you. Even Abraham, the head of the pious, who was entirely perfect, “proclaimed” only “in the name of the Lord.” 3 “And the Lord said to Moses, I am the Lord.” What a true saying, and his name, which he revealed to him at the Red Sea; he stood and received it, and with it he killed those who fell away. “Awesome in praises, working wonders.” When this was shown to him, he praised him. Look at the three that come after the seven. The first is the water that makes every good tree grow, which kept his body pure from the day of his birth; it came only at the time of every purity. 4 Moses was hidden for seven months in the wondrous basin. Pure one, who purified the waters of the basin, he purifies all who are unclean. The second water was the milk the pure one drank; it was his mother’s, not a foreign woman’s. The third water was drawn from the hidden river Perath. 5 Where is anyone like Moses, and who resembles Moses? He is like a tree on earth whose leaves are in heaven. Who is like this Moses? A spring on earth whose source is in heaven. Who is like him? A depth on earth that reaches into heaven. Who is like him? A light on earth that shines in heaven. Who is like him? A prophet whose like has not arisen and will not arise, from the whole house of humankind for ever. 6 Great is the great prophet Moses, who is above all the pure ones of the world. The various kinds of perfection in him are contained in ten signs that are found in no one but him. 7 The first of his great deeds: he walked on fire and was not burned by it. And when did he step out of the fire? Only on the day of Horeb, when the fire was before him, as it is said, “After the Lord came down in fire, and behind him was darkness and in the middle a cloud.” When he was called and went down, he parted the three, drew near to the dark cloud where the angels of God are, and dwelt among the powers. 8 The second: his body was anointed with the holy olive oil; this is a perfect priest. He and his helper served the Tent for a hundred and twenty days; in the nights he did not eat or drink, and his body did not sleep. 9 The third: with his hands, for with them he came near to receive the writing of His hand. It was with this that he did signs and wonders, and when he came down he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. 10 The fourth: with his head he drew near to the dark cloud, and on the last day his face shone with the light that rested on him. It was stronger than the light of the sun and the moon; everyone who saw him was afraid to come near him. 11 The fifth: with his tongue he praised his Lord and carried out all his commands. When he gave the Israelites the commandments, they all heard his voice as one, whether far or near. 12 The sixth: his prophecy was like the sea that surrounds the world, for seventy prophets prophesied through him, and no fewer than these. 13 The seventh: his heart delighted in the higher world, and so ten prophecies were poured out on him at the sea, as they are explained in this Song; and he was honored more in hidden things than in open ones. 14 The eighth: with his eyes he saw the exalted angels on their seats, as it is said, “And he saw the form of the angels.” Afterward he saw the whole earth from the river Pishon to the river Perath and to the western sea. 15 The ninth: “His youthful vigor did not leave him.” No trembling came over him, and his eye did not fail from seeing despite his many days and years. 16 The tenth: he was buried by God on Mount Nebo, “and no one knows his grave,” until the Day of Vengeance. Where is a prophet to whom it was said, “Go up to the place set apart for you from the days of creation”? “These are four caves, prepared from the third day on: Machpelah for the pure ones, Mount Gerizim for the Tent, Hor the mountain for the priest, and Mount Nebo for the prophet.” 17 Happy are you, Israel, that the Lord is your God. Happy are you, Israel, that the heads of the pure ones are your fathers. Happy are you, Israel, that Mount Gerizim is your place of worship. Happy are you, Israel, that Moses is your prophet. Happy are you, Israel, that the Torah is your Scripture. Happy are you, Israel! Where is a people like you, helped by the Lord? The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. And blessed be the name of his holiness for ever. 18 There is only one God.