259. Come and behold, all the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, arouses war in the world, those above and those below, NAMELY, THE NATION BELOW AND THEIR PATRONS ABOVE, are dislodged from their places, as we have established. This is the meaning of the verse, "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host has He thrown into the sea" (Shemot 15:4). And in the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, shall wage a great and powerful war against the nations in order to glorify His Name, as it is written, "Then Hashem shall go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights in the day of battle" (Zecharyah 14:3), and, "Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself; and I will make Myself known..." (Yechezkel 38:23).

260. Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion, saying: "The waters saw You, Elohim, the waters saw You; they were afraid..." (Tehilim 77:17). At the time that Yisrael crossed the sea, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angel, who was appointed over the sea: 'Divide your waters.' He asked Him, 'Why?' He said to him, 'In order that My children may cross through you.' He said to Him, 'breaking the yoke of the reckoning is true,' MEANING FORGIVENESS OF SINS IS TRUE, BECAUSE THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, INDEED FORGIVES AND PARDONS SINS-'but what is the difference between the two? IF YOU FORGIVE THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL, THEN ALSO FORGIVE THE EGYPTIANS.'

261. THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, said to him, It was on this condition that I made the sea when I created the world, MEANING THE CONDITION THAT IT WOULD BE SPLIT FOR THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He roused His might and the waters folded. This is what is meant by, "The waters saw You, Elohim, the waters saw You: they were afraid." The Holy One, blessed be He, said TO THE PATRON ANGEL OF THE SEA: Slay all these multitudes and afterwards cast them out. Afterwards the sea covered them, as it is written, "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host has He thrown into the sea."

262. Rabbi Elazar said, Come and behold. The Holy One, blessed be He, made above many Chariots, many multitudes, and many hosts which are all tied to each other. They are all Chariots to each other, FOR EVERY LOWER IS A CHARIOT TO THAT WHICH IS ABOVE IT; there are levels upon levels. And from the left side, dominating Chariots are come that are not Holy. And they are all specific levels above.

263. We have already noted that, by the first born of Pharaoh (namely, one level) that the Holy One, blessed be He, slew and broke loose from its strong chain. Under its domination were many Chariots and many hosts of mighty men of the left side. Some of them were attached to the highest place of their dominion, and some of them were attached to Malchut above, and some of them were attached under the four living creatures, as we already learned.

264. And they were all given over into the hands of the Judgment of Malchut, that is called the 'Great Sea,' to break them from their level. When these were broken above, then all these below were broken, and lost in the sea below. Hence, it is written, "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host has He thrown into the sea." "The sea," without attributes SHOWS BOTH THE SEA ABOVE FOR THEIR MINISTERS, AND ALSO THE LOWER SEA OF THE EGYPTIANS BELOW.

265. "His chosen captains also are drowned in the Sea of Reeds." "His chosen captains" has already been explained. "And captains over every one of them" (Shemot 14:7). All the levels were as two and one FROM ABOVE, ones upon the others; they were made in the likeness of above. And all of them were given over to the hands OF MALCHUT, to break them from their domination, the ones as well as the others, THOSE ABOVE AND THOSE BELOW.

266. Come and behold, we have learned that the ten plagues that the Holy One, blessed be He, caused in Egypt were all by one hand, because the left hand was included in the right. And ten fingers were included in each other, corresponding to the ten sayings with which the Holy One, blessed be He, was afterwards named. Corresponding to them all, the one of the sea was strong and great and dominating, as is said, "And afterward (lit. 'the last one') He afflicted her more" (Yeshayah 8:23). This is what is meant by, "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host has he thrown into the sea." In the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, shall slay multitudes, and different officers, and leaders of Edom. This is what is said, "Who is this, who comes from Edom, with crimsoned garments from Batzrah?" (Yeshayah 63:1).

267. "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host has He thrown into the sea." Rabbi Yitzchak opened the discussion, saying: "When His voice resounds with the great mass of water in the heavens, and He raises vapors from the ends of the earth; when He makes lightning flashes among the rain, and brings forth the wind out of His storehouses" (Yirmeyah 10:13). We have learned that the Holy One, blessed be He, made seven firmaments CORRESPONDING TO CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD, AND MALCHUT, and stars are stationed in every firmament, MEANING FROM THE ASPECT OF "AND RETURNED" (YECHEZKEL 1:14). Stars fly in every single firmament, MEANING LEVELS FROM THE ASPECT OF "RAN" (IBID.). And above all of them is Aravot, WHICH IS THE FIRST THREE SFIROT OF THE FIRMAMENTS.

268. And every firmament is two hundred years' walk in length and five hundred years high. Between each firmament is a distance of 500 years. And Aravot is 1,500 years' walk in length and 1,500 years wide, and all these firmaments are illuminated from its radiance.