Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in Egypt, [their being saved from the ten plagues, and all of them (the plagues) having been against the Egyptians and not against Israel], and ten on the sea: [one — the splitting of the sea; two — (Habakkuk 3:14): "You pierced with his own staffs the head of his outspread (troops)"; three — the sea floor became dry, without clay and tar, viz. (Exodus 14:29): "And the children of Israel walked on the dry land in the midst of the sea"; four — the sea floor that the Egyptians pursuing Israel trod upon dampened into clay and tar, viz. (Habakkuk 3:15): "Many waters clayed"; five — the waters that solidified on the sea floor did not become one mass but small units like bricks and paving stones aligned with each other, viz. (Psalms 74:13): "You crumbled the sea with Your strength" — the sea became pieces; six — the solidified water hardened and became as hard as rocks, viz. (Ibid.): "You broke the head of sea-serpents (the Egyptians) against the waters"; seven — the sea broke into twelve pieces, so that each tribe cross on its own path, viz. (Ibid. 136:13): "To Him who cut the sea into pieces"; eight — the sea froze into sapphire, onyx, and glass so that the tribes could see each other, the pillar of fire lighting them, viz. (Ibid. 18:12) "The darkness of waters [became like] the clouds of heaven," "as the appearance of the heavens in brightness" (Exodus 24:10); nine — there issued forth from it sweet water, which they drank, viz. (Ibid. 15:8): "running waters"; ten — after they had drunk their fill of them, what was left of them froze and became mounds, viz. (Ibid.) "The waters were piled up; the running waters stood up as a wall."] The Holy One Blessed be He brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians in Egypt ["datzach" "adash" "bachav"] and ten upon the sea, [corresponding to the ten "fallings" (of the Egyptians) in the song at the sea: (Exodus 15:1) "He cast into the sea"; (Ibid. 4) "They were mired in the Red Sea"; (Ibid. 5) "The depths covered them"; (Ibid.) "They dropped to the depths"; (Ibid.) "They plummeted like lead" — ten fallings. ("The earth swallowed them up" (Ibid. 12) is not included in the "fallings," this being to their benefit, that they merited burial.] Our forefathers tried the L rd with ten trials in the desert: [two at the sea, one at their descending there, viz. (Ibid. 14:11): "Are there no graves in Egypt?" and one upon ascending thence, viz. (Ibid. 18:23): "And they came to Marah… and they complained"; one in Refidim (Ibid. 17:2): "And the people quarreled with Moses"; twice with the manna: (Ibid. 16:29): "Let no man go out" — and they did go out; (Ibid. 19): "Let no man leave over of it" — and they did leave over; twice with the quail: the first — (Ibid. 3): "when we sat over the flesh-pot"; the second (Numbers 11:4): "And the rabble among them"; one with the golden calf and one (each) with the pretext-seekers (mithonenim) and the spies, the tenth trial,] viz. (Numbers 14:22): "And they have proved Me this ten times and did not heed My voice."
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