The Miracle Gap: Pesach Without Krias Yam Suf
The Torah doesn't provide a date for the splitting of the sea. Chazal (e.g., Seder Olam Rabbah 5 ), however, place krias yam suf on the last day of Pesach (cited by Rashi to Shemos 14:5 ). Seforno ( Vayikrah 23:36 , Devarim 16:8 ) sees the song that Israel engaged in together in praise of HaShem for that event as what imbued shevii shel pesach with the status of a Yom Tov. People tend to view Pesach as getting started with the Exodus on the 15th (the catalyst for the first day being a YT) and culminating seven days later with krias yam suf, when the Egyptians were fully removed from the picture, thus completing Israel's salvation from the Egyptians. However, in Rambam's telling, Pesach seems to be exclusively a celebration of the miracles that happened in Egypt and the Exodus, but nothing thereafter, significantly altering Pesach's character. In MT ( Chametz uMatzah, 7:1-2 ), Rambam is clear that the mitzvah of retelling the Exodus account is limited to the mirac...