Darshening psiks in parashat Beshalach

Summary: Thus, Psik after the word  מצרים, that they saw the sar [heavenly prince] of Egypt traveling from heaven to aid them; and The trup symbol of psik hints to words which are not written, to elucidate what was standing before you 'there'. Should we take the Targum Yonasan to refer to an anthropomorphic God?


Post: Birkas Avraham writes, on parashat Beshalach:

7. Psik after the word  מצרים, that they saw the sar [heavenly prince] of Egypt traveling from heaven to aid them.

In the verse (Shemot 14:10, aforementioned), וישאו בני ישראל את עיניהם והנה מצרים נוסע אחרים, 'and Israel lifted their eyes and behold, Egypt was traveling after them', there is a trup symbol of psik after the word מצרים. Certainly this hints to that which is in the midrash and brought in Rashi here, that they saw the sar of Egypt traveling from heaven to aid the Egyptians. And it is stated in the midrash that it came to aid with complaints and criticisms. And in the location of the trup symbol of psik, there is place to add words which were between 'Egypt', to the answer of Hashem, and the merit of the forefathers which stood for Israel in that time and that place, and still stands for us from Egypt until now."

Here is the pasuk and Rashi to which he refers:

10. Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold! the Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.

י. וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְ־הֹוָ־ה:

the Egyptians were advancing after them: Heb. נֹסֵעַ [in the singular]. With one accord, like one man. Alternatively, [in the singular it means that] and behold, Egypt was advancing after them, [denoting that] they [the Israelites] saw the heavenly prince of Egypt advancing from heaven to aid the Egyptians. [From] Tanchuma.

נסע אחריהם: בלב אחד כאיש אחד. דבר אחר והנה מצרים נוסע אחריהם, ראו שר של מצרים נוסע מן השמים לעזור למצרים. תנחומא:

Mekorei Rashi says to check Tanchuma 1:13 but I don't see anything there. Also, other sources. The idea he brings down is that 'Egypt' was the name of the sar.

It is actually a munach legarmeih, rather than a psik:

And like all remez, it is not strictly necessary, since there are other ways of deriving this.

Next:

"27. The trup symbol of psik hints to words which are not written, to elucidate what was standing before you 'there'.


In the verse (Shmos 17:6), הנני עומד לפניך שם על הצור בחורב, there is the trup symbol of psik (a vertical bar | ) after the word שם. And it is possible to say that this hints to that which is stated in Targum Yonasan, תמן באתרא  דתחמי רושם ריגלא בחורב ותימחי ביה בטינרא בחוטרך.

{In English:

Behold, I will stand before thee there, on the spot where thou sawest the impress {roshem}  of the foot on Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock with thy rod, and therefrom shall come forth waters for drinking, and the people shall drink.

}

And in Perush Yonatan is written that it is understood that the matter of the regel is the manifestation of the Divine Presence, and not a bodily form.


And so wrote the Or HaChaim, that Hashem's Glory fills the entire earth, but that there is a place that the manifestation of the Divine Presence is increased, see there. And it is possible to explain that raglayim as a matter of a place where the descending of the sheva to the Lower World takes hold."

It seems that he is saying here that the pause itself is sufficient to insert whatever we want, into the gap. An interesting idea, but I don't find it convincing. Oh, and this as well is a munach legarmeih:

In terms of how the derash might have come about, עמד is chaser. That could make it into the past tense rather than the present or future tense, and is thus a reference to the previous incident by the burning bush.

Birkas Avraham, as well as Perush Yonasan and Or HaChaim, seems to be combating the idea of an anthropomorphizing of God. For a contrary notion, though I don't know that I am persuaded, see here.