What Is the Spiritual Meaning of the Parting of the Red Sea?

The story of the parting of the Red Sea is one of the most well-known and debated events in history. For over 3,000 years, people have argued over whether it actually happened. However, from a Kabbalistic perspective, we do not focus on whether it was a historical event but rather on its deeper, spiritual meaning, i.e., the spiritual process that every person undergoes on the path of changing the egoistic intention for self-benefit alone to one of love and bestowal upon others and nature.

According to Kabbalah, every spiritual event must manifest at least once in the physical world. This does not mean it happens in the same form or at the same time, but there must be some expression of it. But we leave historical debates to historians. What really matters is understanding the meaning of the parting of the Red Sea in the life of a person moving to spiritual attainment.

The Inner Journey: Leaving Egypt and Facing the Sea

The Torah describes how the people of Israel left Egypt in haste after Pharaoh granted them permission to go. In the wisdom of Kabbalah, Egypt symbolizes a person’s egoistic nature, a state where one is enslaved to selfish desires, pursuing personal pleasure at the expense of others. The Exodus from Egypt represents the moment when a person begins to break free from their ego, aspiring toward a more connected, altruistic way of life.

However, as soon as we leave, Pharaoh regrets letting us go and sends his army after us. This means that when we try to escape egoism, our ego does not simply disappear. Instead, it rises up stronger than ever, pulling us back. The inner Pharaoh, the egoistic force within us, refuses to let go without a fight.

The people of Israel reach the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army closing in behind them. They are in a state of despair, unsure whether to return to slavery or to move forward into the unknown. This inner conflict happens to every person on the spiritual path. On one hand, there is the comfort of returning to familiar egoistic ways. On the other hand, there is an aspiration to a new, altruistic existence, which feels uncertain and frightening.

What Does the Parting of the Red Sea Represent?

The parting of the Red Sea represents a fundamental shift in perception. The sea, in Kabbalah, symbolizes the quality of Bina, which is the quality of bestowal. It is an enormous force, but as long as it is mixed with egoism, it remains dangerous and chaotic, much like stormy waters. The moment a person is ready to advance in what Kabbalah calls “faith above reason,” i.e., to rise above their ego, immersing themselves in the force of bestowal, then the sea parts, and the path forward appears.

Moses is told to lift his staff (“Mateh” in Hebrew), which represents faith above reason. In other words, to cross the Red Sea, we need to lower our ego beneath our aspiration to bestow. We must place love, bestowal, and connection above personal calculations of gain or loss. When we do so, the waters part, making way for our transformation.

What Happens to Egoistic Desires?

When the people of Israel cross, the sea returns to its normal state and drowns Pharaoh’s army. This means that those who cannot rise above egoism, who insist on living solely for themselves, cannot cross into the new reality of bestowal. Egoistic desires that refuse to transition to altruism are left behind, unable to survive in the new state.

This moment marks a parting between altruistic and egoistic desires. Those desires that are ready to become part of a higher state advance, while those that are not remain behind and “drown,” losing their influence over our spiritual development.

Why Water? – The Spiritual Meaning of the Sea

Water represents the force of life, the quality of bestowal. We are all born in water, and it is the foundation of life. However, water can be both a force of life and a force of destruction. If it is mixed with egoism, it becomes turbulent and threatening. But if it is aligned with the quality of bestowal, it nurtures and sustains life.

The Red Sea is called “Yam Suf” in Hebrew, meaning “the Ending Sea.” It signifies the end of one state and the transition into another. When we cross it, we no longer return to Egypt. We pass the barrier between egoism and altruism, moving to a state where bestowal, rather than self-interest, guides our life.

The Key to Crossing the Red Sea

The lesson of the Red Sea is that we must be willing to take a leap of faith above reason. This means giving ourselves over to the quality of bestowal and acting according to it even when it contradicts egoistic logic. When love, bestowal, and connection become more important than self-aimed gains, we can make such a transition.

This is why the sea is split by faith and not by Moses himself. Moses, as a leader, is already above this transition. He represents the force of Bina, the force of bestowal, and therefore does not need to cross. He already exists in this quality. But the people, which represent the desires within a person that are still in transition, must take the leap.

The Supernatural Transformation

The miracle of the Red Sea is not the parting of the waters but the transformation within a person. It is the moment when we begin to think of others more than ourselves, not out of self-gain, but out of a new nature of love and bestowal. This is indeed a supernatural shift because it defies our inborn egoistic nature.

Crossing the Red Sea means entering a new reality where we prioritize the well-being of others over personal interests. This is no temporary shift but a permanent change in perception. When we cross this barrier, our entire worldview changes. We no longer calculate in an inwardly-receiving direction for personal benefit but instead consider what benefits others, knowing that by doing so, we come to resemble the spiritual quality of love and bestowal.

Why Does a Person Make This Change?

The motivation for this transformation is the aspiration to resemble the Creator. Were it not for this aspiration, we would never voluntarily leave our ego. But because the Creator’s quality is one of absolute love and bestowal, those who desire closeness to the Creator must adopt the same nature. They must go through this transformation, not because it is comfortable or easy, but because it is the only way to become similar to the upper force.

The Point of No Return

The Red Sea is the “Ending Sea” (Yam Suf) because after crossing it, there is no going back. A person who transitions from egoism to bestowal remains in this new state. They are no longer enslaved to personal desires but live in a completely different system, one of love, bestowal, and positive human connection.

This is the deeper spiritual meaning behind the parting of the Red Sea. It is not about parting physical waters but about the opening of a new path in our attitude to others and to reality. It is a passage from a self-centered world to a world where the Creator’s quality of love and bestowal governs our thoughts, desires, decisions, and actions.

This is the great transition that humanity must ultimately undergo, and each person will experience their own Red Sea moment when they are ready to make that leap.

Based on “The Parting of the Red Sea – Spiritual States with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.” Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.

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