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Kriyat Yam Suf ‐ Rivca Berdichevsky (12th Grade)

Why did Hashem wait until Nachshon Ben Aminadav jumped into the Yam Suf, to open the sea and not before
him? Hashem wanted an action from the Jews. He didn’t want them to sit around waiting for a miracle to hap-
pen, without doing an action to provoke it. It happened this way because Hashem was testing their Emunah
(faith) to see if even when they were trapped, they would believe that Hashem would get them out.

Hashem doesn’t want us to sit around waiting for him. Instead, He wants us to deserve a miracle by performing
a physical action to provoke it to happen. Just like Nachshon Ben Aminadav who took action, similarly, Hashem
wants us to act as well. Once we initiate and show our faith in Him, Hashem will help us.

4th grade

The Science of Miracles ‐ Netanya Abramson (12th grade)

I once learned that G-d only does miracles through the laws of nature He created. G-d doesn’t do anything com-
pletely against the laws of nature. So how does this statement apply to the Pesach miracles? The entire ocean
rising and splitting to reveal dry land? How does this work within the laws of nature? I would like to propose
two possible explanations.

First, let me explain a little bit about water’s polarity (having a slight charge). Basically, water molecules - com-
posed of two hydrogen and one oxygen atom - have a slightly positive charge. This results in them being attract-
ed to a negative charge. In fact, if you hold a negatively charged styrofoam cup next to a stream of water, the
water will physically bend towards the cup.
In addition, we know that storm clouds build up electrons (a negative charge). It’s how lightning happens - the
negative storm clouds are attracted to the positive charges in the ground. Now, is it really so crazy to imagine
that G-d’s presence at the Red Sea is like a massive storm; the air charged with so much negative charges it is
unlike any storm we have seen? Then G-d, moving the storm, can bend the water up towards Him.

A second proposal has to do with the effect of a magnet on water. In my research, I came across a Youtube video
of a magnet placed in a thin layer of water in a bucket. But the water would not cross over and submerge the
magnet. In fact, it was standing up about 1/16th of an inch around the magnet. It wanted to do everything it could
to avoid the magnetic field. As Bob Davis said in his video “it’s kind of confusing to the eye because it doesn’t
make sense.” But it’s real. Perhaps this principle was applied on a larger scale. G-d created a massive magnetic
field causing the water to physically stand up and part.

I would like to propose that these basic phenomenon can be applied on a massive scale to explain how G-d
works within his laws of science. As we can see, G-d never goes against the laws of nature He creates. Every
miracle is plausible if you just understand the laws.