contrivance to surmount the difficulties standing in our way. Thine
alone is the work of procuring deliverance for this army, which left
Egypt at Thy appointment. We despair of all other assistance or
device, and we have recourse only to our hope in Thee. If there be
any escape possible, we look up to Thy providence to accomplish
it for us." [25] With such words Moses continued to make fervent
supplication to God to succor Israel in their need. But God cut
short his prayer, saying: "Moses, My children are in distress - the
sea blocks the way before them, the enemy is in hot pursuit after
them, and thou standest here and prayest. Sometimes long prayer is
good, but sometimes it is better to be brief. If I gathered the waters
together unto one place, and let the dry land appear for Adam, a
single human being, should I not do the same for this holy
congregation? I will save them if only for the sake of the merits of
Abraham, who stood ready to sacrifice his son Isaac unto Me, and
for the sake of My promise to Jacob. The sun and the moon are
witnesses that I will cleave the sea for the seed of the children of
Israel, who deserve My help for going after Me in the wilderness
unquestioningly. Do thou but see to it that they abandon their evil
thought of returning to Egypt, and then it will not be necessary to
turn to Me and entreat My help." [26]

Moses, however, was still very much troubled in mind, on account
of Samael, who had not left off lodging accusations before God
against Israel since the exodus from Egypt. The Lord adopted the
same procedure in dealing with the accuser as the experienced
shepherd, who, at the moment of transferring his sheep across a
stream, was faced by a ravening wolf. The shepherd threw a strong
ram to the wolf, and while the two engaged in combat, the rest of
the flock was carried across the water, and then the shepherd