1. Yalkut Shimoni, Exodus, Chapter 14, Item 234
When Israel stood by the sea, one said, “I am not going down,” and another said, “I am not going down.” While they stood and sought advice, Nachshon Son of Aminadav jumped and fell into the waves of the sea. It is about him that he says, “Save me, O God, for the waters are up to my neck [soul].”
2. RABASH, Article No. 1 (1986), "Moses Went"
One who has already begun the work, and is not saying that he will wait until the Creator gives him the desire to do the holy work and then he will begin to work. Rather, he does not want to wait because the craving to work and reach the truth pushes him forward though he does not see that he will have the ability to go forward alone, like Nahshon.
However, he sees that he cannot continue this work and is afraid that the burden of the kingdom of heaven, which he is now carrying, is beginning to fall off from him so he begins to call out for help, since he sees that each time, the burden he has taken on himself begins to fall.
3. Zohar for All, BeShalach [When Pharaoh Sent], "And ... Went, And It Came, And ... Stretched", Items No. 178-179
When Israel camped by the sea they saw several multitudes, several soldiers, and several camps above and below, and they all gathered over Israel. In their plight, Israel began to pray.
At that time, Israel saw adversity on all sides. The sea with its mounting waves was before them, behind them were all the appointees, all the camps of Egypt, and above them were several slanderers. They began to cry out to the Creator.
4. RABASH, Article No. (1990), "Why the Speech of Shabbat Must Not Be as the Speech of a Weekday, in the Work"
When the people of Israel came to a state where they saw that they could not escape from the bad, meaning they saw that the power of the bad was on all sides and they did not see any salvation by nature, this is considered that the Kli of the bad has been completed.
At that time comes […] when the Creator gives them the light, and this light reforms them. In other words, by this they emerge from the governance of evil, called “vessels of self-reception,” and are rewarded with vessels of bestowal. This is the meaning of “Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will do for you today.” This means that once the Kli of the bad has been completed, there is room for disclosure of light on the part of the upper one. This is considered that the Creator is giving them the vessels of bestowal.
5. RABASH, Article No. 939, "The Exodus from Egypt and the Giving of the Torah"
In the exodus from Egypt, they received vessels of bestowal, which are vessels of Hassadim [mercies]. The tearing of the Red Sea was “seeing,” which are lights of Hochma, received in vessels of reception. There it was through an awakening from above, as it is written, “The Lord will fight for you and you will be silent.”
6. RABASH, Article No. 18 (1990), "Why the Speech of Shabbat Must Not Be as the Speech of a Weekday, in the Work”
When they were already complete in terms of the evil, when they saw that it was impossible to emerge from the bad in a natural way, but only by a miracle, this is regarded as the evil being completed sufficiently. At that time, the help from above should come, to give them the light to complete the Kelim, meaning that the vessels of reception will acquire the form of bestowal. This does not pertain to man’s work.
This is why it is written, “You will keep silent,” since now is the time when the Creator gives.
7. Baal HaSulam, Shamati, Article No. 151, “And Israel Saw the Egyptians”
In the verse, “and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore,” “…and the people feared the Lord, and they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses,” we must understand how “they believed” is relevant here. Clearly, the miracle of the exodus from Egypt and the division of the sea brought Israel to greater faith than they had had before. After all, our sages said about the verse, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him,” that a maid by the sea saw more than did Ezekiel the prophet.
Hence, this means that the exodus from Egypt was a case of open miracles, which brings to knowledge of the Lord, which is the opposite of the meaning of “faith,” since it does not mean above reason. And when seeing open miracles, it is very hard to be in faith, since, moreover, it is a time of expansion of the reason. Therefore, what is the meaning of the text, “and they believed in the Lord”?
However, we should interpret according to the interpretation of “All believe that He is a God of faith.” The verse narrates Israel’s praise, who, even after seeing the open miracles, their servitude of the Creator was not reduced in them, which is by way of faith above reason.
8. Zohar for All, VaYigash [Then Judah Approached], "And You Shall Eat and Be Satisfied, and Bless", Item No. 58
It was said that man’s nourishments before the Creator are as hard as the tearing of the Red Sea, since the tearing of the Red Sea was to open ways above, to reveal the Man’ula, and to drown the Egyptians. It turns out that ways would open in the Man’ula to drown the Egyptian, and paths in the Miftacha for Israel. And as ways and paths open in it, so it splits and breaks open because two opposite actions are included in the tearing of the Red Sea, since as ways would open by the force of the Man’ula, and paths by the force of the Miftacha, the sea would split and open to drown the Egyptians and to save Israel.