It appears that the resolution to all these questions lies in understanding the essence of the miracle of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds (Kriyas Yam Suf) deeply. It seems that the entire purpose, essence, and profound significance of this miracle was about faith in Hashem (God) and absolute trust in Him. All the events and occurrences of this miracle at every stage revolved around this matter. The very occurrence of the miracle was due to the level of faith and trust that the Israelites had acquired up to that time. Every manner and order of its events were a test of trust. The goal and purpose of its completion were to instill, deepen, and root this trait in everyone.

From now on, the whole matter is well resolved. First, our wonder about the desire of the first group to go down into the sea – what did they think they would achieve by this? Now it must be explained that their intention was not to flee into the sea, nor were they desirous of losing their lives knowingly. Rather, this group was the group of those with trust, the group of Nachshon ben Aminadav, who jumped into the sea even before Hashem's command came to Moshe to stretch out his hand over the sea to split it, as the words of the Midrash (Yalkut Shimoni, remez 234) that we brought above show. This was the intention of all the people in this group – to jump into the sea as one person to demonstrate their great trust in Hashem. Because of this group, the Israelites merited the miracle. This is the meaning of Moshe's response to this group, as Yonatan detailed: "The group that said we should go down into the sea, Moshe said to them, do not fear, stand still and see the salvation of Hashem that He will do for you today." That is, you who truly and wholeheartedly trust in Hashem have no reason to fear, for indeed you are assured that you will see the salvation of Hashem that He will do for you today, and it will be thanks to you.

This also explains the words of the Yalkut that Moshe and the Israelites said by the sea, "Hashem will reign forever and ever," which puzzled us as to why this declaration was necessary precisely then when they stood by the sea awaiting salvation. But according to our interpretation, indeed it was so, for at that moment the Israelites needed the merit of trust to bring about the miracle. Therefore, that was the appropriate time to proclaim and say that "Hashem will reign forever and ever" and to trust solely in Him.

This is also the reason for the rebuke to Moshe for the length of his prayer – for this time, the miracle of salvation would not come through the multitude of prayers but through the abundance of trust. The connection between the declaration 'Hashem will reign forever and ever' and the preceding discourse about the length of the prayer when 'my beloved ones are submerged in the water etc.' is thus clarified – for indeed these matters are intertwined. Since it was clarified to Moshe by Hashem that this time the miracle would come not through the length of prayer but through the abundance of trust, he immediately hastened to declare 'Hashem will reign forever and ever.'

This is what Rashi hints at when he says that the merit of their faith in Me and their departure was sufficient to split the sea for them. He did not mention their other merits, such as the blood of the Pesach and the blood of the circumcision by which they left Egypt, because the splitting of the Sea of Reeds is the miracle of trust. To merit it, the Israelites needed the merit of the faith that they believed in Me and departed.