The Maharal (Gevurot Hashem, Chapter 59) elaborates extensively, explaining that the meaning of "steps" is that the Holy One, Blessed be He, elevated Israel from one level to another, akin to the fifteen steps in the Temple courtyard, which allude to the ultimate perfection. This is his wording: "Understand further that the first five steps themselves, it is known that each one is greater than the previous: the first is merely the exodus; similarly, He executed judgments upon them, which is a greater step for Israel than if they had left without the judgments He executed upon them. Additionally, He acted against their gods, which is a greater judgment upon them and a greater disgrace to them. Furthermore, He killed their firstborn, who are called 'the first of their strength' (Deuteronomy 21:17), and it has been explained above that striking something that is the first is the hardest of all. Additionally, He gave them their wealth, which is a greater step, as from all the previous steps, Israel did not acquire anything, but by giving them their wealth, Israel acquired their possessions.

The five middle steps are also those where Israel gained from the elevation above nature, and each one is more wondrous than the first: the parting of the sea is a step for Israel that was not present in all the plagues in Egypt, as the sea, which is one of the elements of the world, was destroyed and dried up, unlike the other miracles that occurred in Egypt where the plagues were in specific elements of the world. However, the sea, being the foundation of water, is not a specific element, and the sea was destroyed. Although He struck the Nile with blood and frogs, and the land with lice, there is a significant difference: the primary plague was that the lice dominated the land of Egypt, and the plague is called lice, not the destruction of the land, as this is not considered destruction and ruin of the land. And what He did to the Nile is not considered like the waters of the sea, as the sea is considered the foundation of water, about which it is said (Psalms 95:5) 'The sea is His, and He made it,' and the sea incurred destruction and ruin. Therefore, the splitting of the waters is a more wondrous matter, as the plague was in an element that is fundamental to the world. Therefore, in Egypt, it was done with a finger only, as the finger indicates specifics, but at the sea, the plague was with a hand, as explained to you, because with the whole hand, the plague is general and not specific. Similarly, all subsequent events indicate this level that Israel is not subject to the natural order of the world at all.

Also, He led us through it on dry land, which is a step in itself, as it is possible that some water might have remained from the sea, and they would not have passed on dry land, and the sea would not have been completely nullified, as there would still be a sea. But passing on dry land is a separate level, as the sea was nullified. Additionally, He drowned our enemies in it, which is an added step, as the splitting of the Red Sea, which split the natural elements, and the enemies of Israel drowned in the sea, as natural elements split and were destroyed before Israel and their salvation. Furthermore, they acted to destroy their enemies, performing an action and its opposite, which is even more unnatural.

Afterwards, He raised them to another level, providing their needs in the wilderness for forty years, meaning a desert place where it is unnatural for a person to have their needs, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, provided their needs in the wilderness for forty years. You can see from this that Israel conducts their affairs not according to nature, after providing their needs for forty years, such a long time, showing that their conduct is entirely unnatural. Afterwards, He fed them the manna, which is a completely unnatural food, almost not physical at all, as it was absorbed into the limbs and was separated and distinguished from all material baseness entirely. In the first five steps, Israel did not have elevation, as all were the exodus from Egypt, which is not considered elevation but merely emerging into the light of the completeness of existence, as before this, they were considered entirely engulfed, but in the five middle steps, Israel had elevation.

After the five middle steps, he mentioned five holy steps, through which they cleaved to the Blessed Name: the first of the five is the giving of the Sabbath, a divine commandment, and it is the covenant between the Holy One, Blessed be He, and Israel, through which they cleave to the Holy One, Blessed be He, and this is known. Afterwards, He brought them before Mount Sinai, and this closeness to