זוהר, בשלח ו׳Zohar, Beshalach 6

Segment 1א׳

(שמות י״ד:י׳) וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב, וְהַאי קְרָא הָא אוּקְמוּהָ. דְּאַקְרִיב לְכָל חֵילוֹי וּרְתִיכוֹי, לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא. וְתוּ וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר, הָא אִתְּמַר דְּקָרִיב לוֹן לִתְשׁוּבָה. וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב.

AND PHARAOH DREW NEAR. Said R. Jose: It has been pointed out that the word hikrib (drew near, lit. brought near) is in the causative form, signifying that he brought the Israelites near to God by repentance.

Segment 2ב׳

כְּתִיב (ישעיהו כ״ו:ט״ז) יְיָ' בַּצַּר פְּקָדוּךָ צָקוּן לַחַשׁ וְגוֹ'. בַּצַּר פְּקָדוּךָ: לָא פַּקְדִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַיְיחָא, אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּעָקִין לְהוּ, וּכְדֵין כֻּלְּהוּ פַּקְדִין לֵיהּ. צָקוּן לַחַשׁ: וְכֻלְּהוּ צַלָּאן בִּצְלוֹתִין וּבְבָעוּתִין, וְאָרִיקוּ קָמֵיהּ צְלוֹתִין. אֵימָתַי. (ישעיהו כ״ו:ט״ז) מוּסָרְךָ לָמוֹ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּפָקִיד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּרְצוּעוֹי. כְּדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָאִים עָלַיְיהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי, וְנִיחָא קָמֵיהּ הַהוּא קָלָא דִּלְהוֹן, בְּגִין לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִן שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן, וְאִתְמְלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ בְּרַחֲמֵי.

So the Scripture says elsewhere, “O Lord, they have visited thee in trouble, they have poured out prayer when thy chastisement was upon them” (Isa. 26, 16), i.e. Israel do not turn to the Almighty when they are at ease, but only when they are “in trouble”; when He chastises them, then “they pour out prayer”. They are like the dove in the story which took refuge from a hawk in the cleft of a rock and found a serpent there. They drew nigh unto the sea; but when they beheld how stormy it was, and how its waves roared and broke, fear overtook them. Then they looked back, and lo! there was Pharaoh with all his hosts and their manifold weapons! Their fear increased at this sight, and their terror knew no bounds. Then “they cried”. Thus they came near to their heavenly Father, whose aid they invoked; and of this Pharaoh was indirectly the cause.’

Segment 3ג׳

כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא, מְתָל לְיוֹנָה עִם הַנִּץ וְכוּ', כַּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲווֹ קְרִיבִין לְיַמָּא, וַהֲווּ חָמָאן לְיַמָּא קָמַיְיהוּ, אָזִיל וְסָעִיר וְגַלְגַּלּוֹהִי זַקְפִין לְעֵילָּא, הֲווֹ דְּחִילִין. זָקְפוּ עֵינַיְיהוּ וְחָמוּ לְפַרְעֹה וּלְמַשִׁירְיָיתֵיהּ, וְאַבְנֵי גִּירִין וּבַלִּסְטְרָאִין, כְּדֵין וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד. מַה עָבְדוּ, וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַאן גָּרִים הַאי דְּקָרִיבוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְגַבֵּי אֲבוּהוֹן דִּלְעֵילָּא, פַּרְעֹה. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וְהָא אִתְּמַר.

They are like the dove in the story which took refuge from a hawk in the cleft of a rock and found a serpent there. They drew nigh unto the sea; but when they beheld how stormy it was, and how its waves roared and broke, fear overtook them. Then they looked back, and lo! there was Pharaoh with all his hosts and their manifold weapons! Their fear increased at this sight, and their terror knew no bounds. Then “they cried”. Thus they came near to their heavenly Father, whose aid they invoked; and of this Pharaoh was indirectly the cause.’