The Torah tells of the Jews desperation and anguish when hope
seemed lost: וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת
עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד
וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הֹ – Pharaoh drew near, and
the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold! the
Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened,
and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. (14:10) Rashi
remarks that תפשו אומנות אבותם – They seized the craft of their
ancestors. The seems to praise the Jews. But why identify it as
something their ancestors would have done? At the beginning of
the slavery we find that they cry out and the ancestral heritage
is not mentioned: וַיְהִי בַיָּמִים הָרַבִּים הָהֵם, וַיָּמָת
מֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם, וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה,
וַיִּזְעָקוּ; וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל-הָאֱלֹהִים, מִן-הָעֲבֹדָה
– Now it came to pass in those many days that the king of Egypt
died, and the children of Israel sighed from the labor, and they
cried o