As we leave Mitzrayim (our self-will) behind, we enter the barren desert and try to let Hashem run things, for a change. But our addiction (self-will) suddenly can't deal with the new reality. How can we follow G-d into the wilderness? We have lived our entire lives on "self-will"! And so we find ourselves standing before the Yam Suf. Our addiction / self-will is chasing us from behind and we know clearly that if it catches up to us again, we are doomed to eternal servitude - and death. But in front of us stands the sea. If we enter there, we will surely drown!
And so we cry out to G-d from the depths of our hearts. "Father, I can't go back there any more, but I can't move forward either!"
Answers Hashem, "It is for this moment I have waited, my dear son. Why do you cry to me? Let go and let G-d. Trust in me completely and just MOVE FORWARD."Daber el Benai Yisrael Vi'sa'u!"
And so we enter the water until our necks, with complete faith and trust - against all our instincts, and the miracle of Kriyas Yam Suf occurs!
We see that we do not drown, after all. We are walking on "dry land" amidst the sea. We really can leave Mitzrayim! We really can give up our self-will completely!
As long as we know 100 percent that it is Hashem who is in charge, and it is Hashem who is holding us, we discover the miracle of walking on dry land amidst the sea!
And with this realization, we finally witness our "self-will" (addiction) drown forever in the waters that we thought would drown us.
And our hearts fill with true joy and we sing the Shira - "Az Yashir" in future tense, because each and every Jew will undergo this process, somehow or another. Each and every Jew will one day sing this praise to Hashem, where he finally recognizes and understands how all the suffering he underwent until now, was only to bring him to complete dependence and trust in Hashem. "Hashem ish Milchama Hashem Shemo!"
And with this newly found "G-d strength", we are able to follow Hashem into the wilderness where He is a pillar of fire and warmth in the nights (symbolizing all the hard bumps of life), and He is a Sukka of Ananei Hakavod by day... (symbolizing the good times, when we truly feel G-d's loving embrace)...
And we return to our "youthful" trust in Hashem, "Zacharti Lach Chesed Ne'urayich... Lech Tech Acharai Bamidbar..." And our loving Father protects us in the desert from all harm and "turns the rock into a pool of water, the stone to springs of water" - and feeds us Manna from the sky, one day at a time.
And now we are ready to receive Torah.