(Exodus 14:22) "And the children of Israel came in the midst of the sea on the dry land": R. Meir perceives it one way; R. Yehudah, another. R. Meir: When the tribes were standing at the sea, each said: I will go first. In the midst of the hue and cry, Benjamin sprang first into the sea, as it is written (Psalms 68:28-29) "There, Benjamin, the young (i.e., the youngest of the tribes) rodem, the princes of Judah rigmatham, the princes of Zevulun, and princes of Naftali. Your G d has commanded your strength. Be strong, O G d, — this (strength which) You have wrought for us!" Read it not "rodem," but "rad yam" ("went down into the sea") — whereupon Judah began to stone them ("rigmatham"), viz. "the princes of Judah rigmatham." An analogy: A king has two sons. He enters the younger son's room at night and says: Wake me at sunrise — and to the older: Wake me in the third hour (of the day). The younger son comes to wake him at sunrise and is prevented from doing so by the older son, saying: He told me: at the third hour — to which the younger counters: He told me at sunrise. Their altercation awakes their father, who says: My sons, both of you acted for my honor — I will not withhold your reward for this. Thus said the Holy One Blessed be He: What reward will accrue to the sons of Benjamin, who went down first into the sea? The reposing of the Shechinah in his portion (i.e., the Temple), as it is written (Genesis 49:27) "Benjamin tears (first), as a wolf," and (Devarim 33:12) "Of Benjamin he said: 'Beloved of the L rd; He will repose securely upon him, etc.'" And what reward accrued to the tribe of Judah, who stoned him? They attained to kingdom, as it is written "The princes of Judah rigmatham," "rigmah" connoting kingdom, as in (Daniel 5:29) "And at Belshazzar's command, they clothed Daniel in purple ('argevana,' like 'rigmah'), placed a golden chain on his neck, and proclaimed that he should rule as one of three in the kingdom." "the princes of Zevulun and the princes of Naftali": Just as the Holy One Blessed be He wrought miracles for the tribe of Judah and Benjamin at the sea, so He wrought miracles for Zevulun and Naftali, through Devorah and Barak, as it is written (Judges 4:6-7) "And she summoned Barak the son of Avinoam of Kedesh Naftali, and said to him: The L rd, the G d of Israel has commanded: Go, ascend Mount Tavor, and take with you ten thousand men of Naftali and Zevulun. And I will draw to you Sisra the commander-in-chief of Yavin, etc." And it is written (Ibid. 5:18) "Zevulun is a people that bared its soul to death, and Naftali on the heights of the field." R. Yehudah perceives it thus: "And the children of Israel came in the midst of the sea": When the tribes were standing at the sea, each of them said: I will not go down first into the sea, viz. (Hoshea 12:1-3) "Ephraim surrounds Me with deceit, and the house of Israel with guile. Because they stood and deliberated, Nachshon the son of Aminadav leaped into the sea. Of him Scripture writes (Psalms 69:2-3 ) "Save me, O G d, for the waters have reached my soul. I am sinking in the slimy depths and I find no foothold. I have come into the watery depths, and the flood sweeps me away." (Ibid. 16) "Let the floodwaters not sweep me away, and let the deep not swallow me, and let the mouth of the pit not close over me." At that time Moses waxed long in prayer — whereupon the L rd said to him: My loved ones are drowning in the sea, and the sea is raging, and the foe is pursuing, and you stand and wax long in prayer? To which Moses replied: L rd of the universe, what can I do? And He said to him (Exodus 14:16) "And you, raise your staff, etc." And what did Moses and Israel say at the sea? (Ibid. 15:18) "The L rd will reign for ever and ever" — to which He responded: He who made Me "King" at the sea, (i.e., the tribe of Judah) him will I make king over Israel."