זה ק-לי ואנוהו (בשלח טו:ב)

Rashi teaches that even a lowly servant merited to see the great miracles at the Yam Suf—visions that the Nevi’im themselves did not behold.

When the Chofetz Chaim would teach his talmidim Chumash with Rashi and the Ramban on Leil Shishi (Thursday nights), his young son Shimon—later known as the Michtav Sofer and who would go on to serve as Rav of Krakow—would sit on his lap and listen attentively.

One night, while learning Parshas Beshalach, the Chofetz Chaim paused on this Rashi and asked: How is it possible that a simple servant was able to witness the miracles at the Sea—something even our holy Nevi’im did not merit to see?

Young Shimon exclaimed, “Tatte, I can answer that.” He explained with a parable: When one sends an important letter with a messenger who knows how to read the language, the letter is carefully sealed on all sides so that no one should lay eyes upon its contents. But if the letter is sent with an illiterate messenger, there is no need to seal it,  since he cannot understand what is written anyway.

So too, the holy Nevi’im, who possess deep understanding and insight into hidden matters, were not shown these miracles openly; they had to be concealed from them. But a simple servant does not comprehend what he sees. As Rashi says, “ראתהשפחה”—the servant saw, but did not truly understand. Therefore, there was no need to hide those miraculous revelations from him.

When the Chasam Sofer noticed his talmidim standing in awe of his son’s remarkable wisdom, he gently “admonished” the boy for saying such clever things, and playfully removed his hat and placed it on backwards—מעינא בישא—to protect him from the evil eye.