לאמר

As the Jewish Nation stood at the shores of the Red Sea paralyzed with fear, Hashem told Moshe דבר אל בני ישראל ויסעו, speak to the Children of Israel, that they should travel. Conspicuously absent is a word that usually follows Hashem's command to Moshe to speak: לאמר, to say. For example we will commonly find: Hashem spoke to Moshe לאמר.

In general, the commentators are troubled as to the understanding of לאמר as it seems to be superfluous. There are a number of different approaches to understand its general usage. Rav Isaac of Komarna (as is also explained by Rabbeinu Bachya) understands that whenever Hashem uses the word לאמר he is indicating to Moshe that he is meant to be transmitting the message to the Nation on two levels. First of all, he is meant to be telling them the Pshat, the simple, obvious, meaning of the words which Hashem is instructing him to share with the people. The word לאמר is then coming to indicate that there is something additional to say. It is also Moshe's mandate to instruct the people in the reason behind what Hashem has instructed. Why has Hashem told us to do this. Some will explain that this indicates that he should explain the Kabbalistic reasons behind the commandment.

As the Nation stood at the Red Sea and it was time for them to proceed forward, this was the time for them to connect to the power of Emunah, to their complete trust in Hashem. If Hashem said to go, they would go. Offering them reasons as to why they should listen would have diminished this demonstration of Emunah. Emunah is only present when there is no logic or understanding, just a deep seated trust.

There was no לאמר here as Moshe was not told to tell them any reason. It was time to travel, and to trust.