The Ba’al Shem Tov is said to have made the following observation regarding the verse “The enemy said: I will pur-
sue, I will overtake, I will divide” (Ex. 15:9), where the letter alef appears at the beginning of each word.
The letter alef is a reference to God, sometimes referred to as the aluf (leader or master) of the world.
The implication here is that the alef, the Master of the world, is present not only in the important events throughout history, such as the beginning of creation, or in the word anochi, “I,” with which the Ten Commandments open, but it is found even in the words of Pharaoh.
Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz