There is a long way which is short and a short way that is long.

There Is A Long Way Which Is Short And A Short Way That Is Long
Rabbi Dov Gartenberg Parshat Beshalah
Given, 08-01-19

The Sidrah begins with the word Vayehi. The first two letter read וי
That is Woe!.
Pharaoh said, Woe, because the Israelites, his best workers had left;
Moses said Woe because when God led the people by the circuitous route, he knew they would misuse their freedom.
Israel said Woe because they now had to look after themselves.
God said Woe, because God knew Israel's weakness. (R. Hacohen)

This is the Oy parsha because it starts off in such a strange way
Let's consider the famous verses.

‘Vayehi’-Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer; for God said, "The people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt.: So God led the people round about, ‘Vyasev elohim’, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Es 13:17-18

Why did God not take Israel the shortest way to the land of Canaan and to escape a potential pursuit of the Egyptians? Why did God not consult Moses who would bear all the burdens of the people's wanderings? Why did God have so little faith in the people he liberated? What is the benefit in causing people to wander?

For generations students of the Torah have asked these questions. I share with you a few suggestions for your consideration.

This is an act of kindness and consideration on God's part. Ki karov hu " because God was near to them and loved them, and therefore, did not want to risk having some of them killed in a battle with the Philistines (Minhah blulah)

Rashi: God did not lead Israel through Philistine territory precisely because it was close, and it would have been too tempting to become discouraged and return to Egypt.

Nahmanides: Although the way to through the Phillistine territory was more direct, God was afraid that the people would be discouraged if they had to fight their way through.

All these commentators are aware of an older Midrash which gives specific reasons for God's fear of Israel's potential weakness.

"Israel had spent 180 years in Egypt, in peace and prosperity, not in the least molested by the people. Suddenly Ganon came, a descendant of Joseph of the tribe of Ephraim. He said, The Lord has appeared to me and He bade me to lead you forth out of Egypt. The Ephraimites were the only ones to heed his words. Proud of their royal lineage as direct descendants of Joseph and confident of their valor in war, for they were great heroes, they left the land and betook themselves to Palestine. They carried only weapons of gold and silver. They had no provisions, because they expected to buy food and drink on the way or capture them by force if the owners would not part with them for money.

After a days' march they found themselves in the neighborhood of Gat. There the local shepherds refused to provide provisions for the hungry and thirsty Ephraimites. Angry by the refusal, the Ephraimites attacked the shepherds of Gat, who then called on their fellow Philistines. They gathered a large army and annihilated the Ephraimites, leaving only 10 of them who escaped with their bare lives.

They returned to Egypt to bring all of Israel word of the disaster that had overtaken them. The disaster at Gat was followed by disgrace, for the bodies of the fallen lay unburied for many years on the battlefield. To add insult to injury, Pharaoh, alarmed over the possibility of all of Israel leaving initiated the first acts of oppression that led to Israel’s enslavement. Thereafter, the Egyptians exercised force to keep Israel in their land.

The Midrash concludes, Therefore, God chose the longer route to spare Israel of the sight of those dishonored corpses. Upon seeing the corpses the Israelites would become discouraged and would return to Egypt. (Legends of the Jews)

This Midrash (which has no historical basis) is fascinating because it suggests that God avoided the coastal route because of a previous traumatic incident. Think about this in your own lives. Have you ever steered a child or a spouse away from falling into a trap which you had fallen into yourself? How do the traumas of our past effect how we guide others today? How much do we hide those traumas to protect our children or grandchildren? Or should we allow our descendants to know about the trials of our past so they may learn as well.

In the case of this Midrash, God does not want them to see this indignity and guides them away from it. Going back to Egypt is not an option.

The final interpretation I will offer is my favorite.
The long route was necessary because the Israelites would need to develop qualities to be able to conquer and settle the Promised Land.
i. Ibn Ezra: God did not want them to arrive at the Promised Land too soon. Slaves could not conquer the land.
ii. Maimonides: God wanted to accustom them to hardship, to prepare them for the task of being a free persons and a free nation.
Maimonides writes, “ It is impossible to change a person instantaneously.” When a person or community undergoes a profound change in condition, it will take a long time for that person and that community to adjust to the new reality. Therefore God has Israel wander to help them adjust to the new reality of their freedom and their service to God.

Isn’t this true for us? We are not built for quick pivots or sudden turns. So much of the difficulties we have in modern life stem from this super fast pace of life in which our bodies and our minds have trouble keeping up. Modern life does not allow the wandering time for us to catch up. No wonder we feel so out of sorts so much of the time.

That is the wisdom of our passage today. God knows that we need time when faced with radical change. He let us wander so we can adjust and get used to the new reality. The Talmud captures this wisdom in a wonderful expression.

There is a long way which is short and a short way that is long. (BT Eruvim 53b)