2022/5782
This week's Parashah begins with Bnei Yisrael leaving Mitzrayim: “וַיְהִ֗י בְּשַׁלַּ֣ח פַּרְעֹה֮ אֶת־הָעָם֒ וְלֹא־נָחָ֣ם אֱלֹקים דֶּ֚רֶךְ אֶ֣רֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים כִּ֥י קָר֖וֹב ה֑וּא כִּ֣י ׀ אָמַ֣ר אֱלֹקים פֶּֽן־יִנָּחֵ֥ם הָעָ֛ם בִּרְאֹתָ֥ם מִלְחָמָ֖ה וְשָׁ֥בוּ מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃,” “And it was when Paroh sent the nation, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Pelishtim, although it was nearer; for God said, the people may have a change of heart when they see war, and return to Egypt” (Shemot 13:17). From here a question arises. Why did Hashem not take us through the quicker route, through the land of the Pelishtim?
Rashi answers that it would be quicker to get back to Egypt as well, and Bnei Yisrael may change their minds (ibid. s.v. כי קרוב הוא). There is, however, a deeper meaning to this. The Midrash Shemot Rabbah (20:11) says that “Derech Eretz” here means the way a master leads their servants. Usually a slave has to bathe, anoint, carry, and light up the way before his master. Rather, Hashem did just the opposite and provided us with all these necessities. That’s why it says “VeLo Nacham Elokim Derech Eretz.” On this we can ask, does Hashem really make no demands of His people? What about the Talmidei Chachamim and other Torah scholars? Furthermore, if the first part of the Pasuk means that Hashem, in His kindness, wasn't willing to treat Bnei Yisrael as masters treat their servants, how does that connect to the Pasuk here when it says that maybe Bnei Yisrael will see a war and return to Egypt?
Rabbi Menachem Koeningshofer answers these questions on the Midrash and Pasuk. He explains that it is true that Hashem put many obligations on us, but these obligations aren’t for His sake as Hashem doesn’t need us to serve Him. They are, however, intended to be for our sake to purify and dignify us or, in the language of the Midrash, to bathe, anoint, and clothe us so that we are capable of enjoying the eternal spiritual bliss we will receive in Olam HaBa. Therefore, although the path of Torah may seem burdensome at first, it becomes sublimely pleasant at the end. On the other hand, the pursuit of material gods is pleasant at the beginning as it appeals to one’s instincts to offer immediate gratification, but the pleasure soon goes away and the burden remains.
Even within the realm of Avodat Hashem, the latter of the two can intrude. If a person approaches Torah study or a Mitzvah with expectation of instant success or inspiration and without the drive to work hard for those things, he may begin with enthusiasm, but before long, when he fails to see those expectations and the rapid progress, frustration and disappointment will set in.
Thus, every Jew has two paths before him: one whose goal seems within easy reach, but then recedes into the distance; the other which is long and taxing, but with a goal that is sure and satisfying. There are no shortcuts in God's world; it is the hard work on purifying one’s nature and perfecting one’s character that earns one a reward of a glorious future.
This is what the Pasuk is trying to teach us. The Master of the Universe, in His concern for us, His unique servants, did not lead us on a path of wordy pursuits or quick results; that is the path characterized by the Pelishtim. He said that this route was unwise, for it is near; it is easy to follow and the reward is right there. Hashem wanted to teach us that shortcuts to achieve personal fulfillment are a mere illusion, for one will never reach the goal they are striving for if they try to take the shortcut. Instead, Hashem chose the long and grueling route through the Midbar. There we would meet many obstacles and struggle at every turn, but it was there that this process would help us acquire faith and the strength of character that would equip us to fulfill their obligations in the Holy Land. Though shorter in the long run, the route was truly the quickest and surest way for the Jews to reach their goals.
The Pasuk explains why the short route was not the way to go. Hashem said “Maybe they’ll reconsider when they see war and they’ll return to Egypt.” If the Jews were to proceed directly to Eretz Yisrael and embark on their national calling without accustoming themselves to the hard work of self improvement and the tough battles against the Yetzer HaRa, they would expect an easy self fulfillment, a painless climb to the heights of spirituality. When they would discover the reality, however, when they see the war that must be fought before one can see the light of Hashem's presence, taste the sweetness of His Mitzvot, and enjoy the pleasure of His closeness, they would become disheartened. They might return to Egypt and never achieve the purpose which Hashem took them as His own.
We have two paths that we can walk down. We have the shortcut that will take us through the land of the Pelishtim, but we also have the way of hard work, the way around. The outcome of our lives depends on which path we choose to go down. The Gemara in Sukkah (52a) says that in the future, when Hashem will slaughter the Yetzer HaRa in the presence of the Tzaddikim and Resha’im, they will both be weeping. The Resha’im will weep, for they will wonder how they were never able to overcome this strand of hair and Hashem will wonder with them as well. The Tzaddikim however, will be crying because they won’t understand how they overcame this huge mountain. It is because the Tzaddikim took the long route; they worked for what they got and it paid off. All of us have the potential to overcome mountains, we can overcome so many things, all we have to do is remember that sometimes the longer route is shorter in the long run.