Parashat B’Shalach

This weeks Torah portion gives us the answer for a common themes of Jewish jokes. The joke usually asks why the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years (and is usually answered with something like ‘because the men wouldn’t stop to ask for directions).

The portion starts “17. It came to pass when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them [by] way of the land of the Philistines for it was near, because God said, Lest the people reconsider when they see war and return to Egypt 18. So God led the people around [by] way of the desert [to] the Red Sea…” [Exodus 13:17-18]

G-d knew that when Israel arrived in the land of the Philistines (which is biblical Israel), they would face a war. G-d also knew that that Israel was not ready for war. If Israel would come up against a war so soon after leaving Egypt, they would flee back into the relative safety (albeit slavery) of Egypt.

But what was it that Israel wasn’t ready for? The obvious answer is that they were not physically ready for a war… after all, slavery doesn’t exactly make you fit to be warriors. But if that’s the case, why would taking the route by way of the Red Sea (actually Sea of Reeds) – which is only an extra few weeks travel – make them physically ready?

The answer is that the problem wasn’t physical, it was a spiritual deficiency. Witnessing the 10 plagues wasn’t enough to convince Israel that with G-d in their corner they can win a war against the Philistines. There was more that Israel needed to witness (the more is, of course, the revelation at Sinai and the many miracles in the desert).

So we start with G-d not wanting Israel to face war yet. But the portion ends with Israel fighting a war with Amalek. If G-d took Israel the long way around so they would not have to face war, then why does the portion end with Israel getting into a war?

Israel was not spiritually ready for war at the start of the portion. Through the portion, G-d gets Israel spiritually ready with a series of miracles (water from rocks, manah…) which were designed to show Israel that comes with service of G-d.

Reading the text, the Amalek attack seems to come out of left field… there is no description of them coming; in the middle of a paragraph we get “8. Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim”[Exodus 17:8]. Looking at the line before this, we begin to understand what is happening. After complaining to Moses about lack of water, the text says “… the children of Israel [tested] the Lord, saying, Is the Lord in our midst or not?” [ Exodus 17:7].

Israel looses faith in G-d, and are immediately faced with war. It’s hard to not see a correlation there. This is a theme we see repeated many times in the Torah. From Psalm 81 “If only my people would heed Me, if Israel would walk in My ways. In an instant I would subdue their foes, and against my tormentors turn My hand.” The lesson here is just as applicable today was it was when G-d first taught it to the Jews 3500 years ago.

Shabbat Shalom.