This week the Israelites are running out from Egypt. They finally reach the Sea of Reeds, Moses holds out his hand and the sea parts. Miriam leads the women in singing and dancing. We begin our life in the wilderness! But know what caught my attention right away this week? The first two verses of the entire parasha. They read:
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 roundabout, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds.1
Do you mean to tell me that even after 430 years of slavery, God forced the Israelites to take the scenic route? Not the direct and shorter path to freedom but the “roundabout” way? It seems God was scared the people wouldn’t be able to face the complexity of their own liberation. And it seems that their path was maybe just as important as their destination. The value of the process. The means and the ends.
But the roundabout way?! If I was an Israelite and I learned we had to walk so much as an hour of our way in the blazing days or freezing nights I would be…very mad. Although not as mad as I’d be when I learned, some time later, that we had to wait 40 years before we could enter the promised land. Now that’s roundabout. As a reminder, the Israelites don’t wander 40 years because that’s how long it takes to get to The Land of Milk and Honey. They wander because they are being punished for the cowardice of the majority of spies who go to scout the land. They aren’t ready yet.
Maybe that is why God curates such a specific route for the Israelites. They are fragile – a fledgling people – and need more time to develop. To cook. It’s not like the outcome will be perfect – the Israelites continue complaining for the entirety of the Torah (and beyond). But much like waiting for the right time to open a bottle of wine, maybe God was just waiting for the right time to open up the Israelites into the world.
Or, is it possible there is value in simply going “out of our way?” If you ask the current American zeitgeist it will tell you the roundabout path or any extraneous movement is not just annoying but bad. Apps like Waze help us find the literal quickest path and Instacart actually tallies for you how many hours you’ve saved by not going grocery shopping. Is there a downside to these direct paths? What might the roundabout way offer that the direct path does not?
Roundabout ways offer opportunities for surprise – chances to encounter life outside of your life. The difference between ordering food to be delivered and going yourself is that one allows you to go out and meet the world – say hello to the other people in line, sign a petition, and maybe even run into a friend. Now, my wife is definitely laughing at me at this point because I don’t like grocery shopping and prefer Instacart BUT the point still stands (do as I say not as I do). Here’s another. The difference between taking the quickest route from the Bay Area to LA and taking the roundabout route is the difference between driving down the flat boring beige of California and encountering the infinite beauty of the Pacific coast. Beauty isn’t always waiting for you on the most direct path.
And what did God’s roundabout path offer the Israelites? The miraculous moment at the Sea of Reeds.
So this week, maybe take a roundabout path. Maybe you’ll encounter something miraculous too.
Exodus 13:17-18