Beshalach - Long Shortcuts

(17) 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.” (18) So God led the people round about, by way of the wilderness at the Sea of Reeds. Now the Israelites went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

(1) AND G-D LED THEM NOT BY THE WAY OF THE LAND OF THE PHILISTINES BECAUSE1“Because.” Thus Rashi and Ibn Ezra render the Hebrew word ki, as will be explained. Ramban will suggest further on in the text that the word ki should be understood here as “although.” The J.P.S. translation follows Ramban’s explanation. IT WAS NEAR. “It would therefore be easy [for the Israelites] to return to Egypt by the same route. There are many Midrashic explanations, [but the above is the plain sense of Scripture].” Thus the language of Rashi. This is also the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, who explained the purport of the verse to be that G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines “because” it was near. They might therefore be filled with regret [when they experience war], and they would immediately return to Egypt.In my opinion, if their explanations were correct, the expression for G-d said would have been mentioned in first place in the verse, in which case the verse would read: “and G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, for G-d said, Because it is near, lest peradventure the people repent!”2But actually the verse reads: and G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines because it was near; for G-d said, etc. In other words, Ramban argues that according to Rashi and Ibn Ezra, the reason for G-d’s choice of the route by the wilderness and not by the land of the Philistines [because it was near], should have followed after the expression for G-d said. But the correct interpretation is that [the expression in question does not state the reason for G-d’s choice but merely] states that G-d led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines although it was near and it would have been advantageous to lead them by that route, for G-d said: Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.The reason they would experience war if they went by the way of the land of the Philistines, is that the Philistines would surely not have given them permission to go peacefully through their land, and thus they might return to Egypt. But by the way of the wilderness, they would not see war until they came to the lands of Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites,3Deuteronomy 3:8. which were given to them [i.e. to Israel]. At that time, they were already far from Egypt, [and there was thus no reason to fear that they would be tempted to return to Egypt because of war]. The war of Amalek in Rephidim4Further, 17:8-13. was no reason for the Israelites to return to Egypt, since they did not pass through the land of the Amalekites. Rather, Amalek came from his country and warred against them because of his hatred of Israel. Even if they were to take their own course to return to Egypt, it would be to no avail since Amalek would fight them on the way. Besides, they were already far from Egypt because of the circuitous route which they had followed, and they knew of no other route.Now Rashi commented: “When they see war. For instance, the war of the Canaanite and the Amalekite.5In Numbers 14:45 and so in Rashi here: And the Amalekite and the Canaanite came down. If they had proceeded by the direct route, they would have then turned back. For after He had made them go round by a circuitous way they said, Let us make a captain and go back to Egypt,6Ibid., 14:4. and how much more so would they have said it had He led them by a straight road!”7Mechilta on the verse before us.The purport of that which Scripture states, and G-d led them not… But G-d led the people about, by the way of the wilderness,8Verse 18. is that when they journeyed from Succoth,9Verse 20. a pillar of cloud10Verse 21. began to go before them. It did not go by the way of the land of the Philistines but instead went by the way of the wilderness of Etham,9Verse 20. and the Israelites walked after it. The cloud then rested in Etham and they encamped there, and that was at the edge of the wilderness.9Verse 20.

(1) כי קרוב, “because the people were close to the Lord,” as stated in Psalms 148.14: לבני ישראל, עם קרובו הללוי-ה, “for Israel, the people close to Him.” This is the reason why He led them not as in the custom of the world. An alternate interpretation of the line above: seeing that the land of the Philistines was so close to Egypt, as we know from Genesis 10,13-14:למצרים ילד את לודים...אשר יצאו משם פלשתים, “and Mitzrayim begat Ludim....from whom the Philistines are descended.”