In this week’s parshah, Hashem brings out Bnei Yisrael from Mitzrayim and leads them in a roundabout way toward Eretz Yisrael. The passuk explains that Hashem “did not lead them by way of the land of the Pilishtim, for it was close by, as He said: In case the people reconsider when they see war and return to Mitzrayim.”
In his commentary Imrei Shafer, Harav Shlomo Kluger ztz”l provides an additional understanding of these words. Since one can also translate “for it was close by” as “for He was close by,” he explains that by leading the Yidden away from the Pilishtim, Hashem was showing His closeness to us. For Hashem, it was not enough to point us in the right direction, toward Eretz Yisrael and away from Mitzrayim, and then allow us to make our own decision of where to go. Due to His great love for us, He wanted to ensure that we would make it all the way to Eretz Yisrael without turning back and therefore guided us away from anything that could cause us to doubt leaving Mitzrayim. He made certain that we would leave all the empty enticements of Mitzrayim behind and make our way to a life of happiness and fulfillment both in this world and the next.
The Torah is the sam hachaim, the potion of life, and Hashem is not just our king who gives us a set of rules by which to live — He is our father who wants only what is best for us. As we make our way through the journey of life, this is a lesson that is so important to keep in mind. When the outside world claims to possess the secrets to happiness and tempts us into thinking that there could be something good “out there,” we can think back to this passuk and be reassured that the Torah is not just a rule-book, it is the guidance of our loving Father who wants to shield us from all evil and lead us toward what is truly good, for our benefit. This enables us to choose life and happiness, for ourselves, our families, and our nation.
