Making sense of the sedra: Beshalach

In 2005 the Seoul Municipality made a bold, counterintuitive move. It removed the Cheonggyecheon elevated motorway, a major artery carrying tens of thousands of vehicles each day. Everyone expected chaos as the motorway – a fast, familiar route through the city – was thought to be essential.

What actually happened was surprising. Without their usual shortcuts available, drivers were forced to navigate longer, surface-level streets. And with fewer options to change routes mid journey, they had to stick to their chosen path. In traffic jargon, the “exit route” – the ability to constantly change course – had been removed. By blocking the easy way back, Seoul had improved the flow of traffic forward, reducing congestion and ensuring that drivers were able to reach their destinations more efficiently.

This rather counterintuitive effect is known as the Braess Paradox, which shows that adding, or even keeping apparently helpful shortcuts can actually worsen overall traffic flow, while removing them can improve it. Sometimes, making it harder to turn back is what allows real progress.

This idea can be seen in this week’s parasha, . God did not lead the Israelites “by the way of the land of the Philistines, though it was closer”. Instead, they were led on a longer route “lest the people see war and return to Egypt” (Shemot 13:17).

But the longer path was far from safe. The Bnei Yisrael were attacked by other enemies along the route. They find many points at which to complain! Why is the shorter route, which also contains similar challenges, worse than the longer one?

The answer lies in the structure of the journey itself. The road was close to Egypt. The temptation to retreat would have been real. But on the longer route, once Egypt was behind them, retreat was no longer practical. With each step of the longer route, Egypt fell further and further behind them. By removing the easy exit, the Israelites had to commit to moving forward. The journey through the wilderness ensured they stayed focused on their ultimate goal: reaching the Land of Israel.

This resonates with me deeply because of conversations I have recently had with students. Many deliberately study far from home, in cities unfamiliar and challenging. Had they stayed in their home environment, retreat would always be an option – and many, by their own admission, would probably have taken it. By choosing a university from which turning back is difficult, they commit fully to their new environment with its manifold challenges as well as to strengthening their values and the goals they have set for themselves.

Parashat Beshalach teaches that sometimes the path that seems longer and harder is the one that guarantees arrival. When retreat is not practical, commitment sharpens and the goal becomes much more achievable without constant second guessing. The journey through the wilderness reminds us that the appropriateness of a particular path is not measured by how comfortable it is, but by how effectively it leads us to the goals we have set, whether that is arrival at the Land of Israel, or our own challenges.

Rabbi Moish Blum is UJC Chaplain, Oxford region