The Challenge of Freedom

B'shalach
Exodus 13:17-17:16

Précis: And when Pharaoh “had let them go” (b’shalach), the story of the Exodus from Egypt is concluded - almost. Carrying with them the bones of Joseph and the "spoils of Egypt," Moses leads the Israelites by way of the Red Sea. They cross the Sea ahead of Pharaoh’s pursuing army, which is subsequently drowned. Moses sings his triumphant Song of the Sea, and Miriam’s song of joy follows. The Israelites begin to murmur against Moses and Aaron because of a lack of food and water. God provides heavenly “manna” to eat and instructs Moses to strike a rock to obtain water. The Shabbat is introduced as a day of rest, even before it appears in the 10 Commandments. In their first battle, with Amalek, the Israelites are successful as long as Moses’ hands remain in the air, and with the help of Aaron and Joshua (who support Moses’ arms), the Israelites succeed.

Exodus 13:17-18 “Now when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although it was nearer....so God led the people round-about, by way of the wilderness...”

The People have finally left Egypt. Let me ask a simple question: Why?

Moses had repeatedly stated to Pharaoh, "Let my people go" (e.g., Exodus 7:16, 7:26, 9:1, etc.). But to what end? We often forget that there is a second part of the phrase: "Let My people go that they may worship Me." "Let my people go" implies freedom "from" slavery, but “that they may worship Me” describes a freedom "to." What are we to make of this distinction?

In his song “Me and Bobby McGee" (made famous by Janice Joplin), Kris Kristofferson writes that “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” To me, the lyric implies that we’re not free until we have no possessions and no connections with others. The lesson of the Torah is profoundly different: Freedom is another word for the ability to accept limits on one's ego and desires. Freedom is not a free pass from responsibility, but is a condition in which we have the ability to do what is just and right. When slaves are subject to the total control by their masters, they cannot care for the sick or feed the hungry. Truly free people are obligated to engage in acts of lovingkindness.

This kind of freedom can be threatening: taking personal responsibility for one’s actions is not easy. The Israelites, beginning in this week’s parasha, time and again seek to return to the “safety” of slavery because of their inability to meet the demands of freedom. Only one who is free can accept the challenge of living a life worth living.