Yaakov Raskin | How to know you’re on the right path

This week’s Torah reading brings us to one of the most dramatic and revealing moments in the entire Biblical narrative.

The Jewish people just left Egypt after centuries of slavery. They’re getting their first taste of freedom, yet they’re not totally in the clear – safety has not yet fully arrived. They reach the edge of the Red Sea. In front of them is water they cannot cross, and Pharaoh and his army are closing in on them fast.

The Biblical commentaries explain that at this moment of fear and confusion, the people were divided. They split into four groups, each convinced they knew the right way forward.

One group said, “Let us jump into the sea;” another said, “Let us return to Egypt.”

A third said, “Let us fight Pharaoh,” and the fourth said, “Let us cry out and pray.”

Moses responds to each of the groups with the following words: “ Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see the salvation of G-d… G-d will fight for you, and you shall be silent.” (Exodus 14:13–14).

Each of these four approaches seems good. Prayer seems noble. Fighting oppression sounds courageous. Self-sacrifice can appear heroic. However, G-d responds to Moses by saying:“ Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them journey forward” (Exodus 14:15).

The commentaries say that one brave soul from then marched forward, without direction, safety or reassurance. It was then that the sea split.

This fascinating anecdote teaches us an important lesson. From the beginning, the Torah made it clear that leaving Egypt was not the final goal on the journey to freedom.

While the media depicts Moses as saying “Let my people go,” in reality he said more. He said to Pharaoh “ The LORD, the G-d of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying: “‘Let My people go, that they may serve Me.’”

The goal was not simply freedom from slavery, it was freedom so that they could serve G-d. And that distinction makes all the difference.

This explains why the four groups were all rejected by G-d at the sea. Each group was reacting to fear. None of them were asking the essential question: what will bring us closer to our ultimate goal.

Jumping into the sea abandons the mission. Returning to Egypt cancels it. Fighting Pharaoh shifts the focus from the ultimate goal to attaining power. And prayer without movement delays the journey.

That is why G-d’s response is so direct. Stop debating. Start walking.

Judaism does not view the Torah as simply a book of stories. The word Torah comes from a Hebrew root “Ho’ra’ah” meaning ‘guidance’ or ‘instruction’. The stories are not tales, but instructions meant to guide us in the here and how. The sages teach that in every generation, we stand at its own version of the Red Sea.

That includes us.

We live in a world today that often feels disoriented morally, socially, politically. In such times, it is easy to fall into one of these four ancient reactions. Some people withdraw and disengage – ‘let’s jump into the sea’. Others give up and conform – ‘let’s return to slavery in Egypt.’. Some fight endlessly – ‘fight Pharoah’. Others place everything in Heaven’s hands and step back from responsibility – ‘let us cry and pray’.

Each response contains something understandable. Yet the Torah says we must not get stuck in any one of them. Because the question is not only how to survive a crisis, the question is why we are here and where we are going. The purpose of life, according to Jewish teachings, is to move the world forward; to make it a more compassionate, just and humane place.

This idea was emphasised powerfully by Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, known as the Rebbe, whose leadership began 76 years ago and whose influence continues to be felt around the world. He taught that the purpose of creation is to transform the world. Jewish teachings share that G-d desires to have his presence felt in all corners of the earth so that his holiness and power would be felt by all.

Our purpose, in turn, is to make the world a dwelling place for that divine presence. To do acts of holiness, goodness, and kindness which are a reflection of G-d’s goodness.

So how do we know today if we are on the right path?

We don’t judge our path by how spiritual or noble it sounds. We can’t assess ourselves by how safe our path feels or how loudly we defend it. We know we’re on the right path by its outcomes.

If our choices make us more responsible, more caring, more willing to step forward for others, then we are moving in the right direction. If they lead us to withdrawal, anxiety or a standstill, then even noble intentions may have missed the mark.

Bob Marley once urged the world to “get up, stand up.” He didn’t ask us to retreat, surrender or pray endlessly. He wanted us to stand up and move. And when Usain Bolt ran, he did not wait for perfect conditions. He fixed his eyes on the finish line and leaned forward, step after step.

That is the message we learn from those people desperately looking for answers at the sea. When their backs were up against the wall, G-d told them not to think of simply how to get out of their stuck situation. He encouraged them to remember their higher purpose, and when that goal became clear, to move forward.

That lesson can guide each of us now. When we feel trapped by the happenings of our own lives or the political circumstances rocking the world, we must remember that obstacles do not define us, direction and purpose do. When we have a higher mission for our existence, we can find the strength and ingenuity to power through the obstacles instead of getting bogged down in them or fighting with them. The ancient Israelites taught that even an obstacle as great as the Red Sea will part for those who are determined and on a holy mission.

In today’s world, when faced with challenges that can seem overwhelming, we need to find a mission aligned with truth and holiness, and this will obliterate any obstacles in our path.