If we put ourselves in the place of the Israelites heading to the Land of Israel, the trek described in Bemidbar seems rather tortuous. There we read about a relatively straightforward and short journey that turns into a circuitous journey of forty years.

Though this is the way most readers will understand the story, it is not without room for further thought. What I mean is that one should not automatically conclude that the longer path was the wrong path. In fact, I think hindsight would show just the opposite; that it was actually the right path, if certainly not the easiest one. To read more click here.