And as we'll see, it's a feeling that resonates profoundly within Jewish tradition.

Our journey begins with the Book of Numbers, Bamidbar (במדבר), specifically Numbers 33:1: "These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who departed from the land of Egypt according to their hosts, at the hand of Moses and Aaron.” Simple enough, right? But within those words lies a deeper question, a question of survival, a question of when – and how – to flee.

The Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings and interpretations on the Book of Numbers, delves into this very question. It asks: what if you're being pursued, not by pharaoh's armies, but by gentiles or robbers? Are you allowed to break Shabbat, the holy day of rest, to save your life?

The answer, according to our Rabbis, is a resounding yes. Life takes precedence. Saving a life, pikuach nefesh (פיקוח נפש), trumps nearly every other commandment. The Bamidbar Rabbah illustrates this with the story of David, who, as the Etz Yosef notes, fled from Saul, who sought to kill him. He fled and escaped, even, according to some sources, on Shabbat itself.

But here's where the story takes an interesting turn. There's an incident involving Rabbi Elazar ben Parta and some prominent leaders from Tzippori. These leaders were faced with evil edicts from the empire, arriving even on Shabbat! They asked Rabbi Elazar if they should flee. Now, Rabbi Elazar was in a tricky spot. He couldn't directly tell them to flee on Shabbat, so he cleverly alluded to the examples of Jacob, Moses, and David, all figures who fled to save themselves. "Go and ask Jacob, Moses, and David," he suggests. "What is written regarding Jacob? ‘Jacob fled’ (Hosea 12:13); and likewise regarding Moses: ‘Moses fled’ (Exodus 2:15); and likewise regarding David: ‘David fled and escaped’ (I Samuel 19:18)." Brilliant, right?

He even quotes Isaiah 26:20: “Go, my people, enter your chambers [and close your door behind you; hide for a brief moment, until fury passes].”

So, what’s the message here? It's not just about fleeing when danger arises. It's about understanding the context. The Bamidbar Rabbah then adds a crucial layer, a divine perspective. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: ‘All the prominent leaders of the world feared and fled from their enemies. All those forty years that you spent in the wilderness, I did not allow you to flee, but rather, I would topple your enemies before you by virtue of My accompanying you."

Think about that for a moment. For forty years, the Israelites didn't have to flee. God protected them, even in the face of serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions, as Deuteronomy 8:15 reminds us. God was their shield, their protector.

Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: ‘Write the journeys that Israel traveled in the wilderness, so that they will know what miracles I performed on their behalf.’ And this, the Midrash Rabbah tells us, is the significance behind the phrase "These are the journeys." It's a reminder of God's constant presence, of the miracles that sustained them.

So, what do we take away from all of this? It’s a complex interplay of self-preservation and trust in the divine. There are times when fleeing is necessary, even divinely sanctioned. And then there are times when we are called to trust in something larger than ourselves, to remember the miracles that have brought us this far.

It’s a delicate balance, isn't it? Knowing when to run and when to stand firm. Knowing when to rely on our own strength and when to surrender to a higher power. Perhaps the journey itself, both physical and spiritual, is the most important lesson of all.