We read in Shemot Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, a fascinating idea tied to the verse "No foreigner shall eat of it" (Exodus 12:43) – referring to the Pesach (Passover) offering. The text connects this exclusion to the verse in Psalms 147:19: "He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances unto Israel." The Midrash suggests that God wants Israel to remain distinct, not intermingling with other nations and, crucially, not sharing its innermost secrets.

Think about it: some things are meant to be experienced within a specific context, within a particular community.

The Midrash then dives into a comparison between the Exodus from Egypt and the future redemption. During the Exodus, the Israelites ate the paschal offering in haste, right? "With your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste" (Exodus 12:11). This, of course, commemorates the urgency of their departure: "For in haste you departed from the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 16:3). But the Midrash contrasts this with a future time, as prophesied in Isaiah 52:12: "For you shall not go out hastily, and you shall not go in flight."

Why the difference?

Shemot Rabbah uses a parable to illustrate this point. Imagine a merchant who stays at an inn. He leaves in the dead of night, taking all his belongings. The innkeeper wakes up and accuses him of theft! The merchant, realizing the problem, vows never to leave at night again.

The Israelites' hasty departure from Egypt was like that midnight escape. The Egyptians, feeling robbed of their workforce, pursued them. As Exodus 14:9 tells us, "The Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea." God, according to the Midrash, says, "This all happened because of your haste. From now on, 'you shall not go out hastily.'"

There's a profound shift here. In the past, God and God’s court went before the Israelites, leading the way, as described in Exodus 13:21: "The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light." But in the future, Shemot Rabbah tells us, drawing again on Isaiah 52:12, it will be God alone: "For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

What does this mean? Perhaps that in the future redemption, there will be no need for a hasty escape, no need for intermediaries. God’s presence will be so complete, so encompassing, that God alone will be both our guide and our protector. We won't need to sneak away in the night; we will walk freely and openly into our destiny.

So, the next time you feel like you're rushing, like you're not quite in the know, remember this teaching. Sometimes, the most profound experiences are reserved for those who are willing to wait, to belong, and to trust in the promise of a future where we need not flee in haste, but can walk confidently, with God both before and behind us.