“They [the chieftains] charged the People, saying: ‘When you see the Ark of the Covenant of Adonai carried by the Levitical priests, follow it, but keep a distance of two thousand cubits, never coming closer, so that you will know the road to travel, since you’ve never traveled this path before’ (Joshua 3:3-4).”
As the Israelites prepare to march forward into the Promised Land, with Joshua leading the charge, the chieftains provide very specific guidance regarding the distance they must remain from the Ark, lest they lose their way. Taken literally, our tradition’s insistence that the Israelites could never find their way seems dismissive. The Israelites were expected to conquer all of Canaan, yet none of them knew how to scout or navigate a new terrain?
However, if taken metaphorically, then the chieftains’ instructions hold that the Ark serves a spiritual, rather than simply practical, purpose. After all, the Israelites have, “never traveled this path before.” Nothing in their brief history has prepared them for the task of conquering and settling the Promised Land. The Ark, the ultimate symbol of the covenant between God and the Jewish people, provides a reference point for their journeys, enabling them to march ahead with the confidence that they are fulfilling their sacred obligations.
We, too, find ourselves on a path we’ve never traveled before. Beset by continual threats and disappointments in the wake of October 7, 2023, we still wander aimlessly, searching for a guide to show us along the path we’ve never traveled before. But like our ancestors, we, too, have a reference point for our journeys—the teachings of our tradition.
No, lessons from our past cannot point the exact way forward, though there are those who would tell us otherwise. History never repeats itself in every detail, and nothing from our past will prove a precise fit for the future. In addition, we must remember that our tradition was born over millennia, informed by a range of opinions across a range of circumstances.
Nevertheless, our teachings may serve as inspiration. If we hold fast to our People and engage with our sacred traditions while walking this unknown path, then we, too, may march ahead with confidence that we will somehow find a way to fulfill our sacred obligations.
— Rabbi Josh Knobel