Shalom Yeladim. We read the weekly parasha (portion) Beshalach which means "when [pharaoh] let go". This week, we begin to read about the journey Ad-nai took Israel on when they travelled to the Promised Land. One of the first things we learn is that when Israel left Egypt, Ad-nai didn’t lead them along the shortest path to Israel. Instead, He brought them the long way around so they would not see the Philistine army, get scared, and go back to Egypt. Why? Because they were not yet ready to fight that battle. I want you to know that this same fatherly concern that Ad-nai had for Israel then, He still has for you today. He knows that there are battles that you as a young person are not prepared for. So, he will have the adults in your life, your parents, leaders, and others lead you away from those fights until you are old enough to win. Please remember that these people only want to keep you spiritually and physically safe by doing so. Battles we are not ready for can be extremely scary and may even cause us to give up instead of grow up.