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The section begins by detailing the marches which the people had undertaken, as well as their various starting points. In later generations there would be many marches and starting points for Israel- a strong reason why this portion should be studied and restudied. Mordechai HaCohen
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Back on the road again. That seems to summarize the first chapter of Numbers' final parasha. Our parasha Masei begins with a travelogue listing every pit stop of the Israelites, including many place names we haven't encountered before. Many of our readers have been or will be going on short or long journeys this summer. And many of us who travel, keep a journal. One way to think of Torah is as a journal of our ancestors' travel. I myself have returned from an extraordinary family adventure touring Japan and I'm sure in future columns I will share some memories and insights from that trip. But for now, a word about travel itself. The Torah makes a big deal about how we were slaves in Egypt. Jewish tradition pays less (although some) attention about the fact that we had to make a physical and spiritual journey to get to the land of Israel. Making parallel physical journeys for spiritual enlightenment are common in many religious traditions. In our tradition Abraham is the first to take such a lengthy journey, and there are many others (Siddartha in Buddhist tradition). But I think it is unusual for an entire population to take a 40 year spiritual trek!
In any case, we can wonder, along with the commentators, what is the point of including this lengthy itinerary. (After all, the Torah has already included all the important stories that happened at these locations, I don't need to know more details about their trip unless I am an archaeologist!). The Rambam sees this list of travel destinations as quite useless- yet completely necessary. For him it underscores the great miracle of God's redemption. Maimonides is a rationalist, and realizes that after many generations people will doubt the veracity of the miracles in the Bible: the plagues, the Red Sea, etc. He sees the sojourn in the inhospitable terrain of the desert for 40 years as irrefutable proof that God sustained the Israelites with miracles. Another commentator sees the text as a paradigm for the Jewish experience. Indeed, since the destruction of the Temple until the founding of the state of Israel, Jewish communities' existence was often tenuous, and whole communities might need to go on the march in a moment's notice. Few of us in this generation have a strong connection to this historical reality, but many of our grandparents could probably relate to the tearful scene of leaving Anatevka from Fiddler of the Roof.
The Rabbis zero in on the phrase: "Moses wrote down their departure points for their journeying by the word of God." It is not clear what the word of God refers to. Does this mean the writing down was by the word of God (Ramban's view), or that the Israelites' journey itself was by the word of God (Ibn Ezra)? As it says earlier "By the word of Adonai they camped and by the word of Adonai they journeyed" (Num. 9:20). In other words, according to Sforno, their itinerary was not based on practical concerns (of water, accommodations, etc.) but only based on God's instructions. The commentator known as 'Shiloh' (the acronym of his famous publication: Shnei Luchot Habrit) teaches that just as the Israelites had to experience slavery in Egypt, they also had to undergo a physical journey to reach the promised land. He suggests that we too, must embark on a spiritual journey in order to learn Torah. In other words, to study Torah study we cannot remain static. This insight is supported by the phrase we use: Go and learn (not sit and learn). We must be prepared to 'go' from our 'home.'
Lessons for Today
But before people conclude that this commentator was trying to drum up business for travel agencies, I don't think he was talking about summer vacationing. While travel may be mind expanding, someone can stay at home at still be on a spiritual journey. We may have wonderful experiences in exotic locales, learn other peoples' traditions and better ways of being in the world. After travelling around the world, we can also come to appreciate our own city, our own tradition (and our own bed!). There is a classic tale of a Jew who has a dream to travel from Cracow to Warsaw to find a treasure, and after making the arduous journey, learns from a soldier's dream to look under the floorboards of his own kitchen in Cracow! Sometimes the treasure is in our own backyard.
Whether you're at home this summer, at the cottage, or on the road, take some time to be a spiritual traveller. Safe travels.
Shabbat Shalom
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