Parshat Masei
Rabbi Jablinowitz
This week’s parsha begins with a discussion of the journeys of Bnei Yisrael through the desert. The commentators give different reasons for the necessity to repeat the listing of the different places Bnei Yisrael encamped during their sojourn through the desert. The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha begins with a contrast between Dovid HaMelech and Yaakov Avinu who ran away when faced with adversity, and the experience of Clal Yisrael in the desert.
The Sfas Emes explains the idea of the Medrash in the following manner. When a person finds himself in a difficult position, when he is threatened by enemies, the natural response is to run away, Livro’ach. Even those as great as Yaakov Avinu, who ran away from Eisav, and Dovid HaMelech, who ran away from Shaul, chose this alternative. But Hashem created a different alternative for Bnei Yisrael in the desert. As the Medrash says, Gedolei Olam Yaru V’Barchu, Lo Hinachti Eschem Livroach. Though these great leaders of the Jewish people ran away, I did not allow you to run away.
The point of the journeys, explains the Sfas Emes, is to give us a lesson for life. The journeys were part of the process of Yetzias Mitzrayim and therefore contain a lesson which is an eternal one. Often during life we face challenges which seem very overwhelming and our response is to run away. We’re not willing to continue the journey and deal with the issues. It is precisely for these types of situations that the Torah teachesLoHinachti Eschem Livroach. Hashem teaches us, I am not allowing you to run away.
Each journey begins with the words Vayis’u and continues with the word Vayachanu. First the Torah mentions where they travelled from, and then it teaches where they encamped. The Sfas Emes teaches that the word Vayachanu is superfluous. Surely the Torah could have just taught us that they journeyed from one place to the next and avoided a reference to the encamping.
The reason for the word Vayachanu, he explains, is to teach that in each journey, though there might have been some upheaval in leaving one place and arriving in the next one, eventually they reached a point of Vayachanu. They reached a situation whereby the Shechinah dwelled in their midst and rested with them. This is what the word Vayachanu teaches. They encamped and reached a point of being settled, of having resolved their conflict and fear from their travel, from whatever difficult journey in life they might have faced.
We received from Yaakov Avinu the power of prayer, as the pasuk says (Bereishis, Chapter 27, Pasuk 22), Hakol Kol Yaakov. And when we reach out to Hashem in a time of difficulty when we're feeling closed in, as the pausk in Tehillim says (Chapter 118, Pasuk 5), Min HaMeitzar Karasi Kah, Hashem responds to us and gives us a sense of relief and space, Anani BaMerchav Kah. And this is a lesson for the period of the Three Weeks, of Bein Hametzarim; challenges are responded to with prayer. The same thing is true regarding the difficult journeys in life. Bnei Yisrael were in the process of leaving Mitzrayim, the ultimate place of Meitzar, of being closed in and experiencing challenges. And precisely during this process of leaving Mitzrayim we are taught the lesson of sticking to the path and continuing on the journey. Prayer is our answer, not to run away. And this is why we read parshat Masei Bein Hametzarim. Min Hameitzar Karasi Kah Anani BaMerchav Kah.
The one who led Bnei Yisrael through these journeys was Moshe Rabbeinu. We read in the second pasuk that Moshe recorded the journeys Hashem brought them on, L’Motzeihem L’Maseihem. What is the meaning of this term, when He took them out and when He brought them on travels?
Perhaps there is reference here to the pasuk in the end of sefer Devarim in parshat Vayelech. We are taught that Moshe Rabbeinu is about to die, and he says (Chapter 31, Pasuk 2) Lo Uchal Od Latzeis V’Lavo, I can no longer go out and come in. Rav Tzadok teaches a fundamental principle from these words. He explains that moving forward in life involves setbacks and challenges. And one can’t grow without experiencing life’s difficulties first, and then advancing from those challenges and moving upward and onward. Moshe was saying, since I can no longer experience the cycle of going out, being challenged, and then moving ahead, then the time has come to die. There is no point in life without growth.
Perhaps this is the meaning of the words in our parsha L’Motzeihem L’Maseihem. When Bnei Yisrael journeyed, they first experienced a going out, the difficulty and challenge of the journey. But ultimately each of the Yetzios, evolved into a Nesi’ah which culminated in a Chanayah, into an encamping which represented the growth and advancement achieved through the travel. That which Moshe was recording was a valuable lesson for life which he particularly personified. Take the journey and don’t run away. For not only is the journey important, it is absolutely essential for growth in life. And the way to make the journey successful is to use the power of prayer, which is always the appropriate response in a time of challenge.
Good Shabbos
Print this article