Journey through the Desert, The Israelites'

Why is it important to list the journeys? The Torah isn’t a history book, nor is it a travelogue, so what’s the purpose of this list?

Why are these forty-two pit stops referred to as “journeys,” rather than “encampments”? Weren’t each of these destinations milestones reached, not just locations left behind?

It took 42 stages for the Jews to get from Egypt to Israel within a period of 40 years. Each stage of the journey was determined exclusively by Divine decree—the cloud that hovered over the Jewish camp began to move on when they were required to relocate....

But today we cannot be satisfied with yesterday's standards of accomplishment. Not only is yesterday's liberation insufficient, imperfect--it is, for today, a strait, a limitation, an Egypt from which an exodus must be experienc

The wilderness is “where man does not dwell”; on the highest level this refers to Adam HaElyon (“Supernal Man”)—G‑d. One who finds himself in such a state must transform the desert into a place where G‑d does dwell . . .

Three aspects of tzimtzum

I can't believe I find myself in the same position, doing the same task: packing. Again, we're moving. We've moved five times in seven years...

The Jews of the desert may have remained relatively undisturbed for years at a stretch, but they had no way of knowing, from one day to the next, how long they could expect to stay where they were.

During our recovery, chemical sobriety may have been the beginning of our Exodus. But "getting dry" is not the end of our journey to freedom.

Our forty-year desert sojourn is a metaphor for our long national history of wandering. It also infuses us with hope and purpose.