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By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin
This Shabbos, we read two parshiyos, Mattos and Masei.
Masei…Journeys. “These are the journeys of Bnei Yisroel who left from Egypt…” (Bamidbar 33:1)
Bnei Yisroel endured forty years of wandering through the desert, traveling from one stop to another. Picking oneself up and moving from one location to another is considered a most difficult transition, at times even a traumatic life event. Imagine the Dor HaMidbar, the Generation of the Desert, moving forty-two times, not knowing what lay ahead of them. They didn’t know where the next destination would be, nor were they given an ETA. Not always easy, but they did it.
Sforno teaches that the Torah enumerates each of these forty-two moves to show the devotion and loyalty Bnei Yisroel had to HaShem, even under the most challenging and trying of circumstances.
It’s summertime, a time during which my family, as well as many others, make the exodus from city to country. As we leave the city limits, we say Tefillas HaDerech, asking HaShem to watch over and protect us during our journey. To many of us, this really hit home this past Sunday night. Flash flooding in upstate New York created havoc, as roads buckled, cars became submerged, and driving turned hazardous. Greater tragedy was averted thanks to heroic first responders, including many from our own communities – all, of course, guided by the hand of HaShem.
The Talmud teaches that even if the road isn’t considered dangerous, and we don’t anticipate any problems, we are still obligated to say Tefillas HaDerech. My mother, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis a”h, would say that we need Siyata D’shmaya, Divine protection no matter where we go, even when just crossing the street.
As I read of Bnei Yisroel’s many travels, Tefillas HaDerech takes on a special meaning. “We should arrive at our destination for life, gladness and peace. …May you save us from every enemy and ambush, from robbers and wild animals along the way…” (from Tefillas HaDerech) Real fears. Real concerns, then and now. While our modes of transportation may have changed, the dangers and fears remain.
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that as Bnei Yisroel experienced forty-two journeys and encampments in the desert, so too, each of us experiences forty-two life journeys. As they faced challenges at each stop, and had to make moral and ethical decisions, so too, we have our dilemmas and difficulties at different phases in our life.
To Bnei Yisroel, each stop was an opportunity for growth and development. Each stop another rung on the spiritual ladder of life. Even the names of the forty-two encampments reflect the life experiences of the nation.
The tefillah “Ana B’Koach, Please, by the strength of Your right hand”, is a prayer asking HaShem to use His koach, His strength and might to guide and protect us on our personal life journeys, to give us understanding and clarity in fulfilling our life mission.
Ana B’Koach contains forty-two words. Forty-two words that correspond to our individual journeys. Additionally, Kabbalah teaches that when combined, the first letter of each of these words correspond to the unique forty-two-letter name of HaShem. We can perhaps derive from this, that just as HaShem was with Bnei Yisroel on their forty-two journeys, so too does He remain with us on our life’s forty-two journeys.
Man is called a “holeich” – a being that is always on the go. In contrast, melochim, angels are called “omdim” – those who stand still, remaining in one place, without the potential of reaching higher planes.
Man doesn’t remain stationary. He either rises to greater heights, or sadly, stumbles and falls. Life is one big journey. Even when we think we are at rest, “between stops”, it is actually an opportunity for growth. We just need to open our eyes, see the opportunities before us, and utilize every moment as an occasion for self-development and improvement.
Wherever life takes us, we come upon relevant and meaningful messages. Recently, I’ve been going for physical therapy. There, in the therapy gym, are “power sayings” painted on the walls to give a boost of inspiration and encouragement. One of the sayings is “Don’t let your challenges limit you – limit your challenges!” Another reads, “Movement is the best medicine!”
Meaningful messages. Like the generation in the desert, we too have our challenges, and try to rise above them. To keep on moving, not only physically, but intellectually and spiritually as well.
The verses enumerating the Jewish nation’s travels in the desert is recited by the Ba’al Korei in a sing-song manner. A lesson for us to take to heart. We all have our tests in life, our moments of despair. Times when we feel like giving up. But HaShem is always with us, just as He was with our ancestors in the desert, and throughout the long and arduous travels of our people over the centuries.
Perhaps the song of the encampments is a reminder that no matter where life takes us, we should face our journey with strength, with a song, and the knowledge that HaShem never abandons His people.
My father, HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l didn’t have an easy journey through life. He arrived to the United States as a war orphan, without the support of parents or siblings. He married my mother, and together they embarked on a mission of building a Torah community on Long Island. That too, was a journey that came with its own hardships. His life took him through many twists and turns, and ultimately through a valiant battle against severe and painful illness. But through it all, he hummed tunes, he sang. No matter what the day brought, he would walk through the door with a smile. I never heard a harsh word, a raised voice, a complaint. Not even a hint of a problem. He knew that this was what HaShem wanted, and he accepted all the challenges he faced with unwavering bitachon, reliance on his Father in heaven.
We are all travelers in this world. Pirkei Avos, Ethics of the Fathers teaches, “This world is a corridor to the World to Come.” (Ethics 4:16). Our life in this world is temporary. We are all just traveling through, on our way to our final destination.
Shabbat Shalom!
Chaya Sora
This article was written L’zecher Nishmas / In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l
