{"id":48881,"date":"2019-02-06T22:47:42","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T20:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=48881"},"modified":"2022-08-31T17:59:12","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T14:59:12","slug":"exodus-itinerary-then-now-and-in-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/exodus-itinerary-then-now-and-in-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Exodus Itinerary \u2013 Then, Now And In The Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[442,363],"acf":{"old_id":"48881","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"150","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"The midrash expands on a sparse, skeletal narrative","content":"

Our chapter consists primarily of a detailed listing of the places where Israel encamped and the travels between them during the 40 years in the Desert between the Exodus from Egypt and the preparation for the Conquest of the Promised Land (Numbers 33:1-49). Other than some 42 place names, little narrative detail is included. One exception is the brief recollection of the actual Exodus from Egypt: \u201cAnd they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the morrow after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians\u201d (verse 3). <\/span><\/p>\n

Apart from this mention of a triumphant event, and the very brief mention of the crossing of the Sea (verse 8), the few additional narrative details tend to be less happy recollections, such as the lack of water at Rephidim (verse 14) and the death of Aaron in Mount Hor (verses 38-39). The Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 23:3 and parallels cited in the name of Rabbi Tanhuma by Rashi to Numbers 33:1) elaborates on the curious features of this biblical itinerary with a parable of a king whose son was ill. He took him to a place for him to be cured. When they were returning, his father began to recount their travels. Here we slept. Here we cooled ourselves. Here your head bothered you. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Recount to them all the places where they angered Me. This is what is suggested by: \u201cThese are the travels of the children of Israel, by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt\u2026\u201d (verse 1).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Midrash goes on to suggest why these specific place names merited to be recorded in the Torah. Because they accepted Israel\u2019s travels and encamping in them, the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future give them their reward, as it is written, \u201cThe wilderness and the parched land shall be glad\u2026\u201d (Isaiah 35:1 and on) \u2026 You find that now there are no trees in the wilderness. But there will be in the future, as it says, \u201cI will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias and myrtles and oleasters. I will set cypresses in the desert, box trees and elms as well (Isaiah 41:19). And now there is no path in the wilderness, for it is all sand. But in the future, there will be a path, as it says, \u201cI will make a road through the wilderness\u2026\u201d (Isaiah 43:19). And it says, \u201cAnd a highway shall appear there, which shall be called the Sacred Way. No one unclean shall pass along it, but it shall be for them. No traveler, not even fools, shall go astray\u201d (Isaiah 35:8).<\/span><\/p>\n

Image: Encampment of Israelites, Mount Sinai (1836 intaglio print after <\/span>J. M. W. Turner<\/span><\/a> from <\/span>Landscape illustrations of the Bible<\/span><\/i>) –\u00a0<\/span>https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=7237504 <\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":48882,"id":48882,"title":"Num33-Encampment_of_Israelites,_Mount_Sinai","filename":"Num33-Encampment_of_Israelites_Mount_Sinai.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Num33-Encampment_of_Israelites_Mount_Sinai.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/exodus-itinerary-then-now-and-in-the-future\/num33-encampment_of_israelites_mount_sinai\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"num33-encampment_of_israelites_mount_sinai","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":48881,"date":"2019-02-06 20:47:21","modified":"2023-06-19 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