Mase’i Essay
“These are the journeys of Bnei Yisrael the left Mitzrayim…And Moshe wrote their starting points of their journeys, and these are their journeys by their starting points”
The Sfas Emes explains that these journeys represent the 49 levels of impurity that Bnei Yisrael left from their exodus of Mitzrayim. On an individual level as well they represent a person’s constant travails in life, and the different stages we go through.
The obvious question is; why does the pasuk begin with the starting points and then the journeys, yet the end of the pasuk says the journeys and then the starting points?
The Sfas Emes offers several explanations, each one teaching us a lesson for life.
Each and every place in this world exists through its spiritual connection to the Torah. This concept is easy to understand when it comes to holy places. However with regard to unholy places how do they draw their spiritual sustenance from the Torah, if they are the opposite of Torah?
When we consider why HaShem created these places, and essentially all negativity, it is actually as a temptation for us to overcome, not to succumb. By beating the temptation that these places have to offer, and obeying the Torah commandments that are connected to them that enables them to exist and weakens their spiritual power. (Similarly by not learning Torah in unclean places, and fulfilling theTorah obligations of those places, gives them the spiritual power to exist.)
Another explanation that the Sfas Emes offers to answer the change in the language is on a personal growth level. In our travails of life, there are places, circumstances, and experiences that we move from, and onto our next step in life. We are not, however, finished with these places. Once a person has graduated to the next stage, and is now on a higher spiritual level, one needs to revisit the old places. By using the holiness that one has gained, one can go back over those experiences, and repent on any mistakes he may have encountered. This process then uplifts these places. This is the reason for the change in the pasuk. First there are starting points of our journeys, but afterwards when revisiting the old places, it is a journey of the starting places!
