Journeys Above Nature

בענין המסעות שנכתבו בתורה וכתיב אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים

Regarding the journeys (masaos) that are recorded in the Torah, where it is written, "who went out from the land of Mitzrayim" (Bamidbar 33:1).

The Sfas Emes opens on Parshas Masei, which lists the forty-two journeys of Bnei Yisrael, framed by the verse that they "went out from the land of Mitzrayim."

כי הנה הליכות בני ישראל באלה המסעות הי' שלא בדרך הטבע ונכתב לזכור נפלאות השי"ת כמ"ש תכרת את כל הדרך כו'

For behold, the travels of Bnei Yisrael through these journeys were not according to the way of nature, and they were recorded so as to remember the wonders of Hashem Yisbarach, as it says, "Remember the entire way (that Hashem led you)" (Devarim 8:2).

These travels were supernatural, beyond the natural order, and the Torah records them so we should remember Hashem's wonders, as Moshe Rabbeinu charged us to remember the entire way Hashem led us.

והוא ג"כ לזכור זכות בנ"י כמ"ש זכרתי כו' לכתך אחרי כו' בארץ לא זרועה

And it is also recorded to remember the merit of Bnei Yisrael, as it says, "I remember for you the kindness of your youth, your following after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown" (Yirmiyahu 2:2).

The journeys also memorialize the merit of Bnei Yisrael, who followed Hashem into a barren wilderness, as the navi praises.

ובאמת אין מבוא ללכת באלה המקומות רק בנ"י אשר יצאו מא"מ ונתעלו מדרך הטבע כמ"ש במדבר כו' לא עבר בה איש כו'

And in truth there is no possibility of traveling through these places, except for Bnei Yisrael who went out from the land of Mitzrayim and were elevated above the way of nature, as it says, "in the wilderness... where no man has passed" (Yirmiyahu 2:6).

Naturally, no one could survive travel through such a wilderness; only Bnei Yisrael, lifted above nature after leaving Mitzrayim, could pass through where no ordinary man has gone.

והשי"ת כשברא העולם הניח מקומות אשר אין הישוב שם בדרך הטבע

And when Hashem Yisbarach created the world, He left places where there is no settlement according to the way of nature.

When Hashem created the world, He deliberately left certain places uninhabitable by natural means.

וכמו כן עשה הקב"ה בזמן שיש זמנים שאין ההנהגה בדרך הטבע

And in the same way the Holy One, Blessed is He, made it that there are times in which the conduct of the world is not according to the way of nature.

Similarly, He set certain times in which the world is not governed by the ordinary natural order.

וכמו כן בנפשות שיש נפשות שאין הנהגתם בדרך הטבע

And in the same way among the souls there are souls whose conduct is not according to the way of nature.

And similarly among neshamos, there are souls who are not conducted according to the natural order.

וכל זה הוא עדות על השי"ת

And all of this is testimony about Hashem Yisbarach.

All of these exceptions to nature serve as testimony to Hashem's mastery over the world.

והדברים שיצאו מן הכלל הם להעיד על הכלל כולו

And the things that have departed from the general rule are there to testify about the entire general rule.

The point is that whatever stands outside the general rule exists precisely in order to testify about the whole — that everything depends on Hashem, not on nature.

לכן שבת סהדותא אקרי שההנהגה בשבתות אינו בדרך הטבע

Therefore Shabbos is called "a testimony" (sahaduisa), for the conduct on the Shabbosos is not according to the way of nature.

This is why Shabbos is called a testimony, since its conduct stands above the way of nature and bears witness that Hashem runs the world.

וכמו שיש מ"ח שבתות בשנה כמו כן מ"ח מסעות בעולם שאינו בדרך הטבע

And just as there are forty-eight Shabbosos in a year, so too there are forty-eight journeys in the world that are not according to the way of nature.

The Sfas Emes draws a parallel: just as there are forty-eight Shabbosos in a year that are above nature, so too there are forty-eight journeys in the world that are above nature.

ובנפשות הם כלל בני ישראל

And among the souls, these correspond to the entire body of Bnei Yisrael.

And in the realm of souls, these forty-eight correspond to the entire body of Bnei Yisrael, who as a whole stand above nature.

[ומ"ח נביאים שעמדו לבנ"י שהי' כל ההנהגה שלהם שלא בדרך הטבע]. והנה המסעות היו הקדמה לביאת הארץ כדאיתא במד' שמות ג' מתנות נתן הקב"ה לבני ישראל וכולם ע"י יסורים ע"ש

[And the forty-eight prophets who stood for Bnei Yisrael, whose entire conduct was not according to the way of nature.] And behold, the journeys were a preparation for the entry into the Land, as is brought in the Midrash (Shemos): three gifts the Holy One, Blessed is He, gave to Bnei Yisrael, and all of them came by way of suffering (yissurim) — see there.

He adds that the forty-eight prophets parallel this as well, and then notes that the journeys were a preparation for entering Eretz Yisrael, which the Midrash counts among three gifts given through suffering.

ויסורים של המדבר היו הכנה למתנת א"י

And the sufferings of the wilderness were a preparation for the gift of Eretz Yisrael.

The hardships endured in the wilderness were specifically the preparation that earned the gift of Eretz Yisrael.

כי באמת ארץ ישראל היא עיקר הישוב שממנה הושתת כל העולם

For in truth Eretz Yisrael is the essence of the settled world, for from it the entire world was founded.

For Eretz Yisrael is the very essence and foundation of the settled world, the point from which all of Creation was established.

וע"י שנמשכו בנ"י אחריו ית' בארץ לא זרועה זכו לעיקר הישוב כי יסוד כל דבר הוא הביטול אל הבורא ית'

And through Bnei Yisrael drawing themselves after Him Yisbarach into a land not sown, they merited the essence of the settled world, for the foundation of every thing is bittul to the Creator Yisbarach.

By drawing themselves after Hashem into an unsown land, Bnei Yisrael reached this essence of the settled world, because the foundation of everything is bittul, nullifying oneself to the Creator.

וכמו כן ע"י הש"ק שמבטלין בו כל המעשים ומעידין שקיום כל הבריאה הוא מאתו ית' עי"ז השבת נותן ברכה וקיום לכל ימי המעשה כמ"ש במ"א:

And in the same way, through the holy Shabbos, on which one nullifies all his actions and testifies that the continued existence of all of Creation is from Him Yisbarach — through this the Shabbos gives blessing and continued existence to all the days of action, as is written elsewhere.

So too through the holy Shabbos, on which one sets aside all his deeds and testifies that all existence comes from Hashem; this bittul draws blessing and lasting existence into all the weekday activities.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that the forty-two journeys of Bnei Yisrael through the wilderness were entirely above the way of nature, recorded in the Torah both to remember the wonders of Hashem Yisbarach and to remember the merit of Bnei Yisrael who followed Him into a barren land where no man could naturally pass. He teaches that Hashem deliberately placed certain places, times, and souls outside the natural order, for whatever departs from the general rule exists to testify about the whole — that all existence depends on Hashem rather than on nature. This is why Shabbos is called a testimony, and he draws a parallel between the forty-eight Shabbosos of the year, the forty-eight supernatural journeys, and the forty-eight prophets, all of which stand above nature. The hardships of the wilderness were the preparation for the gift of Eretz Yisrael, which is the foundation of the settled world, attained through bittul — nullifying oneself before the Creator. So too the holy Shabbos, on which one nullifies his deeds and testifies that all of Creation is sustained by Hashem, draws blessing and lasting existence into all the days of action.