Parashat Matot-Masei 5785-26 July 2025 / 1 Av 5785

Mr. Murthy Gaddi
Jul 23
7 min read

"Matot-Masei: Vows, Battles, and Boundaries on the Journey to the Promised Land"

"FROM MITZRAYIM TO THE PROMISED LAND: THE SOUL’S PILGRIMAGE IN 42 STEPS"

Ramban, in his remez (allusive) commentary on Shemot 15:1, explains the significance of the Torah listing the forty-two journeys in the wilderness. After the vengeance against Midian, and following God's announcement to Moses that he would soon be gathered to his people, Moses began to document the stages of Israel's travels. This took place after the land of Sihon and Og was apportioned to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Menashe, who also rebuilt the cities mentioned earlier.

Ramban teaches that Moses recorded these journeys not merely as a historical record, but to highlight the lovingkindness of God toward Israel. Although it had been decreed that the nation must wander in the wilderness, the listing of only forty-two journeys over forty years shows that their movements were not constant or chaotic.

Rather, as Rashi cites in the name of Rabbi Moshe the Preacher, the journeys were relatively few and spaced out, emphasizing God's compassion even within judgment.

The List of 42 Journeys

The first segment of the 42 journeys—where we travel from Egypt toward the southern border of the Land of Israel—with insights from classic Jewish texts and Kabbalistic teachings:

Succoth – סֻכֹּתָה (camp #1)
Etham (camp #2)
Pi Hachiroth – פִּי הַחִירֹת (camp #3)
Marah (camp #4)
Elim (camp #5)
Red Sea (camp #6)
Sin (camp #7)
Dophkah (camp #8)
Alush (camp #9)
Rephidim (camp #10)
Desert of Sinai (camp #11)
Kibroth Hattaavah (camp #12)
Chazeroth (camp #13)
Rithmah (camp #14)
Rimmon Perez (camp #15)
Livnah (camp #16)
Rissah (camp #17)
Kehelathah / Mak’helath (camp #18)
Shepher (camp #19)
Haradah (camp #20)
Makheloth (camp #21)
Tahath (camp #22)
Terah (camp #23)
Mithcah (camp #24)
Chashmonah (camp #25)
Moseroth (camp #26)
Bene Jaakan (camp #27)
Chor Haggidgad (camp #28)
Yotvathah (camp #29)
Avronah (camp #30)
Etzion Geber (camp #31)
Kadesh (camp #32)
Hor (camp #33)
Tzalmonah (camp #34)
Punon (camp #35)
Oboth (camp #36)
Iye Abarim (camp #37)
Divon Gad (camp #38)
Almon Diblathaim (camp #39)
B’hari Abarim (camp #40)
Moab (camp #41)
Beth Yeshimoth (camp #42)

Journeys 1–14: From Mitzrayim to the Border of the Land

#	Station	Meaning / Context	Sage Insight & Source
1	Succoth (סכות)	First encampment after crossing the Red Sea.	Rashi: Buildings made of palm and gourd to shade the weak. Bamidbar Rabbah (22:7): A place for emotional healing after trauma.
2	Etham (אתם)	On the edge of the desert, facing the wilderness.	Ramban: Israel was on the cusp of challenge—desert ahead, salvation behind. A test before full commitment.
3	Pi‑Hahiroth (פי החירת)	“Mouth of the gorges”—where they crossed the sea.	Midrash Tanchuma: Miracles witnessed and internalized—crossing becomes remembered inner strength.
4	Marah (מרה)	Water was undrinkable until Moshe cast wood.	Zohar III, 80b: Transformation of bitterness (sitra achra) into sweetness. Healing bitter spiritual misconceptions.
5	Elim (אילם)	12 springs, 70 palm trees.	Rashi: Abundance and blessings after hardship. Chassidic: Spiritual mapping—70 palms = nations, 12 wells = tribal unity.
6	Red Sea (סוף ים)	Return to the sea before confrontation.	Baal Shem Tov: We often return to crises before breakthrough—truth in repetition.
7	Sin (סין)	Sin desert; people complained, manna appeared.	Sifrei Bamidbar: Tests = spiritual hunger. Manna = hidden Divine sustenance.
8	Dophkah (דפקה)	“Knocking”—people complain again.	Targum Yonatan: Knocking at Sinai’s door in complaint—testing God's guidance.
9	Alush (אלוש)	South of Sinai.	Zohar III, 181a: Purging Egypt-attachments—Alush = clinging.
10	Rephidim (רפידם)	No water; Amalek attacks.	Ramban: Amalek attacked the weak. Rest not true until battles are fought. Talmud (Sotah 43a): Moses’ hands = prayer via uplift.
11	Desert of Sinai (סיני מדבר)	Settled at Sinai; received the Torah.	Midrash: The Divine voice becomes audible—soul begins its covenant journey.
12	Kibroth-hattaavah (קברות התאוה)	“Graves of craving”; people die after craving meat.	Rashi: Grave lesson—desire leads to death. Baal Shem Tov: Craving = spiritual death unless transformed.
13	Chazeroth (חצרת)	Encampment with ongoing complaints.	Ramban: Two camps—leaders vs commoners; test of spiritual unity.
14	Rithmah (רתמה)	“Whip”—pain or correction.	Midrash Tanchuma: Divine discipline guides and whips the soul into growth.

🔮 Thematic Reflection

From Physical to Spiritual: Each station transitions from physical survival (water, shade, rest) to deeper spiritual refinement (temptation, leadership, divine encounter).

Kabbalistic Redemptions: The soul struggles with the klipot (impure forces)—Marah, Sin, Amalek, craving. Each test purifies a different spiritual layer.

Personal Resonance: Chassidic teachings remind us that all these journeys replay within us—our own prisons, revelations, breakdowns, and triumphs. These journeys occur after the sin of the spies and represent a distancing from the spiritual opportunity of immediate entry into the Land of Israel.

🛤️ Journeys 15–28: Descent into Exile — The Soul’s Inner Wandering

#	Station	Meaning / Context	Sage Insight & Source
15	Rimmon Perez (רִמֹּן פֶּרֶץ)	“Pomegranate of Breach” — loss of holiness, broken boundaries.	Rashi: Pomegranate = Torah (Sanhedrin 37a); here corrupted. Zohar: Descent into scattered sparks.
16	Livnah (לִבְנָה)	“Whiteness” — purity without vitality.	Ramban: Sterile, barren. Symbol of burnout masked by outer clarity.
17	Rissah (רִסָּה)	“Shattered” — from resek, fragmentation.	Baal HaTurim: Unity shattered, individualism over community.
18	Kehelathah (קְהֵלָתָה)	“Gathering” — surface unity.	Midrash Rabbah: Fear-driven unity, not spirit-led.
19	Shapher (שָׁפֶר)	“Beauty” — aesthetic longing.	Or HaChaim: Yearning for Egypt’s beauty — externals over essence.
20	Haradah (חֲרָדָה)	“Trembling” — fear, anxiety.	Sifrei Bamidbar: Spiritual disorientation, forgetting protection.
21	Makheloth (מַקְהֵלוֹת)	“Assemblies” — disorderly gatherings.	Rashi: Chaotic crowds, roots of rebellion.
22	Tahath (תָּחַת)	“Beneath” — descent.	Zohar: A yeridah (descent) that can birth aliyah (elevation).
23	Terah (תֶּרַח)	Named after Abraham’s father — stagnation.	Midrash Tanchuma: Regression to idolatrous roots.
24	Mithkah (מִתְקָה)	“Sweetness” — deceptive comfort.	Baal Shem Tov: Sweetness that lulls into complacency.
25	Chashmonah (חַשְׁמֹנָה)	“Strength” / “Wealth” — ambition.	Ramban: Misplaced desire for control instead of surrender.
26	Moseroth (מֹסֵרוֹת)	“Bonds” — spiritual constraints.	Zohar III, 123a: Spiritual accountability begins here.
27	Bene Yaakan (בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן)	“Sons of Crookedness” — distortion.	Or HaChaim: Misguidance through corrupt teachings.
28	Char Haggidgad (חַר הַגִּדְגָּד)	“Cleft of the Gidgad” — breaking point.	Targum Onkelos: Moment of accountability for past actions.

🔍 Thematic Reflection: The Nature of Exile

Spiritual Exile: These journeys don’t just represent physical wandering, but internal alienation—from the Divine, from self, and from clarity.

False Unity and Fear: “Makheloth” and “Haradah” symbolize a society unified not by purpose but by fear and confusion.

Material Illusion: Places like “Shapher” (beauty) and “Chashmonah” (strength) remind us how often the soul gets distracted by externals.

Redemptive Descent: Even in “Tahath” (falling) or “Terah” (idolatry), the sages remind us that every descent has in it the seed of ascent (yeridah letzorech aliyah).

🛤️ Journeys 29–42: The Final Ascent — Return to Eretz Yisrael and Gan Eden

#	Station	Meaning / Context	Sage Insight & Source
29	Yotvathah (יָטְבָתָה)	“Goodness” — return to comfort and healing.	Rashi: Abundant water. Zohar: First glimmer of Teshuvah.
30	Avronah (עַבְרֹנָה)	“Transition” — preparing to cross over.	Or HaChaim: Inner shift toward destiny.
31	Etzion Gever (עֶצְיֹן גָּבֶר)	“Strong Backbone” — inner strength returns.	Baal HaTurim: Conviction after wandering.
32	Kadesh (קָדֵשׁ)	“Holiness” — site of Moshe’s failure.	Ramban: Even holy places demand inner alignment.
33	Mount Hor (הֹר הָהָר)	Aaron’s death — generational shift.	Rashi: Purification before entry; letting go of ego.
34	Tzalmonah (צַלְמֹנָה)	“Shadow” — trial under protection.	Zohar: Hidden Divine Presence during tests.
35	Punon (פּוֹנֹן)	“Darkness” — distraction before clarity.	Midrash Tanchuma: Final inner confusion before breakthrough.
36	Oboth (אֹבֹת)	“Ghosts” — hollow memories.	Sifrei Bamidbar: Confronting superstition and impurity.
37	Iyei HaAvarim (עִיֵּי הָעֲבָרִים)	“Ruins of Crossings” — revisiting past.	Baal Shem Tov: Light hidden in ruins must be reclaimed.
38	Divon Gad (דִּיבֹן גָּד)	“Fruitfulness” — tribal restoration.	Chizkuni: Strength and blessing return.
39	Almon Diblathaimah (עַלְמֹן דִּבְלָתָיְמָה)	“Hidden Double Cakes” — mystery & sweetness.	Zohar III: Sweetness hidden in mundane things. Seek inner Torah.
40	Abarim (עֲבָרִים)	“Crossings” — Moshe’s final vision.	Rashi: Prophetic vision from Mount Nebo.
41	Plains of Moav (עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב)	“Mixture” — border of redemption.	Zohar: Confronting the erev rav — mixture of light and dark.
42	Beth Jeshimoth (בֵּית הַיְשִׁימֹת)	“House of Desolation” — last stop before Jordan.	Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen: Humility born from nothingness prepares the soul for Eretz Yisrael.

🔍 Thematic Reflection: Redemption and Return

Teshuvah and Strengthening: From Yotvathah through Etzion Gever, the soul begins to reclaim inner strength and resolve. These journeys mark the shift from exile to conscious return.

Confrontation with the Self: Stations like Oboth, Iyei HaAvarim, and Punon reflect introspection, honest reckoning, and detachment from spiritual illusions.

Final Purification Before Entry: Just as Aaron’s death purifies the people, Beth Jeshimoth — desolation — is the humbling required before true spiritual inheritance.

Reclaiming Holiness: These journeys are not just geographic — they are soul maps. The soul returns to its divine root, to the Land of the Living (Eretz HaChayim), and prepares for ultimate geulah (redemption).

🌟 Conclusion: The Path to Redemption

In the words of the Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 23:11):“All these journeys were signs of Hashem’s love — He traveled with them, He stopped with them, and He brought them home.”

The 42 journeys of Parashat Masei are a blueprint for every soul:From restriction (Mitzrayim) to expansion (Eretz Yisrael)From confusion to clarity and From wandering to return.

MATOT-MASEI - Tribes of Journeys

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