Bamidbar 33:1-39

33:1

אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְצִבְאֹתָם בְּיַד־מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃

These are the journeys of Bnei Yisroel who went out of Egypt in organized groups under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon.

Rashi

אלה מסעי. לָמָּה נִכְתְּבוּ הַמַּסָּעוֹת הַלָּלוּ? לְהוֹדִיעַ חֲסָדָיו שֶׁל מָקוֹם, שֶׁאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁגָּזַר עֲלֵיהֶם לְטַלְטְלַם וְלַהֲנִיעָם בַּמִּדְבָּר, לֹא תֹאמַר שֶׁהָיוּ נָעִים וּמְטֻלְטָלִים מִמַּסָּע לְמַסָּע כָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְלֹא הָיְתָה לָהֶם מְנוּחָה, שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין כָּאן אֶלָּא אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם מַסָּעוֹת, צֵא מֵהֶם י"ד שֶׁכֻּלָּם הָיוּ בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה קֹדֶם גְּזֵרָה, מִשֶּׁנָּסְעוּ מֵרַעְמְסֵס עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ לְרִתְמָה שֶׁמִּשָּׁם נִשְׁתַּלְּחוּ מְרַגְּלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְאַחַר נָסְעוּ הָעָם מֵחֲצֵרוֹת" וְגוֹ' (במדבר י"ב), "שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים" וְגוֹ' (שם י"ג), וְכָאן (פסוק י"ח) הוּא אוֹמֵר "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחֲצֵרֹת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּרִתְמָה", לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁהִיא בְמִדְבַּר פָּארָן; וְעוֹד הוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם ח' מַסָּעוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לְאַחַר מִיתַת אַהֲרֹן — מֵהֹר הָהָר עַד עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב — בִּשְׁנַת הָאַרְבָּעִים, נִמְצָא שֶׁכָּל שְׁמוֹנֶה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה לֹא נָסְעוּ אֶלָּא עֶשְׂרִים מַסָּעוֹת, זֶה מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֹשֶׁה. וְרַבִּי תַנְחוּמָא דָרַשׁ בּוֹ דְּרָשָׁה אַחֶרֶת: מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה בְנוֹ חוֹלֶה וְהוֹלִיכוֹ לְמָקוֹם רָחוֹק לְרַפֹּאתוֹ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹזְרִין הִתְחִיל אָבִיו מוֹנֶה כָל הַמַּסָּעוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ, כָּאן יָשַׁנְנוּ, כָּאן הוֹקַרְנוּ, כָּאן חָשַׁשְׁתָּ אֶת רֹאשְׁךָ וְכוּ':

These are the journeys. Why were these journeys recorded? To make the Omnipresent’s benevolence known. For, although He decreed to move them about and cause them to wander in the wilderness, do not say that they wandered and were moved about from journey to journey all forty years, and had no rest — for there are only forty two journeys here. Subtract fourteen, all of which took place during the first year, before the decree, from their journey from Ra’meses until they reached Rismah, from where the spies were dispatched, as it is said, “after, the people journeyed from Chatzeros, etc. Send, for yourself, men, etc.,” and here it says, “they journeyed from Chatzeros and camped at Rismah,” you learn that it was in the desert of Paran. Exclude, further, from there, eight journeys which took place after Aharon’s death, from Mount Hor to the plains of Moav, during the fortieth year, it is found that throughout the thirty eight years, they took only twenty journeys. This is from R’ Moshe [Hadarshan]’s commentary. R’ Tanchuma expounds the matter differently: This is compared to a king whose son was ill, and he brought him to a distant place for treatment. When they returned, the father began enumerating all the journeys. He said to him, ”Here, we slept; here, we were chilled; here, your head ached, etc.’

33:2

וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־מוֹצָאֵיהֶם לְמַסְעֵיהֶם עַל־פִּי יְהֹוָה וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶֽם׃

Moshe recorded their departures for their journeys according to Adonoy’s command; these were the departure for their journeys.

33:3

וַיִּסְעוּ מֵֽרַעְמְסֵס בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן בַּחֲמִשָּׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן מִֽמׇּחֳרַת הַפֶּסַח יָצְאוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָד רָמָה לְעֵינֵי כׇּל־מִצְרָֽיִם׃

They journeyed from Ra’meses in the first month—on the fifteenth day of the first month—on the day after the [Korban] Pesach, Bnei Yisroel left triumphantly before the eyes of all Egyptians.

33:4

וּמִצְרַיִם מְקַבְּרִים אֵת אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה יְהֹוָה בָּהֶם כׇּל־בְּכוֹר וּבֵאלֹהֵיהֶם עָשָׂה יְהֹוָה שְׁפָטִֽים׃

Egypt was burying that which Adonoy had struck among them—all their firstborn—and on their idols Adonoy had inflicted punishments.

Rashi

ומצרים מקברים. טְרוּדִים בְּאֶבְלָם:

Egypt was burying. They were preoccupied with their grief.

33:5

וַיִּסְעוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵרַעְמְסֵס וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בְּסֻכֹּֽת׃

Bnei Yisroel journeyed from Ra’meses and camped in Succos.

33:6

וַיִּסְעוּ מִסֻּכֹּת וַיַּחֲנוּ בְאֵתָם אֲשֶׁר בִּקְצֵה הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃

They journeyed from Succos and camped in Eisom which is on the edge of the wilderness.

33:7

וַיִּסְעוּ מֵֽאֵתָם וַיָּשׇׁב עַל־פִּי הַחִירֹת אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי בַּעַל צְפוֹן וַֽיַּחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי מִגְדֹּֽל׃

They journeyed from Eisom and turned back to Pi Hachiros facing Ba’al Tzefon, and they camped by Migdol.

33:8

וַיִּסְעוּ מִפְּנֵי הַֽחִירֹת וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ בְתוֹךְ־הַיָּם הַמִּדְבָּרָה וַיֵּלְכוּ דֶּרֶךְ שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים בְּמִדְבַּר אֵתָם וַֽיַּחֲנוּ בְּמָרָֽה׃

They journeyed from before Hachiros and crossed amidst the sea toward the wilderness. They traveled for three days in the wilderness of Eisom, and camped in Moroh.

33:9

וַיִּסְעוּ מִמָּרָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵילִמָה וּבְאֵילִם שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה עֵינֹת מַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים תְּמָרִים וַיַּחֲנוּ־שָֽׁם׃

They journeyed from Moroh and came to Eilim. In Eilim were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there.