Never forget where your coming from

Written by d fine

As its name implies, Massei repeats the various journeys that Bnei Yisrael traversed in the desert. Why are these journeys repeated? Rashi (33:1) writes that this serves to highlight and revise HaShem’s chesed to us in that we were made to travel constantly – we camped at some places for long times rather than staying only briefly in each place before setting off again. The Sforno adds that this enumeration of the journeys extols the merit of Klal Yisrael too; for it shows their willingness to have ‘followed’ HaShem out into the desert upon His command – completely relying on Him for their needs.