Parshas Maasei offers a detailed account of the Bnei Yisrael’s forty-year travel through the Midbar, listing all 42 journeys, famously referred to as the Mem Beis Masa’os, on their way from Mitzrayim to Eretz Yisrael. Each stop is recorded, along with the duration of their stay. At times, they remained in a location for many years; at others, merely for days, or even just a single day.
How, though, did the Jewish people know when it was time to move on?
The Torah, in Parshas Beha’aloscha, outlines the system. As long as the Ananei HaKavod, the Clouds of Glory, hovered above the Mishkan, the nation remained encamped. When the Clouds lifted, that was the sign to travel. This Divine signal guided them through every leg of their journey.
Curiously, the Torah repeats this instruction several times over the course of multiple Pesukim: “Al pi Hashem yachanu, v’al pi Hashem yisa’u—By the word of Hashem they encamped, and by the word of Hashem they traveled.” Whether they stayed for a year, a month, or a single day, the rule remained the same. And this phrase is repeated no fewer than three times.
Why such emphasis? Why the repetition?
The Baal Shem Tov famously teaches that these 42 journeys correspond not only to the nation’s physical route through the desert, but to the 42 distinct phases every individual experiences in the journey of life. Each stage, each stop, has its purpose. Every experience, whether brief or prolonged, joyful or painful, is a step toward spiritual growth.
Life brings us through emotional, physical, and spiritual challenges. Sometimes we are caught in situations that linger for years: a difficult landlord, a trying boss, a struggling child, or a personal hardship that disrupts our peace. We ask ourselves, “Why am I still here? Why can’t I move on?”
The Torah tells us: “Al pi Hashem yachanu, v’al pi Hashem yisa’u.” You are here because Hashem placed you here. This stop, however temporary or uncomfortable, is not random. It is designed for your neshama’s growth. Perhaps it is to build patience or strengthen emunah or cultivate anavah (humility). And when your inner work at this stage is complete, the clouds will lift. And just as in the Midbar, you will move forward.
Sometimes, the change is abrupt. A job you love ends unexpectedly. A home you thought would be yours forever must suddenly be vacated. A neighborhood you once dreamed of no longer fits your needs. It is disorienting. But in that moment, Hashem tells us: “This stop has fulfilled its purpose. The growth available here is complete.”
There is a profound lesson in this pattern. Every phase of life, even those that feel like mere layovers, is intentional. And even when Hashem brings us to a place of challenge or discomfort, He never abandons us. At times, He walks beside us. And other times, especially during our darkest moments, He carries us.
There’s a well-known poem that beautifully expresses this:
One night I had a dream.
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with G-d.
Many scenes from my life flashed before me.
In each scene, I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints.
Other times, there was only one.
I noticed that during the lowest periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish and sorrow, I could see only one set of footprints.
So I asked G-d,
“You said you’d always walk with me.
But I noticed that during the most difficult times of my life, there was only one set of footprints.
Why, when I needed You most, did You abandon me?”
G-d replied,
“My precious child, I love you.
I would never leave you.
The times when you saw only one set of footprints—that was when I carried you.”
Why does the Torah repeat “Al pi Hashem yachanu, v’al pi Hashem yisa’u” again and again?
To engrave this truth into our hearts: We are never lost. We are never alone. Every stop, every delay, every detour has meaning. And every step is guided by Hashem.
