Year from Creation | Year after Exodus | Number of Station | Name of Station | Notes | Verse in chapter 33
2448 | 1 | 1 Rameses | 1-4 The 11 marches from the Exodus until the Giving of Torah | 2 Succoth 5 | 3 Etham 6 | 4 Pi-Hahiroth 7 | 5 Marah 8 | 6 Elim 9 | 7 Sea of Reeds 10 | 8 Wilderness of Sin 11 | 9 Dophkah 12 | 10 Aiush 13 | 11 Rephidim 14 | 12 Wildness of Sinai 15
2449 | 2 | 13 Kibroth-haTavah The 3 marches from Sinai until the return of the Spies | 14 Hazeroth 17 | 15 Rithmah 18
2449-2-39 | 16 Rimmon-Perez The 19 marches in the subsequent 38 years of wandering in the wilderness | 17 Libnah 20 | 18 Rissah 21 | 19 Kehelath 22 | 20 Mount Shepher 23 | 21 Haradah 24 | 22 Makheloth 25 | 23 Tahath 26 | 24 Terah 27 | 25 Mithkah 28 | 26 Hashmonah 29 | 27 Moseroth 30 | 28 Bene-Jaakan 31 | 29 Hor-haggidgad 32 | 30 Jotbath 33 | 31 Abronah 34 | 32 Ezion-geber 35 | 33 Wilderness of Zin 36 | 34 Mount Hor 37-40
2488 40 | 35 Zalmonah The last 8 marches in the 40th year after the Exodus | 36 Punon 42 | 37 Oboth 43 | 38 Iye-abarim 44 | 39 Dibon-Gad 45 | 40 Almon-Diblathaim 46 | 41 Hills of Abarim 47 | 42 Steppes of Moab 48
42 Journeys
42 stages in our life’s voyage – 42 rites of passage
Based on Rabbi Simon Jacobson
The forty-two journeys correspond to the same emotional faculties as the 49 days of counting the Omer, except that the journeys, which are a process of elevating the “wilderness,” we count only 7x6 (42) emotional faculties (not including malchus). The Omer counting, by contrast, is a process of drawing down and revealing the Divine, which is the role of the seventh faculty, malchus.
- Journeys 1-5: Birth through childhood into the maturity process.
- Journeys 6-9: Various adversaries we face early in life.
- Journeys 10-12: Power; weakness; revelation.
- Journeys 13-15: Craving; rebellion; resignation.
- Journeys 16-17: Building family and home.
- Journeys 18-19: Failure; mob mentality.
- Journeys 20-22: Beauty; fear; unity, community.
- Journeys 23-27: Low-points; middle-age; fruits of labor; emissary; counsel.
- Journeys 28-33: Later stages of life as we enter old age.
- Journeys 34-38: The last stages of life’s journey on Earth.
- Journeys 39-42: The last stages of life’s journey on Earth, and in general – the final stages of history as we arrive to the “Promised Land.”
The 20th March (in the 38 middle years in the Midbar)
Rashi (B’midbar 33:1): There are only 42 marches of which 14 were during the first year before the punishment, when they marched from Ramses to Rithmah. From there the spies were sent, as it is written, “After the people set our from Nazeroth”, “Send men to spy”. And from here we read, “They set out from Hazeroth and encamped at Rithmah.” From this we learn that Rithmah is in the wilderness of Paran. If we also deduct the 8 marches which followed Aaron’s death, from Mount Hor to the steppes of Moab, in the 40th year, we will find that throughout the 38 years, they made only 20 marches.
Mizrahi (commenting on Rashi): If one counts each of the marches, from when the spies were sent, namely from when they left Rithmah, which is Kadesh Barnea, until they arrived at Hor HaHor, we will only find 19 marches and not 20, and the total number of marches were only 20 marches.
When they arrived at Hor HaHor the Canaanites engaged the Jews in battle and aroused in them the desire to return to Egypt, and the Levites pursued them and brought them back (see Rashi 26:13). Thus, they turned back from Hor HaHor to Moseroth, a distance of seven marches. This distance was not considered a march since they were moving away from their destination.
The Jews then retraced their steps back to Hor HaHor, which is called a march for they were now advancing towards their destination. The entire distance from Maseroth to Hor HaHor the second time (which had taken seven marches and encampments the first time) they now repeated in a frenzy and at a run, without stopping.
It is this latter march which Rashi, following the Midrash, considered a single march. Thus, Rashi counts eight marches from Moseroth to Hor HaHor, the first seven together with the return march.
