Reconciliation - in the journey of the camps in the desert
Proceed towards the objective, hand in hand together!
The Parasha in our everyday life - Masei - 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Head of the Hesder Yeshiva 'Meir Harel' Modiin
These days are election days and primaries, and we are returning to the notorious districts from the previous election rounds of 'camping', disputes, and sectarianism. When everyone tried to attack the opposing camp, blacken their faces and explain why their election could be a 'national disaster'. And all this to scoop up a few more votes and win some more media 'attention'. In the previous rounds, the 'camping' was no longer only between the camps, it also spread to disputes within the camp, to massive shootings inside the APC.
It seems that the internal disputes were even more difficult than the disputes between the camps, where the general public - from different camps (with the exception of the minority at the extremes) knew how to cooperate in everyday life despite the differences and disagreements. In internal disputes, despite everyone working for a common goal, and everyone understanding that in order to achieve they have to join hands as one man, the competitiveness sometimes causes the flames of the dispute to rise to mutual boycotts and the inability to talk to each other. From one large camp, sub-camps were created, and the common goal was compromised. We pray that this time we have learned the lesson and will go to the destination together hand in hand!
Parashat Masei opens with a condensed list of the 42 journeys of the people of Israel from the Exodus from Egypt to the entrance gates to Eretz Israel, in a fixed format:
וַיִּסְע֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵ... וַֽיַּחֲנ֖וּ בְּ...
"The Israelites set out from … and encamped at …"
The commentators wondered: What was the need to cluster the 42 journeys? After all, they have already been mentioned (with slight changes) in the Torah, each one in its place?
ואחר שאלו המסעות אין בכל התורה כולה דבר שיראה שהוא שלא לצורך כמו אלו המסעות. אחר שכבר נזכרו בתורה. ומה צורך לחזור ולכתבם בכאן. אם לא היה בהם צורך גדול גלוי ומפורסם או נעלם מעיני כל רואה.
"And after these journeys, there is nothing in the entire Torah that can be seen to be as unnecessary as these journeys. They have already been mentioned in the Torah. And what is the need to repeat and write them here? If there was no great need for them that was visible and noted for everyone's eyes to see". (Tzror HaMor on Torah Bamidbar 33:1).
Several interpretations were given to this question.
It seems that the Torah wishes to emphasize that the 42 journeys are actually one long journey to the destination. The Exodus from Egypt was intended to bring the people of Israel to the destination - Eretz Israel.
The 42 journeys are the intermediate stations where the people of Israel camped on the way to their destination.
Sages understood from the words set out from … and encamped at … "
כל מקום שהוא אומר ויסעו ויחנו, נוסעים במחלוקת וחונים במחלוקת
"And Israel encamped there": Elsewhere it is written "and they journeyed," "and they encamped" — they journeyed in a quarrel and encamped in quarrel". (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:2:10)
Despite the common goal of the long journey to Israel, and the need for unity and cooperation, the people of Israel failed to unite and suffered from domestic disputes:
בקש הקב"ה ליתן תורה לישראל בשעה שיצאו ממצרים והיו חלוקים אלו על אלו והיו אומרים בכל שעה נתנה ראש ונשובה מצרימה מה כתיב ויסעו מסכות ויחנו באתם היו נוסעין במריבה וחונין במריבה כשבאו לסיני הושוו כולם אגודה אחת ויחנו שם ישראל אין כתיב כאן אלא ויחן שם ישראל נעשו הומניא אחת
"The Almighty wanted to give Israel the Torah at the time they left Egypt, and there were differences between them, and they would say at
every hour, נִתְּנָ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְנָשׁ֥וּבָה מִצְרָֽיְמָה “Let us head back for Egypt”! Where it says 'And they journeyed in Sukkot and encamped there' They were traveling in a quarrel and encamping in the strife! When they came to Sinai, they all became one group! And Israel encamped there; there is only mention here that they encamped as they became one congregation!" (Yalkut Shimoni on Shmot 18 Siman 273).
The difficulties of the route and life in the desert created serious disputes about the question: Is there even a point in continuing the long and difficult track:
שסבת המחלוקת היתה על שלא היה להם מנוחה במקום אחד רק גולים ומטולטלים ממקום למקום, והיו מרי נפש, לפיכך היו חולקים ומריבים...
"The root of the dispute was that they had no rest in one place, only exiles and tottering from place to place, and they were angry, therefore they were disputing and quarreled". (Torah Temimah on Ecclesiastes 10:18:3)
The negative energy of dealing with the difficulties was directed to internal strife and camping that jeopardized the achievement of the goal and put it in question.
In the month of Elul of the year 5693 (1932), Rabbi Kook Z'L published an article entitled 'The Camp Journey'. In this article, he sought to deal with the difficult dispute that existed at the time between the 'religious camp' and the 'secular camp'. His words about the phenomenon of the camps at that time are still relevant in our time:
"שכל אחד מהם יתאמר לומר: אני הנני ממחנה זה, השני אומר גם הוא: אני הנני ממחנה זה, וכל אחד ואחד הוא מרוצה מעמדתו - הרי הוא סותם את הדרך של התיקון ושל ההשתלמות משני הצדדים. וכו'. ובמה שנוגע למחשבות של תיקון, של חיפוש מעשים ושל תשובה הלא מיד הוא שולח סקירת עין אל המחנה השני העומד לפניו בכל מערומיו וכו'. והוא חושב בדעתו, שהתשובה במלוא מובנה הלא שם היא דרושה, אליהם הדברים מכוונים, להם ולא לו. וכו'. ונמצא, שמכאן ומכאן הננו עומדים קרחים, ומוצא לרפואת מכאובינו הנפשיים מאין יבוא? וכו'. והננו צריכים להחליט, כי כוח כמוס של הצעדה לטובה ישנו בכל המחנות ובכל אישי האומה, וביחוד בכל אלה שהערך הכללי של ישראל ותקותו יקרים להם באיזו מדה שהיא. נתודע איש אל אחיו בשם ישראל הכללי, לא בשם מפלגתי ומחנתי. נדע, שיש לנו בכל מחנה הרבה מה לתקן והרבה מה לקבל מהאור והטוב זה מזה, ואז תופיע עלינו האורה העליונה הכללית אשר בה נִושע תשועת עולמים, ותתקיים בנו התפילה המוקדשת קודש קדשים, שהננו עתידים להביעה בכל כך המית נפש "ויעשו כולם אגודה אחת לעשות רצונך בלבב שלם"
"Each of them will say: I am from this camp, the other also says: I am from this camp, and each and everyone is satisfied with his position – and this blocks the way for correction and advanced studying… etc. And as far as the thoughts of correction, of seeking deeds and repentance, he checks out the other camp that stands in front of him looking from above… And he thinks in his mind, that repentance is needed, in the full sense of the word, from those on the other side, them and not to him… And it is found that on both sides the same is needed, and where will the cure for our spiritual pain come from? .... And we have to decide, that in all the camps and in all the individuals of the nation lies the power to march towards good, especially in all those that the general value of Israel and its love are precious to them. Let each man know his brother by the name of general Israel, not by the name of his camp or party. Let us know that in every camp we have much to fix and a lot to receive from the light and the good from one another, and then the general upper light will appear upon us in which Israel will be saved eternal salvation, and the prayer will take place in us, we are going to express it וְיֵעָשׂוּ כֻלָּם אֲגֻדָּה אֶחָת לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם. And may they all form a single band to do Your will with a perfect heart". (Harav Kook, Maamarei HaReAYaH, Part I, pp81)
Calling everyone: Proceed towards the objective, hand in hand together!