Maghen Abraham - Thoughts From Mayer Sasson

"According to G-d's orders did they encamp and according to G-d's orders did they journey forth…" (9, 23)

The generation of the Wilderness

The Torah explains that throughout their wanderings in the wilderness Bnei Yisrael were led by the Clouds of Glory and describes the way they traveled.

There are several reasons why the Torah elaborates upon their manner of traveling, among them:

The Torah reveals the greatness of the generation of the wilderness. Its members were not asked where they wished to travel, nor whether or not they wished to stay at any station. Rather, they obediently followed the Cloud of Glory.

Whenever it settled upon the Mishkan, they camped; whenever it departed, they did, too. Sometimes G-d chose an unpleasant site for camping; for example, in Mara the waters were bitter and undrinkable. Yet the Cloud might remain in such a place. Sometimes they arrived at a place with good water sources and trees, yet the Cloud would depart soon after arrival. They never knew the length of any stay or journey.

It seems almost superhuman that millions of people willingly traveled by this system for a forty-year period. The Jews demonstrated their readiness to subject themselves totally to the Divine Will.

SHABBAT SHALOM!!

Mayer Sasson