Komentaryo sa Mga Bilang 33:1: Rashi, Bartenura, Kli Yakar & Ramban

אלה מסעי THESE ARE THE JOURNEYS (STAGES) [OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — Why are these stations recorded here? In order to make known the loving acts of the Omnipresent: that although He had decreed against them to make them move about and wander in the wilderness, you should not think that they wandered and moved about without cessation from one station to another station all the forty years, and that they had no rest, for you see that there are here only forty-two stages. Deduct from them fourteen, all of which were their stopping places in the first year after they left Egypt, before the decree was made, viz., from the time when they journeyed from Rameses until when they came to Rithmah whence the spies were sent out — as it is said. (Numbers 12:16): “And afterwards the people journeyed from Hazeroth, [and encamped in the wilderness of Paran], whereupon the Lord said unto Moses, (Numbers 13:2) "Send thee men [who may search out the land]”; and here (v. 18) it states, “and they journeyed from Hazeroth and they encamped in Rithmah”, so you learn that it (Rithmah) is in the wilderness of Paran. — Further deduct from them the eight stages which were after Aaron’s death viz., those from Mount Hor to the plains of Moab in the fourtieth year (v. 38). It follows that during the whole of the thirty eight years they made only twenty journeys. This is excerpted from the work of R. Moses the Preacher. — R. Tanchuma gave another explanation of it (of the question why these stages are here recorded). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king whose son was ill and whom he took to a distant place to cure him. When they returned home the father began to enumerate all the stages, saying to him, “Here we slept, here we caught cold, here you had the head-ache, etc.” (Midrash Tanchuma 4:10:3.

<p>"These are the journeys": This is why they were written, etc., until "even though He decreed to move them and to make them wander in the desert, etc." It is difficult to find where it is mentioned that He decreed this. One could say that since it is written, "And your children will be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years" (Numbers 14:33), and the term "shepherds" implies exile and wandering, as in "And He revealed Himself to me in the tent of the shepherds" (Numbers 22:8). This means that He decreed to move and make them wander.
Regarding Rashi’s subsequent explanation, he compares it to a king who took his son to be healed, etc. This means that Israel was in a state of illness in Egypt, deeply immersed in idol worship and numerous sins. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, took them to Mount Sinai and to the desert to heal them from these sins and to teach them the Torah.
When they were about to enter the Land of Israel and return to the status of their forefathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—when the Divine Presence was revealed to them constantly, the text began to list all the journeys. This means that at each place where they camped, it was as if their heads were raised, so to speak. In this section, the Torah recalls significant events at specific locations, such as the incident at Rephidim where there was no water to drink, and at Mount Hor where Aaron died. These are somewhat like hints or allusions.
One could also say that this passage addresses even those who commit sins inadvertently, as it concludes with "The land is soaked with blood," which means that there are many who are misled and deceived. The beginning of the passage speaks of those who sin intentionally, as explained.</p>

These are the journeys of the Children of Israel. Since Moses said earlier to the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben, and He made them wander in the desert for forty years, one might think that they were wandering and moving like one lying at the head of a rope, not resting or settling down for all forty years. Therefore, it says These are the journeys to tell you that in forty years, He only moved them forty-two times. This explains why it says These are the journeys and not “These are the encampments where they camped” in the way that it is said they traveled and they camped. Rather, it comes to explain the statement and He made them wander in the desert, for the wandering refers to the journeys. And the reason for recounting all the journeys, Rashi wrote, is to make known the kindnesses of the Omnipresent, etc. And the Rav HaMoroh [Maimonides] gave another reason. Similarly, in Abarbanel, several reasons are given, and it is not necessary to elaborate on them.