11 Jul A JOURNEY CALLED LIFE

This Shabbos, we read two parshiyos,
Mattos and Masei.
Masei…Journeys. “These are the journeys
of Bnei Yisroel who left from Egypt…”
(Bamidbar 33:1)
Bnei Yisroel endured forty years of
wandering through the desert, traveling
from one stop to another. Picking oneself up
and moving from one location to another is
considered a most difficult transition, at
times even a traumatic life event. Imagine
the Dor HaMidbar, the Generation of the
Desert, moving forty-two times, not
knowing what lay ahead of them. They
didn’t know where the next destination
would be, nor were they given an ETA. Not
always easy, but they did it.
Sforno teaches that the Torah enumerates
each of these forty-two moves to show the
devotion and loyalty Bnei Yisroel had to
HaShem, even under the most challenging
and trying of circumstances.
It’s summertime, a time during which my

family, as well as many others, make the
exodus from city to country. As we leave the
city limits, we say Tefillas HaDerech, asking
HaShem to watch over and protect us during
our journey. To many of us, this really hit
home this past Sunday night. Flash flooding
in upstate New York created havoc, as roads
buckled, cars became submerged, and
driving turned hazardous. Greater tragedy
was averted thanks to heroic first responders,
including many from our own communities
– all, of course, guided by the hand of
HaShem.
The Talmud teaches that even if the road
isn’t considered dangerous, and we don’t
anticipate any problems, we are still
obligated to say Tefillas HaDerech. My
mother, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis a”h,
would say that we need Siyata D’shmaya,
Divine protection no matter where we go,
even when just crossing the street.
As I read of Bnei Yisroel’s many travels,
Tefillas HaDerech takes on a special
meaning. “We should arrive at our
destination for life, gladness and peace. …
May you save us from every enemy and
ambush, from robbers and wild animals

along the way…” (from Tefillas HaDerech)
Real fears. Real concerns, then and now.
While our modes of transportation may
have changed, the dangers and fears
remain.
The Baal Shem Tov teaches that as Bnei
Yisroel experienced forty-two journeys
and encampments in the desert, so too,
each of us experiences forty-two life
journeys. As they faced challenges at each
stop, and had to make moral and ethical
decisions, so too, we have our dilemmas
and difficulties at different phases in our
life.
To Bnei Yisroel, each stop was an
opportunity for growth and development.
Each stop another rung on the spiritual

ladder of life. Even the names of the forty-
two encampments reflect the life experiences

of the nation.
The tefillah “Ana B’Koach, Please, by the
strength of Your right hand”, is a prayer
asking HaShem to use His koach, His
strength and might to guide and protect us
on our personal life journeys, to give us
understanding and clarity in fulfilling our
life mission.
Ana B’Koach contains forty-two words.
Forty-two words that correspond to our
individual journeys. Additionally,
Kabbalah teaches that when combined,
the first letter of each of these words
correspond to the unique forty-two-letter
name of HaShem. We can perhaps derive
from this, that just as HaShem was with
Bnei Yisroel on their forty-two journeys,
so too does He remain with us on our
life’s forty-two journeys.
Man is called a “holeich” – a being that is
always on the go. In contrast, melochim,
angels are called “omdim” – those who
stand still, remaining in one place,
without the potential of reaching higher
planes.
Man doesn’t remain stationary. He either
rises to greater heights, or sadly, stumbles
and falls. Life is one big journey. Even
when we think we are at rest, “between
stops”, it is actually an opportunity for
growth. We just need to open our eyes,
see the opportunities before us, and utilize

every moment as an occasion for self-
development and improvement.

Wherever life takes us, we come upon
relevant and meaningful messages.
Recently, I’ve been going for physical
therapy. There, in the therapy gym, are
“power sayings” painted on the walls to
give a boost of inspiration and
encouragement. One of the sayings is

“Don’t let your challenges limit you – limit
your challenges!” Another reads,
“Movement is the best medicine!”
Meaningful messages. Like the generation
in the desert, we too have our challenges,
and try to rise above them. To keep on
moving, not only physically, but
intellectually and spiritually as well.
The verses enumerating the Jewish nation’s
travels in the desert is recited by the Ba’al
Korei in a sing-song manner. A lesson for us
to take to heart. We all have our tests in life,
our moments of despair. Times when we
feel like giving up. But HaShem is always
with us, just as He was with our ancestors in
the desert, and throughout the long and
arduous travels of our people over the
centuries.
Perhaps the song of the encampments is a
reminder that no matter where life takes us,
we should face our journey with strength,
with a song, and the knowledge that
HaShem never abandons His people.
My father, HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav
Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l didn’t have an
easy journey through life. He arrived to the
United States as a war orphan, without the
support of parents or siblings. He married
my mother, and together they embarked on
a mission of building a Torah community on
Long Island. That too, was a journey that
came with its own hardships. His life took
him through many twists and turns, and
ultimately through a valiant battle against
severe and painful illness. But through it all,
he hummed tunes, he sang. No matter what
the day brought, he would walk through the
door with a smile. I never heard a harsh
word, a raised voice, a complaint. Not even
a hint of a problem. He knew that this was
what HaShem wanted, and he accepted all
the challenges he faced with unwavering
bitachon, reliance on his Father in heaven.
We are all travelers in this world. Pirkei
Avos, Ethics of the Fathers teaches, “This
world is a corridor to the World to
Come.” (Ethics 4:16). Our life in this world
is temporary. We are all just traveling
through, on our way to our final destination.