Operation Entebbe: 50 Years Ago
4 min read
In current times, we are journey-focused. Motivational speakers encourage us to focus on the process (journey) rather than the out- come (destination). As we strive to complete our bucket lists, we’re urged to be “mindful of the journey.” The Torah, however, embraced this progressive mindset thousands of years ago.
Here is some background. Masei is a Hebrew word that means “jour- neys.” The last parashah of Sefer Bamidbar (Numbers) is called Masei. It encapsulates the Jewish People’s forty-two journeys throughout their decades in the wilderness. At times, the nation camped for just a few days, but sometimes they were encamped in the same location for years. The Torah states: “Moshe wrote their going forth according to their journeys at the command of God, and these were their journeys according to their going forth.”
Why are the words “their going forth” used twice in the same verse? It’s also peculiar that “going forth” and “journeys” are restated conversely at the beginning and end of the verse. An understated truth is brought out. We have our own perspectives, but God has a greater purpose for our lives’ journeys that we may not perceive.
Following our natural instincts may compel us to veer off course from the road leading to our destinations. We might make a wrong turn or a bad choice from which it will take time to rebound. Our choices can be likened to single threads in a tapestry. Each one has its own path, yet the individual threads intertwine, forming a more expansive pattern. An emerging design can be likened to a broader vision of where we are going in life.
The 42 journeys are a paradigm of our life’s journeys. Each of these stops was not just a point of interest or a rest stop along the way. Each one signified another step in their spiritual travels. These were called “journeys” rather than “stops” for a reason. The people’s perceptions expanded as their scope of possibilities broadened.
The gematria of the Hebrew word masei is 180, which is ten times eighteen. Our Sages explain that ten times a number represents the full actualization of the word to which it corresponds. In this case, the Jewish People’s inherent potential is realized throughout forty-two journeys.
Sometimes, in retrospect, we see how various experiences and challenges helped to shape us. What we couldn’t recognize before is now clearly revealed. We might have thought that we were moving ahead in life, but perhaps we weren’t. As life unfolds, our priorities can change. While in pursuit of society’s definition of success, some so-called achieve- ments may be for naught. In hindsight, it can become apparent that we developed the most during those periods that seemed to be stationary and unsuccessful. We might have overcome major character flaws, developed stronger determination in what we thought was a holding pattern. The greatest personal growth can occur when it seems that progress is at a standstill. Beneath the visible surface is where significant change takes place.
The Jewish People appeared to be without a logical raison d’être for forty arduous years. So too, events in our lives can seem to be haphazard and to not make sense. The oft-repeated maxim “One step forward and two steps back” describes many of our lifetime experiences. The wisdom that comes with age enables us to perceive the greater purpose in life’s journeys. Our inner vision is refined with time. Each step along the way can be seen as part of the whole.
The underlying purpose of the 42 journeys became clear at the very end. In the beginning, it may not have been fully valued or recognized. Ultimately, the Jewish People were meant to clearly perceive God’s Presence all along the way. These were forty years of preparation and growth.
When we come to better understand the process, the challenges of the journey have enriched value. They were placed there to teach and strengthen us. What we see as hurdles can become our greatest teachers. Savor the process and grow through the experiences of the journey. Reaching our destination is the inevitable byproduct.
