OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

With the holiday season upon us, I’d like to begin by wishing safe travels to everyone who’s taking a vacation, whether you’re going abroad or staying here in the UK.

Our second parasha this week, Mas’ei, describes the journeys and encampments that the Israelites made during their forty years in the desert, from Egypt to the Promised Land. Surprisingly, despite decades of archaeological research, the identities of the forty-two locations remain uncertain.

So many questions! We know that the Israelites crossed the Red (or Reed) Sea—but where exactly did they cross it? We know that the Torah was given on Mount Sinai—but where is that mountain located? Is it in what is known today as the Sinai desert? The popular identification points to Jabal Musa (Arabic for the Mountain of Moses), where the monastery of Santa Katerina, built in the sixth century by the Emperor Justinian, is located.

Eventually, after forty years, the Israelites end up on the east side of the Jordan, opposite Jericho. At some point in their travels, they must have crossed over from what today is the Sinai desert and continued into what is now Jordan or Saudi Arabia.

A fascinating alternative opinion locates Mount Sinai and the forty years of wandering not in the Sinai desert, but in Saudi Arabia! This view is put forward by some modern scholars and is argued by Rabbi Alexander Hool in his books Searching for Sinai and The Desert Encampments. He presents extensive evidence from rabbinic sources to support the identification of Mount Sinai with Jabal Harb in Saudi Arabia and argues that the Israelites wandered not in the Sinai, but in the Arabian desert.

Ultimately, we may never know the precise geographical locations of these places—and perhaps that’s intentional. According to the Baal Shem Tov, the journeys of our ancestors through the wilderness prefigure the journey each one of us makes in our own lives.

We all start with the Exodus. The Hebrew word for Egypt, Mitzrayim, is related to Metzarim—narrow straits or constraints. It alludes to the tight passageway of the womb, from which we emerge into the world to begin our journey of life. That journey is filled with exploration: sometimes uncertain, often surprising, always rich with opportunity. Just as the Israelites moved through the wilderness, each of us navigates the uncharted terrain of our own experiences—growing, stumbling, discovering, and ultimately progressing. Life isn’t always straightforward, but it is purposeful. Every stop along the way can bring us closer to our own Promised Land—those moments of meaning, fulfilment, and connection that make the journey worthwhile.

Of course, together with all our achievements, there will be times when we encounter setbacks. The challenge is: how will we respond so that we can grow?

May we find the courage to support ourselves and one another, as we each strive to travel our best journey—and reach our Promised Land.