743. The Journeys of the Children of Israel
“These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out from the land of Egypt with their armies, by the hand of Moses and Aaron. And Moses wrote their places of exit to their journeys according to the word of the Lord, and these are their journeys according to their places of exit.”
The interpreters ask why at one time, it is written “their places of exit,” and at another time, “their journeys,” before.
Exiting means exiting from the King’s palace, when one feels a deficiency in that degree, and is therefore compelled to journey to another place where there is more wholeness. It follows that the exit is the cause of the journey, for were it not for this, he would not move from place to place. It follows that first he feels the lack, and then he makes the journey. This is why it is written, “their places of exit” before “their journeys.”
Sometimes, a person does not feel any deficiency in the degree that he is in, and yet must make a journey. But afterward, during the journey, he recognizes that his previous state was deficient. This is why it is written, “These are their journeys according to their places of exit,” meaning that the journey had to take place first, and then the feeling of deficiency.
This is perplexing: If he does not feel a deficiency, who forces him to make the journey? This is the meaning of “according to the word of the Lord,” when a person himself cannot feel it. This is what it means that every person needs a teacher to guide him. A person must believe that everything that the teacher tells him is “according to the word of the Lord.” Otherwise, the person will not agree to leave his place and take upon himself the jiggles of the road.
And the order of exits and journeys is precisely through Moses and Aaron, since Moses is called “the King’s best man,” and Aaron is the queen’s best man. Aaron fixes the candles, meaning the correction of the qualities, so they are able and worthy of receiving the abundance. This is regarded as preparing the assembly of Israel. Moses is considered the drawing of the light of Torah, which is the meaning of being the King’s best man, meaning extension of the abundance into the corrected Kelim [vessels].