Parshas Masei
1. Concerning the forty-two journeys in Parshas Masei, the Baal Shem Tov says1 that they are all present in every Jew over the course of the years of his life: "אשר יצאו מארץ מצרים" ("who went out of the land of Egypt") — this is a person's birth; afterwards, over the course of the days of his life, come the rest of the journeys, until he arrives at the supernal "land of life."
Now, among the journeys there were also journeys that ran contrary to the Supernal Will. So at first glance, how could one lay down an order whereby in the life of each and every person there must be things that run contrary to the Divine Will? This is understood according to the Baal Shem Tov's explanation: the journeys in and of themselves are holiness, except that (since free choice was given) things contrary to the good came out of them because of people's deeds. But when a person's choice is as it should be — "ובחרת בחיים" ("and you shall choose life") (and one is also given the power and assistance for this, since the Torah itself tells him "and you shall choose life") — then all the journeys are ascents "from strength to strength" in holiness.
As an example, he cites the journey of Kivros HaTaavah ("the Graves of Craving"), about which it says, "שם קברו את העם המתאוים" ("there they buried the people who craved"). In holiness, this matter is a lofty level of holiness — a level at which craving has no place at all: not merely that in actual fact there is no craving, but "they buried … those who craved," meaning that craving does not even fall into the realm of the possible there. It was only because of the intrusion of the opposing side (the "Lu'umas Zeh") that it took on a form contrary to the good. Thus far the gist of the explanation.
As for the matter of the forty-two journeys as they exist in the life of a Jew: regarding the journeys and matters that have taken place until now, one already knows which matters were used for good and which for the opposite. But regarding from here on — the journeys that he still has to pass through — he has the choice, and the instruction, to use all his journeys in the line of good.
And especially through "and you shall choose life" — the "Tree of Life," the inner dimension of the Torah (Pnimiyus HaTorah) — which reveals the good in every matter and transforms even the not-good into an elixir of life.
2. The same applies to the matter of Bein HaMetzarim (the "Three Weeks," during which Parshas Masei is always read2): the things that brought about Bein HaMetzarim could, were it not for the intrusion of the opposing side, have been used for a lofty service3 in holiness.
Take, for example, the sin of the Golden Calf, which is the root of all the sins that came after it. It is known4 that this sin came about because the Jews contemplated the Divine Chariot (the Merkavah — and the face of the ox in the Chariot) at the time of the Giving of the Torah. It follows, then, that even such a matter that can lead to a very great sin — even as far as the sin of the Golden Calf — when there is "and you shall choose life," one prevents the sin, and more than that, one uses the matter on a lofty level of holiness, up to contemplation of the Chariot and the "thousands of Shinan," etc. — higher than what Yechezkel ben Buzi saw5.
It is similar to what we find with Yeravam ben Nevat. When the Mishnah wants to give an example of one who "חטא והחטיא את הרבים" ("sinned and caused the many to sin"), it mentions Yeravam ben Nevat. Nevertheless, the Gemara6 says of him that he learned 103 (ק"ג) explanations in Toras Kohanim; and "והוא מתכסה בשלמה חדשה ושניהם לבדם בשדה" ("and he was clad in a new garment, and the two of them were alone in the field") — he learned together with Achiyah HaShiloni and originated such novel insights in Torah that only the two of them knew them7. It was only through the intrusion of the opposing side that in him it came out at the most opposite extreme (ק"ג, 103, is the numerical value of עגל, "calf"). It is understood, however, that through "and you shall choose life" he could have used that same intellect in a most lofty manner.
So too regarding "Bein HaMetzarim": the things that led up to it could, were it not for the intrusion of the opposing side, have produced a lofty matter in holiness. And even after the opposing side has intervened, through teshuvah "זדונות נעשים כזכיות" ("willful sins become like merits") — through teshuvah they are immediately redeemed, with the complete Redemption, and "these days will be transformed into joy and gladness"; through this "Bein HaMetzarim" ("between the straits") we will come to "נחלה בלי מצרים" ("an inheritance without bounds"), which will be revealed soon through Moshiach Tzidkeinu.
(From the sicha of Shabbos Parshas Matos-Masei, 5729)
Notes
1) Cited in the sefer Degel Machaneh Ephraim, Parshas Masei.
2) See above, p. 1075, note 21. And see Shelah, section Torah Shebiksav, beginning of Parshas Matos.
3) As is understood from the magnitude of the fall.
4) Shemos Rabbah 42:5.
5) See Yalkut Shimoni, Yisro, remez 286, at the beginning.
6) Sanhedrin 103b.
7) Sanhedrin 102a.
Key Lesson
Every stage of a Jew's life journey is, at its root, holy; only the intrusion of the opposing side turns any of it toward the negative. By choosing life — especially through the inner dimension of the Torah — one can direct every coming "journey" toward good and even transform past descents, so that the "straits" of exile lead to the boundless inheritance of the Redemption.