Don’t Get Stuck: The 42 Journeys That Teach Us How to Move Forward

There are parshas we read that feel especially alive—their words rise up to meet us, and their lessons shine with clarity. At times, it even feels like Divine Providence that we encounter them just when we need them most, as if they’re speaking directly to where we are in our journey.

This week, that’s exactly how I felt reading Matot-Massei.

Parshat Massei recounts the 42 journeys the Israelites made through the desert:

“The Israelites journeyed from Rameses and camped at Sukkot. They journeyed from Sukkot and camped at Eitam, at the edge of the desert. They journeyed from Etam and returned to Pi HaChirot, which faces Ba’al Tzefon, and camped before Migdol…”

Most of the parsha continues like this, listing place after place—moving forward, camping, and then moving on again. As I read, it struck me: this is what life is meant to be. A continuous journey, each stop along the way shaping us, lifting a spark, and preparing us for the next stage.

But for most of us, life doesn’t always look like that. We get stuck.

We reach a destination—a job, a relationship, a stage in life—and decide this is it. Often, we plant ourselves and cling to it as if it’s meant to be permanent, forgetting that every “camp” is only temporary, a stepping stone on our greater journey.

To truly feel alive, we need to keep moving forward—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. This is the profound message of Massei.

This idea resonated deeply with me this week as I reflected on my own journey. I often feel stuck when challenges come my way, holding on to them far longer than they deserve and allowing them to take an emotional and psychological toll. Even now, I think of a situation we are facing: our expenses have grown far beyond our income, and the clear solution is to rent out our home—with its incredibly high mortgage—and live somewhere cheaper for a while. This one change could dramatically reduce our cost of living. But we’ve been hanging on so tightly to our current situation that we resist letting go and moving forward on our journey. How long will we stay stuck here? How much deeper will the hole get? This is just one example of being stalled in our journey.

We do this in our relationships too; they fall into a monotony of routines. We feel bored by them or yearn for more excitement, yet we remain camped in the same spot for longer than we need to. Life is a journey—a series of journeys without a final destination. Because even when we achieve an initial goal, we’re often ready for more. We are always being called to move from a place of comfort to one that challenges us. The true destination is growth.

The Jewish Journey – Always Moving Forward

From the moment Hashem told Abraham, “Lech lecha—go forth,” we became a people of movement. Abraham left everything familiar behind to step into the unknown. The Israelites followed the same pattern in the desert, journeying from camp to camp, never settling until they reached their true purpose.

Each journey was necessary. Each stop, even the challenging ones, was shaping them into who they were meant to become. And so it is with us. The “journeys” of our lives—the transitions, the struggles, the unexpected detours—are all designed to elevate us, refine us, and move us closer to our mission.

If you feel stuck, take heart. You’re not meant to stay in one place forever. Whether it’s your mindset, your relationships, or your current circumstances, there is always another step forward. Hashem calls us to keep moving, to keep growing, to trust that every journey—even the hard ones—is leading us toward something greater.

So this week, ask yourself:

Where am I camping too long?

What step forward can I take, even if it’s small?
What spark is waiting to be lifted on the next part of my journey?

We are travelers in this world, moving from one stage of growth to the next. The beauty isn’t in reaching a final destination—it’s in becoming who we are meant to be along the way.