Mei HaShiloach treats the stages of Israel’s travel as revelations of inner divine guidance and the unfolding of a person's path. It often highlights paradox, hiddenness, and the specific necessity of each station.
אֵלֶּה מַסְעֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כוּ׳ וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה אֶת מוֹצָאֵיהֶם לְמַסְעֵיהֶם עַל פִּי ה' וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶם. הָעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר תְּחִילָּה "וַיִּכְתֹּב מֹשֶׁה" כוּ׳ וְאַחַר כָּךְ כְּתִיב "וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם" כוּ׳. הָעִנְיָן בָּזֶה כִּי בְּהַמ"ב מַסָּעוֹת נִכְלְלוּ כָּל הַנִּסְיוֹנוֹת וְהַהִתְנַשְּׂאוּת שֶׁיַּשִּׂיג כָּל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי מִצַּד הַש"י כָּל הַבְּרִיּוֹת הָיוּ לִהְיוֹת שָׁוִים בְּמַדְרֵגוֹתָם כִּי כֻּלָּם לְמִקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל יֵשׁ לָהֶם הֲוָיָה מֵעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, אַךְ כִּי בָּרָא דְּרָכִים בְּנִסְיוֹנוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָאָדָם יִתְרוֹן עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשָׂיו וּמִצַּד זֶה יָבֹא גַּם הִתְנַשְּׂאוּת לְאֶחָד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה תְּחִילָּה כַּאֲשֶׁר נִכְתַּב עַל פִּי ה', נִכְתַּב "מוֹצָאֵיהֶם לְמַסְעֵיהֶם", כִּי מִצַּד הַש"י אֵין שׁוּם יִתְרוֹן לְאֶחָד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ כִּי כֻּלָּם חַיִּים בַּהֲוָיָה מֵעַצְמוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְגַם אֵין יִתְרוֹן לְמַעֲשֵׂי הָאָדָם רַק בְּמַה שֶּׁהוּא חָפֵץ בּוֹחֵר, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם הָיָה הַגְּאוּלָּה בְּדֶרֶךְ דִּילּוּג, "מְדַלֵּג עַל הֶהָרִים" וּכְמַאֲמַר הָאֲרִ"י ז"ל וְהוּא שֶׁלֹּא הִבְחִין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַמַּעֲשִׂים כְּלָל, כִּי גַּם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה טַעֲנָה כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (במדבר רבה פרשה כ"ג,ב') הַלָּלוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְהַלָּלוּ עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אַךְ הַש"י גְּאָלָם בְּרוֹב רַחֲמָיו כִּי אֶצְלוֹ הָיָה מְבוֹרָר כִּי כָל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲדוּקִים בְּהַש"י. אַךְ בְּהַמַּסָּעוֹת בֵּרְרוּ אֶת עַצְמָם לְעֵין כֹּל בְּהַמַּסָּעוֹת הָאֵלֶּה כִּי הֵם נְקִיִּים בְּשׁוֹרְשָׁם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נֶאֱמַר "עַל פִּי ה'" הַיְינוּ מִצַּד הַש"י, תְּחִילָּה "מוֹצָאֵיהֶם" יַשִּׂיגוּ חֵן טוֹב אֵצֶל ה', וְאַחַר כָּךְ "מַסְעֵיהֶם" הַיְינוּ יָצָא לָאוֹר עַל הַבֵּרוּר כִּי הֵם טוֹבִים בְּשׁוֹרְשָׁם, אַךְ אַחַר כָּךְ הוּא מְדַבֵּר מִצַּד הָאָדָם, נִכְתַּב "וְאֵלֶּה מַסְעֵיהֶם לְמוֹצָאֵיהֶם", כִּי מִצַּד הָאָדָם הוּא שֶׁקּוֹנֶה לוֹ טוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי מַעֲשָׂיו וְנִסְיוֹנוֹת. וַיִּסְעוּ מֵהַר שָׁפֶר וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּחֲרָדָה. הַיְינוּ בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁאָדָם מְסוּפָּק הָאֵיךְ רְצוֹן ה' נוֹטֶה, אָז הָעֵצָה הַיְּעוּצָה לוֹ שֶׁיַּגְדִּיר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מֵהַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְזֶה "וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּחֲרָדָה", כִּי עַל יְדֵי חֲרָדָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לָאָדָם, טוֹב לוֹ לַחֲנוֹת וְלִהְיוֹת שֵׁב וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּמוֹ עַתָּה שֶׁנִּשְׁבְּעוּ שֶׁלֹּא יִדְחֲקוּ אֶת הַקֵּץ (כתובות קי"א.). "וַיִּסְעוּ מֵחֲרָדָה וַיַּחֲנוּ בְּמַקְהֵלֹת". הַיְינוּ בְּעֵת שֶׁהַש"י יַחְפֹּץ לְקַבֵּץ אוֹתָנוּ אָז יִתֵּן תַּקּוּפוּת בְּלִבָּם שֶׁלֹּא יֶחֶרְדוּ, הַלְוַאי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בְּקָרוֹב בְּיָמֵינוּ.
“These are the voyages of the children of Israel … and Moshe wrote their departures to their journeys according to God, and these are their journeys according to their departures.” (Bamidbar, 33:1–2) Why does it say first, “and Moshe wrote their departures to their journeys according to God,” and after say the inverse, “these are their journeys according to their departures?” Included in the forty-two journeys are all the trials and (resulting) exalted states that each soul in Israel may achieve. From God’s perspective, the entire creation was to exist equally on the same level, where all, from the small to the great, receive their existence from the essence of God. However, He created a variety of trials before man so that one may rise above another based on his actions, thus coming to a state exalted above his peers. Because of this, at first, when it is written, “according to God,” it says, “their departures to their journeys,” for from God’s point of view one has no advantage over another, for they all live in an existence coming from God’s essence (all departing from—coming out of —God equally). Also there is no advantage in one’s actions. That which he desires he chooses. For when they left Egypt, the redemption was by means of a “leap,” as in “leaping on the mountains” (Shir Hashirim, 2:8). As the Ari”zal explained, God did not distinguish anyone based on actions (no matter how low, they “leapt” into redemption), for also against Israel there were accusations, such as (Bamidbar Rabba, 23:2), “both these are idolaters, and those are idolaters.” Yet still, God redeemed them in His great compassion, for with Him they were all purified and all of Israel were devoted to God. Thus, once on their journeys, it was clear to all that they had purified themselves by means of these journeys, and that they were clean at their roots. Therefore when it says first, “according to God,” meaning from God’s point of view, that first by the fact of their departure they found grace and goodness with God, and afterwards, “in their journeys,” that it was revealed and clear that they were good in their roots. Yet in the end of the verse, which speaks from the point of view of man, it says, “their journeys according to their departures,” for from the human perspective, one acquires goodness by means of actions and trials. “And they journeyed from Mount Shafer, and they camped at Chareda.” (Bamidbar, 33:17) In any situation where one is uncertain as to the direction of God’s will, he is then advised to refrain from taking action. This is “they camped at Chareda,” for owing to one’s inner trembling (Chareda in Hebrew, trembling at the uncertainty), it is good for him to “camp,” and refrain from action, as now, when they swore not to force the end of days (by means of excessive supplications. Ketubot, 111a). “And they journeyed from Chareda and camped at Maqhelot.” (Maqhelot means gatherings of people.) That is to say, at the time when God desires to gather us together (in the final redemption) He will then give us special strength in our hearts, and we need not be afraid, may it only be soon and in our days.