This past Shabbos the Torah portion discussed the 42 travels of the Jewish Nation in the wilderness. The Torah describes these travels as being the travels the Nation took as they left Egypt. Rabbi Yaakov Alesk, one of the leading 18th Century Kabbalists, asks that the wording is problematic as only the first few travels took them out of Egypt. The rest of the travels lasted close to forty years and took them all over the Sinai Desert.
He explains that by being in Egypt for 210 years the Nation had been very influenced by the Egyptian way of thinking. The experiences they had during each of these 42 travels taught them lessons that enabled them to pull themselves out of the Egyptian mindset and into the mindset God needed for them to have in order to enter the Land of Israel. It took 42 lessons over 40 years until they had moved from one way of thinking to another.
This is a good lesson when trying to help others grow spiritually or emotionally. All too often we can become frustrated with them and be ready to give up. Why can't they learn the lesson already? Why aren't they changing. Haven't I taught them enough times? Haven't enough years passed already? The Torah teaches us here that it can take many years and varied lessons until someone can truly change.
At the same time, we can learn that you shouldn't give up on yourself either, no matter how many times and how many different ways you have tried to change. It may take a while, even 40 years, but if you keep on persevering you can make it.
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