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What were the names of the places to which Bney Yisrael backtracked in Bamidbar 33?

In Numbers 33, the children of Israel journeyed from a total of 42 encampments.

In the process, as pointed out in How is it possible that Numbers 33 talks about 48 camps instead of 42? there were backtrackings involved.

Specifically, what were the names of those places, to which they backtracked?

Kazi bácsi
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ninamag
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1 Answers1

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According to the midrash that first brings this idea, that appears in a few places, such as Tanchuma Bamidbar 18:1, they backtracked from Hor Hahar to Moserah/Moserot, which means they backtracked: Kadesh, Etzion Gaver, Evronah, Yotvatah, Chor Hagidgad, Bnei Ya'akan and arrived in Moserot.

And see this table of encampments.

Harel13
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  • See also this one: https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Deuteronomy.10.6.1 – Kazi bácsi Aug 05 '21 at 10:28
  • @harel13, does the backtracking mean going back to the places that were already mentioned in Numbers 33? – ninamag Aug 05 '21 at 10:37
  • @Kazibácsi in the source you quoted, it states, "Go and count and you will find that there are eight stations from Mosera to Mount Hor!" Do these "eight stations" include "Mosera" and "Mount Hor"? – ninamag Aug 05 '21 at 10:40
  • @ninamag That's usually what the word "backtracking" means... – Harel13 Aug 05 '21 at 10:47
  • @Harel13 why then do some authorities say that instead of 42 camps, they say 48 or 49 camps, when in fact, it is just 42, as backtracking means going back to the same camps? – ninamag Aug 05 '21 at 11:05
  • @ninamag actually, I don't believe any of the authorities state the "new" total number of encampments. What they do is state how many encampments they backtracked, in which case the differences stem from whether or not one counts Hor Hahar and/or Moserot. – Harel13 Aug 05 '21 at 11:20
  • I suppose the conclusive part is this: וַחֲזַרְתֶּם לַאֲחוֹרֵיכֶם שְׁמוֹנָה מַסָּעוֹת עַד בְּנֵי יַעֲקָן. If there had been other encampments, they'd been mentioned. – Kazi bácsi Aug 05 '21 at 11:21
  • @Kazi Some peg the ideal minimum number of lines in a Torah to the number of encampments, saying explicitly 48 as the total number of encampments. – magicker72 Aug 05 '21 at 12:04
  • @Kazibácsi I only mention it because you wrote I don't believe any of the authorities state the "new" total number of encampments, which I believe is false. Some state explicitly that there were 48 encampments. – magicker72 Aug 05 '21 at 14:58
  • @magicker72 I wrote that... – Harel13 Aug 05 '21 at 15:03
  • @Harel13 Aha, sorry about the mix-up. – magicker72 Aug 05 '21 at 15:04
  • @Harel13 If "whether or not one counts Hor Hahar and/or Moserot", then once again, it is possible to state that there were 48 encampments, in addition to the backtracked locations. – ninamag Aug 05 '21 at 15:34
  • @ninamag I think so, yes. – Harel13 Aug 05 '21 at 15:49
  • @Harel13 the following is a separate question, but where all the 42 cities of the Levites cities of refuge or only the 6 cities? – ninamag Aug 05 '21 at 17:36
  • @ninamag there were six official ones prescribed in the Torah, but it's evident that over the years, all Levite cities became cities of refuge. See the Q&A here: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/124133/42-levite-cities-as-cities-of-refuge. Also related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/124441/20472. – Harel13 Aug 05 '21 at 17:44