שמות, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ׳

The journey of the Israelites takes a significant turn as they leave the fertile, familiar regions of Egypt and arrive at the edge of a desolate, unknown wasteland. This stage marks a transition from a hasty, miraculous escape to a structured journey that requires clear leadership and guidance. Their starting point, Sukkot, is understood by some as a specific geographic name or a physical location where the people built temporary booths [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another view suggests it was not a physical place at all, but rather a representation of the protective Clouds of Glory that surrounded them [שפתי כהן].

From there, the nation traveled to and camped at Etham. This location is identified either as the wilderness of Shur [אבן עזרא] or as a border city whose exact location remains uncertain [קאסוטו]. It is widely agreed that Etham served as the final outpost of settled land, beyond which lay a desolate area with no paved roads [ביאור יש״ר, ביאור שטיינזלץ, שפתי כהן, קאסוטו]. It marked the extreme boundary of the region, sitting right at the very edge of the wilderness [רש״ר הירש]. Regarding the timeline, the primary approach among commentators is that this leg of the journey occurred on the second day after their departure from Egypt [רש״י, חזקוני, שפתי כהן]. However, other perspectives suggest it took place on the sixth day [בכור שור], or that the exact duration of their stay and travel time is simply not specified [קאסוטו].

A sharp contrast exists between their initial departure and this current phase of travel. The first leg of the exodus was a rapid, miraculous flight where the people covered a massive distance in a short time without getting tired, which is why no resting stops were recorded. In contrast, the progression of traveling and then setting up camp reflects the standard, natural pattern of moving through a wilderness [קאסוטו]. This indicates a shift to a natural mode of travel that required regular stops and rest from the physical effort of the road [משכיל לדוד, שפתי כהן].

Camping at the border of the wilderness carried both practical and strategic meaning. Practically, stepping into an untamed area without clear paths meant the Israelites now completely depended on God to guide them [שפתי כהן]. Strategically, halting at the edge of a dangerous desert and subsequently turning back was a deliberate move to deceive the Egyptians, leading them to believe the Israelites were confused and lost. To ensure the people did not panic at the harsh conditions or question the leadership of Moses during this delay, God went ahead of them. He did not merely point out the direction, but actively leveled the ground and cleared the route of physical obstacles and dangers, such as snakes and scorpions. Ultimately, the willingness of the Israelites to march directly into a pathless wasteland served as a powerful display to all surrounding nations of their deep faith in God and His chosen messenger [אלשיך, שפתי כהן].