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Parshat Massei: Every Step Has a Purpose — Even Ones We Think Are Detours
A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org.
One of the most fascinating figures in medieval history is Marco Polo. Born into a Venetian merchant family, in 1271 he set out with his father and uncle along the famous Silk Road to China — on what would become one of the most monumental journeys ever undertaken by a European.
The Polos were received at the royal court of Kublai Khan, the founder and first emperor of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The emperor was deeply impressed by Marco’s sharp intellect and respectful demeanor. He appointed him as his personal envoy, assigning him to diplomatic missions across the vast Mongol Empire and beyond, to places we now know as Myanmar, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
In this extraordinary role, Marco traveled extensively throughout China, spending 17 years in the emperor’s service, and encountering lands, cultures, and marvels no European had seen or even imagined.
When he returned home after 24 years, no one recognized him, not even his own family. But what’s even more remarkable is that people dismissed his stories as fantasy. And though he recorded many of his experiences, he admitted: “I did not write half of what I saw, for I knew I would not be believed.”
Still, he didn’t seem to mind. Because for Marco Polo, the true reward wasn’t the fame or acclaim. It was the journey itself.
Medieval Jews had their own Marco Polo, a century before him. Benjamin of Tudela, a 12th-century Jewish merchant from Spain, embarked on a cross-continental journey that took him through France and Italy, down into Egypt and the Land of Israel, across the Levant to Mesopotamia, and back again via the Mediterranean.
Though only a layman, he was deeply literate — fluent in Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish, and most probably French. He wore his religious piety lightly, but his love for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel, as well as his deep empathetic curiosity, radiate through every page of his remarkable diary.
What makes his written record so compelling isn’t only where he went, but also who he noticed. In Fustat, today Cairo, he found the Jewish community struggling to maintain its former prominence. Still, he noted a relatively new arrival by the name of Rabbi Moses ben Maimon — Maimonides — who was elevating the community, and whose fame had spread well beyond Egypt.
In Baghdad, he described the grandeur of the Jewish Exilarch, who rode in royal procession with armed escorts and a ceremonial canopy held over his head — an honored figure recognized by both Jews and Muslims alike. While in Babylonia, he visited the great yeshivot of Sura and Pumbedita, centers of Talmudic learning that have left their impression on Judaism to this day.
Benjamin also had a wry sense of humor and a sharp eye for sectarian nuance. As he traveled in Northern Israel, he observed dryly that “the closer I get to Jerusalem, the more Jews are heretics” — a reference to the many Karaites, Samaritans, and Khazars he encountered on his approach to the Holy City.
And though he loved the Land of Israel, he found himself breathing easier in the Muslim-ruled cities of the Levant, writing that “the air was heavy for me in Christian-controlled Jerusalem,” but “I feel more comfortable now that I am again in this lush and Muslim land.” Strange words to modern ears, perhaps, but a reminder of just how different the world once was.
Fast forward six centuries, and we have Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, better known acronymically as the “Chida,” an 18th-century rabbinic scholar, emissary, and bibliophile from Jerusalem. He spent decades traveling through Europe and North Africa as a shadar — a traveling fundraiser for the impoverished Jewish community in the Land of Israel.
But rather than just focusing on collecting money, the Chida also collected moments, books, and stories, which he recorded and later published.
In Livorno, a vibrant hub of Sephardic Jewry, he once found himself caught up in a spontaneous halachic debate — right in the middle of the street. A local rabbi posed a sharp question, and the Chida responded, using his boundless Torah knowledge and brilliant intellect. Within minutes, a crowd had gathered. According to his travel diaries, there was even a fishmonger who chimed in with a source, which the Chida acknowledged as “an unexpected but not incorrect point.”
On another occasion, in Amsterdam, the Chida was invited to visit a private library filled with rare manuscripts. He spent hours poring over ancient texts, taking meticulous notes. But the experience was somewhat tarnished by the custodian’s persistent attempts to serve him a local fish delicacy, which the Chida politely declined — not once, not twice, but four times.
What unites Marco Polo, Benjamin of Tudela, and the Chida is not just their many distant travels. It’s that they understood something we often forget in our destination-obsessed world: the journey is usually the point. None of them rushed to the finish line. They lingered. They noticed. And they were transformed.
Which brings us to Parshat Massei — the parsha with the longest travel itinerary in the Torah. Parshat Massei opens with what looks — at first glance — like a giant waste of ink (Num. 33:1-2): “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel… and Moshe wrote down the starting points of their journeys.”
This introduction is followed by 42 place names, one after the other. Some you can recognize — Marah, Refidim, Mount Hor. Other places are only ever mentioned in this list, such as Keheilata, Har Shefer, and Yotvatah.
But if you take a step back, something remarkable emerges. The Torah is obviously not just concerned with the Israelites’ departure from Egypt and arrival in the Promised Land. It also cares where the Israelites camped along the way. Because each stage in the journey mattered, every pause was purposeful, and every detour was a divine appointment.
The same is true for us. We may live in a culture obsessed with results — final grades, promotions, goals achieved — but Judaism reminds us: growth isn’t about the end goal, it’s about how you got there.
The 42 stops, and the journeys that brought them to each place, weren’t always glorious — but the Torah lists them all anyway, because real life isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a series of imperfect steps, tough lessons, and unexpected blessings. The meandering journey through the Sinai wilderness didn’t just take the Israelites to the Land of Israel; it made them ready for it.
Marco Polo crossed half the world and returned a stranger even to his own family. Benjamin of Tudela journeyed across continents and chronicled rising rabbinic stars in Egypt and royal Jewish leadership in Baghdad. The Chida debated halacha in the streets of Livorno and politely dodged fish pastries in Amsterdam.
What is clear is that none of them were racing toward a finish line. They were gathering stories, meaning, and identity, one stop at a time.
Parshat Massei, in its quiet, repetitive way, teaches us the same thing. You are not the sum of your big-ticket achievements. You are the story of your many stops and pauses — the moments you failed, the times you tried again, the challenges that taught you patience, the delays that built your resilience, and the people you met along the way who added some element to your experience.
So take your time. Notice the view. Write it down. One day you’ll look back and realize — just like the Israelites in the desert — every step had a purpose. Even the ones you thought were detours.
The author is a rabbi in Beverly Hills, California.
The post Parshat Massei: Every Step Has a Purpose — Even Ones We Think Are Detours first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Antisemites Target Synagogues in Spain, France Amid Surge in Jew Hatred Across Europe
The exterior wall of a synagogue in Girona, Spain, vandalized with antisemitic graffiti. Photo: Screenshot
Pro-Palestinian activists have vandalized synagogues in Spain and France in recent days, sparking public outrage and calls for authorities to step up protections.
These are only the latest incidents in a troubling wave of anti-Jewish hate crimes targeting Jewish communities across Europe which continues unabated.
On Thursday, the Jewish community of Girona, a city in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, filed a police complaint and urged authorities to take action after the outer wall of the city’s synagogue was defaced with an antisemitic slogan.
Unknown perpetrators defaced the synagogue’s walls with antisemitic graffiti, scrawling messages such as “Israel is a genocidal state, silence = complicity.”
The city’s Jewish community strongly condemned the incident, urging authorities to conduct a swift investigation, impose exemplary sanctions, and ensure robust security measures.
“Disguised as political activism, [this attack] seeks to stigmatize citizens for their faith — something intolerable in a democratic society,” the statement reads. “Tolerance and respect are values we must defend together.”
The European Jewish Association (EJA) also condemned the incident as a hate crime, urging the Spanish government to ensure the safety and protection of its Jewish citizens.
“This is yet another antisemitic attack, part of a wave we’ve seen daily for nearly two years,” the EJA wrote in a post on X.
This is what members of the Jewish community in Girona found this morning when they arrived at their synagogue to pray.
Antisemitic vandals had defaced the synagogue’s outer wall with the words:
“ISRAEL ESTAT GENOCIDA, SILENCI = CÒMPLICE”
Translation: “Israel is a genocidal… pic.twitter.com/ERj4z1hKOP— EJA – EIPA (@EJAssociation) September 4, 2025
In a separate incident, three pro-Palestinian activists were arrested on Thursday after trying to force their way into a synagogue in Nice, southeastern France, during an informational meeting on aliyah, the process of Jews immigrating to Israel.
According to local reports, several individuals attempted to forcibly enter the place of worship, sparking violent clashes and insults that left a pregnant woman injured.
Shortly after the incident, law enforcement arrested two women in their forties and a man in his sixties, taking them into custody as part of an investigation into aggravated violence.
The charges involve attacks on a vulnerable person, actions carried out by a group, religious motivation, and public religious insults.
Local authorities strongly condemned the act and announced that police officers would remain stationed outside the synagogue for as long as necessary.
Since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents have surged to alarming levels across Europe.
Jewish individuals have been facing a surge in hostility and targeted attacks, including vandalism of murals and businesses, as well as physical assaults.
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Iran’s Alliances With China, Russia Falter as Regime Faces Growing Isolation, Study Finds
Chinese Foreign Minister Wag Yi stands with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazeem Gharibabadi before a meeting regarding the Iranian nuclear issue at Diaoyutai State Guest House on March 14, 2025 in Beijing, China. Photo: Pool via REUTERS
As Iran continues to face major crises both at home and abroad, its ties to China and Russia are proving far weaker than they seem, leaving the regime to confront the fallout largely on its own, according to a new study.
The Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), an Israeli think tank, has released a report examining how the 12-day war with Israel in June exposed the limits of Iran’s alliances with China and Russia.
In the study, authors Raz Zimmt and Danny Citrinowicz note that both China and Russia favored cautious diplomacy over direct support at a time when the Iranian regime was most vulnerable.
“The policy of Moscow and Beijing, which consisted of fairly mild condemnations of the Israeli and US strikes in Iran, sparked criticism and disappointment in Tehran,” the report explains.
“It also reinforced the Iranian assessment that its reliance on Russia and China remains limited, particularly in the event of a military confrontation with Israel and the United States,” it continues.
Earlier this week, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Beijing, joining Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, as the three nations aim to project a united front against the West.
The high-profile gathering came after Pezeshkian and Putin held talks in China on Monday on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin.
During a joint press conference, the Iranian president hailed Tehran’s cooperation with Moscow as “highly valuable,” adding that continued implementation of their 20-year treaty signed earlier this year would further strengthen ties and expand collaboration.
Putin also noted that the relationship between the two countries is “growing increasingly friendly and expanding” amid mounting pressure and sanctions from Western countries.
According to Zimmt and Citrinowicz, Iran has little room to maneuver, even more so now as the regime faces the imminent threat of UN sanctions being reimposed due to efforts by Britain, France, and Germany, forcing it to rely on its fragile alliances with Russia and China.
“It is clear that for now, Iran has no viable alternative to continuing its political, economic, and security partnership, as limited as it may be, with Russia and China, especially given the escalating tensions between Tehran and Europe,” the paper explains.
“Likewise, Russia and China, who view Iran as a junior partner in a coalition against the West and the United States, have no real alternative to Tehran, and they are expected to continue the partnership as long as it serves their interests,” it adds.
The authors argue that China and Russia could readily sacrifice Iran to further their strategic goals, including strengthening ties with Washington.
The study comes just days after an Iranian official accused Russia without evidence of providing intelligence to Israel during the 12-day Middle Eastern war in June which allegedly helped the Jewish state target and destroy Iran’s air defense systems.
Mohammad Sadr, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council and close adviser to former President Mohammad Khatami, claimed Israel’s precise strikes on Iranian air defense systems were suspicious.
He noted Russia’s refusal to support Iran during the war, saying that Moscow had shown a “bias in favor of Israel” and that the recent conflict demonstrated the “strategic agreement with Russia is nonsense.”
“This war proved that the strategic alliance with Moscow is worthless,” Sadr said during an interview with BBC Persian, referring to the 12-day war between Iran and Israel.
“We must not think that Russia will come to Iran’s aid when the time comes,” he continued.
At the SCO summit in Tianjin earlier this week, Tehran also described its ties with China as “flourishing,” pointing to a strategic pact similar to the one it signed with Russia.
According to some reports, China may be helping Iran rebuild its decimated air defenses following the 12-day war with Israel.
China is the largest importer of Iranian oil, with nearly 90 percent of Iran’s crude and condensate exports going to Beijing. The two sides also recently signed a 25-year cooperation agreement, held joint naval drills, and continued to trade Iranian oil despite US sanctions.
“It should be noted that despite the 25-year cooperation agreement signed between Tehran and Beijing in March 2021, the partnership between the two countries remains very limited, and China does not provide solutions to most of Iran’s economic difficulties, including the need for infrastructure investment,” the INSS study explains.
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US Lawmakers Urge Trump to Restrict Visas for Iran’s President, Other Regime Officials Ahead of UN General Assembly
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a meeting in Ilam, Iran, June 12, 2025. Photo: Iran’s Presidential website/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging President Donald Trump to block or sharply restrict visas for Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, and other top Iranian officials traveling to New York this month for the United Nations General Assembly, warning that Tehran will use the global platform to disguise its escalating repression at home.
In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday, 40 members of Congress pointed to Iran’s recent human rights record, which includes nearly 1,500 executions in the past year, and accused Pezeshkian’s government of openly threatening to repeat the mass killings of dissidents that scarred the country in 1988.
“Immediately following the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the Iranian regime escalated its widespread internal crackdown, arbitrarily arresting hundreds of ethnic minorities, civil society leaders, women’s rights activists, and others,” the lawmakers wrote. They described Iran’s leaders as “criminals” who “support terrorism” and “sow hatred and instability across the Middle East.”
The letter was signed by an unusually broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats, including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (NY), as well as Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Deborah Ross (R-NC), and Val Hoyle (D-OR), underscoring how concern about Iran’s hostility toward the US and its allies continues to cut across party lines.
Drawing a distinction between the regime and the Iranian people who support democracy, the lawmakers asked Trump to make a strong statement against a country that US intelligence agencies have long labeled the world’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.
“We respectfully urge you to restrict the Iranian delegation’s freedom of movement, and, to the extent possible, refrain from issuing visas to key delegation members, including for its President, Masoud Pezeshkian,” the letter stated.
It continued, “We urge you to take a strong stand against the Iranian regime’s ongoing support for terrorism and human rights abuses, in line with your dedication toward ‘Peace through Strength’ and the maximum pressure campaign against the regime. We look forward to working you to further
oppose the destructive and destabilizing influence of the government of Iran and support the
Iranian people on the world stage.”
The lawmakers’ request comes as the Trump administration weighs new restrictions on several UN delegations ahead of the annual gathering. According to a State Department memo obtained by the Associated Press, the US is considering limiting the movements of officials not just from Iran, but also from Sudan and Zimbabwe. The department is also considering limiting the movements of officials from Brazil, whose president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, traditionally opens the General Assembly.
The proposals also suggest that Iranian diplomats be barred from shopping at Costco or Sam’s Club without explicit permission from the State Department, according to the AP report. Diplomats from Iran have historically relied on those stores to buy affordable goods unavailable in their home country. By contrast, the memo indicates that delegates from Syria may be granted a waiver, reflecting shifting US priorities in the region.
Under the UN Headquarters Agreement, the US is obligated to grant visas to foreign officials attending UN functions. But successive administrations have imposed restrictions on the travel of adversarial delegations, typically confining them to Manhattan and surrounding boroughs. The latest proposals would go further, potentially requiring advance State Department approval for movements and limiting access to certain businesses.