Parashat Behaalotcha has many subjects. After the Holy One tells Moshe to command Aharon to light the lamps, then we have the matter of the Levites, and also the matter of Pesach Sheni — for one who was on a distant road and impure.

Toward the middle of the parashah, the Torah describes for us: "On the day the Mishkan was set up, the cloud covered the Mishkan."

The cloud rises — they know they must travel. The cloud stops — they know they must prepare. "By the mouth of G-d they shall journey, and by the mouth of G-d they shall camp."

And then: "And G-d spoke to Moshe, make for yourself two silver trumpets." How do they know when to start moving? They must blow the trumpets.

Let us count. The people of Israel left Egypt on the 15th of Nissan, after midnight, walked six days, on the seventh day the Splitting of the Sea, walked a few more days — in total 49 days from the Exodus to Mount Sinai. On the fiftieth day — they received the Torah.

Then Moshe Rabbenu goes up, comes down, sin of the Golden Calf, goes up, prays for them, comes down, goes up, comes down, Yom Kippur, and the second Tablets come. Immediately they begin preparing the Mishkan, and on the 1st of Nissan the Mishkan was erected. A year has passed. Inauguration of the Mishkan, the princes bring offerings, first Pesach in the desert, and the counting.

Therefore this parashah is the threshold of the journey-parashot. Until here, the matter of organizing. And from here — the matter of the journeys begins, and afterward — the sending of the spies and the 38-year delay in the desert.

A moment before the description of the journey begins — there is a conversation. A conversation between Moshe and Yitro.

Where did Yitro come from? If you remember, in parashat Yitro in Sefer Shemot — it is written there that he went home. He returned home. But before the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, Yitro left the place — and therefore he was not at the giving of the Torah. Tzipporah also was not at the giving of the Torah. And now he comes back for a visit.

Moshe Rabbenu suggests to him: "Come, join us, and let us enter the Land — you deserve it, why not?". Pay attention to the answer.

He refuses. Why?

And he says: "Please do not leave us, for you know our camping in the desert, and you shall be eyes for us." You know all the miracles we have had. You already know what the people of Israel are.

After all these compliments — Moshe says: "And it shall be, if you go with us, the good that G-d will do for us we will do for you." You will even receive a portion in the Land of Israel. And we know that the Kenites — who are essentially Yitro — received an inheritance near Yericho.

We must say that Yitro was a tsaddik. The Torah praises him. Every time the Torah says "Yitro — Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law." We already know he is Moshe's father-in-law — but the Torah every time will say "Yitro, Moshe's father-in-law." And he received a parashah named after him. He was a priest of Midian, expert in all religions — and he left everything and joined the faith of Israel.

If so — what is the secret of the matter? Why does he not join?

Why? Imagine what happens if Yitro joins the camp of Israel. Every time the children of Israel sin — an accusation would go out in Heaven: "Shame on you. This man, Yitro, was a priest of Midian — he left all religions to join the people of Israel. And he was not at the giving of the Torah. And you, who were at the giving of the Torah — the seven heavens were opened to you, you saw up to the Throne of Glory, you heard the Holy One Himself speaking to you — and you do foolish things?"

Look at this gentile who converted. Even though he converted — on one thing he does not give up: on his land of birth. And where are you going now? To the Land of Israel. To return to your land of birth — which is the Land of Canaan.

Now — let us open for you a sweet from the Zohar. To understand the sweet, you need to know that immediately after the conversation between Moshe and Yitro, it is written:

And then there are two very famous verses in the Torah:

How many books are there in the Torah? We have seven:

• 1️⃣ Bereshit (Genesis)
• 2️⃣ Shemot (Exodus)
• 3️⃣ Vayikra (Leviticus)
• 4️⃣ Bamidbar (Numbers) — from chapter 1 up to the verse "and the cloud of G-d was over them by day when they journeyed from the camp"
• 5️⃣ Fifth book — only two verses: "And it was when the Ark traveled" + "And when it rested he said"
• 6️⃣ Sixth book — from the verse "And the people were as complainers" until the end of the book of Bamidbar
• 7️⃣ The book of Devarim

This is a halakhah of Moshe from Sinai — that in a Torah scroll there must be two such Nuns. Why? Hazal say — in order to separate between calamity and calamity.

What is the calamity that comes immediately after the two Nuns? "And the people were as complainers, evil in the ears of G-d" — this is the matter of Kivrot HaTaavah (the graves of craving).

Rather — what was the calamity before? That it is written "and they journeyed from the mountain of G-d a three-day journey." This is a calamity!

How is this a calamity? The Midrash says — like schoolchildren fleeing the classroom.

And now, when suddenly the Holy One says to them: "Good, are we traveling?" — and they went a three-day journey, meaning at triple the normal speed.

And now — the sweet.

I want you to imagine the Ark of the Covenant of G-d. The Ark is square, right? Imagine the people of Israel and the Ark. Imagine that there is a Nun in front and a Nun behind.

Like a Mercedes has its symbol, the Jaguar. Imagine as if there is another Nun like a Jaguar here on the Ark and another Nun there. And imagine that this Nun — is the shape of a doe.

Just imagine they place two does on the Ark. Here is one doe, here is the second. But what is the difference between the regular doe and the does that are on the Ark? Their head is not forward as normal. It is as if the doe is crouching, sitting on the Ark, and she turns her face backward.

When you see this shape — you understand it is two inverted Nuns. That is why it is not like brackets. You see — an inverted Nun, an inverted doe. This is a doe sitting on its legs, on its belly, and with its head she looks backward.

That is — the Shekhinah, who is so to speak the doe with the face forward, when they start traveling — She turns Her face toward the people of Israel and continues to watch over them. To see that everything is all right.

Blessed be G-d forever — Amen and Amen.