The parsha Masai begins by enumerating the itinerary of Am Yisrael in the Desert for 42 years and the encampments that they made. The meforshim explain this is not just a stroll through Memory Lane but rather a spiritual journey corresponding to the Name of Hashem which possesses 42 letters. It also reflects the Written Torah and the Oral Torah hinted in the passuk ודברת בם . For the first letter of the Written Torah is the letter ב of the word בראשית, and the first letter of Shas is the letter מ from the word מאימתי .

Let us decipher the code alluded to in some of the journeys and the message it delivers to strengthen us during our personal spiritual journeys throughout life and its challenges. הר ההר, צלמנה, פונן, אבות, עיי העברים, דיבון גד, עלמן דבליתימה, is the partial list which we will expound on which alludes to the battle between the yetzer hara and yetzer tov.

הר ההר
It was Aron Hakohen who died on this mountain. With his death came the disappearance of the Annenai Hakavod the Clouds of Glory. Aron himself brought light to Am Yisrael with his middos, wisdom and shalom, as the first two letters of his name spell אור. There are times when a Yid feels that Hashem's guiding light and His protection have disappeared from his life. This can take place when a tzaddik like Aron passes away. It could also happen when one has a big nefilah or unchecked small nefilos without self - introspection. It is then that one begins to feel down and slowly loses the oomph in the fulfillment of Torah Tefillah, Limud Hatorah, Shabbos etc. He feels that he is slipping in his previous enthusiasm in his love of Hashem.

צלמונה
This is the opportune state and mood that the yetzer hara has been waiting for in order to pour salt on the Yid's fresh spiritual wounds. The yetzer becomes a צלמנה which consists of two words צל shade, and מנה to count. The yetzer harah begins to count and remind the Yid of all the forgotten aveiros that he did in the past thereby removing him from any positive light to look upon himself as a good person. By counting his aveiros he brings upon the Yid aצל a heavier darkness who feels now even worse than before.

פונון
This advanced stage is rooted in the word פן "perhaps" as we find in the passuk פן יפתה לבבכם . The Yid begins to doubt himself if he is still connected to Hashem after all his rebellions against Him many of which he had already forgotten.

This is followed by a state of אבות The root word is אב which means desire – תאוה. When one feels he might have a disconnect with Hashem the yetzer hara tells him that if you are not going to get Olam Habah anyway for all of your aveiros you might as well enjoy at least Olam Hazeh and fulfill all your cravings especially the ones that you held back from up until now.

עיי העברים
The next strategy of the yetzer harah is to enforce the doom in his relationship with Hashem. Rashi explains that the word עיי means חרב. A sword brings death to a person. עברים is from the lashon עבר the past. Your past of aveiros has severed you from Hashem and your relationship with Hashem is destroyed and unfixable.

However, there is yet a ray of hope and that is the thought that he might still be connected through his Pinteleh Yid. Rabbe Meir says בין כך ובין כך נקראו בנים no matter how much we fall from Hashem we nevertheless possess the relationship of בנים which is spiritual DNA material, so therefore I can still do teshuva and reconnect to Hashem. To this thought the Yetzer Harah replies דיבון גד this that you fantasize דיבון which is two words די בן there is still enough of connection left because we are called בנים to Hashem, is a false. Even that has been taken and removed from you (בראשית ל יא ברש"י) being that the word גד means to cut off. The words דיבון גד is gematriah (with the two words) 81 וחרה אף ה' . The wrath of Hashem is upon you, the relationship is over.

How can this Yid in this predicament save himself when he is so entangled in the web of the yetzer harah. The last code that we will explain will give us our unbelievable answer .ויחנו בעלמן דבלתימה

עלמן דבלתימה
This last encampment in our list is a last resort with which to fight the yetzer harah and restart again avodas Hashem with renewal. ויחנו which is also from the word חן to find favor in the eyes of Hashem. This is especially true on Shabbos Kodesh even if in the past he has been rebellious. As the passuk in Shir Hashirim says שחורה אני ונאוה I am black and beautiful. Isn't this a contradiction? The Medrash answers I am black during the week but beautiful on Shabbos. A hint to this interpretation is that the gematriah of ויחנו בעלמן דבלתימה is the same gematriahיום .השבת On Shabbos we find חן in the eyes of Hashem. The word נאוה with the kollel equals החן. Let us understand why is Shabbos called by this name and how is it a solution for the Yid who is being suffocating and falling in despair because of his yetzer harah?

In Mizmor Shir Leyom HaShabbos we say איש בער לא ידע וכסיל לא יבין את זאת בפרוח רשעים. One has to be a fool if he fails to understand why it is that רשעים flourish in this world and tzadikkim suffer. However, right before this statement we say מה עמקו מחשבותיך ה' how deep are your thoughts Hashem! In that case, why then are you called a fool if you fail to understand such a very deep question? The answer is that on Shabbos with the neshamah yesairah residing in our bodies we experience deep enlightenment and emunah to the point that we have no questions of צדיק ורע לו רשע וטוב לו You who have questions even on Shabbos, must be fool because you do not realize what is obvious.

This is hinted in the name עלמין דבלתימה a world that בלי תימה without questions and complaints. It is a world of Shabbos when we can glean pleasure and understanding from Olam Haba. It is a day of neshama as the Zohar calls it יומא דנשמתא. It is the body that arouses questions in contrast to the neshamah which needs no answers.

This is also hinted in the encampment following עלמן דבלתימה which is הרי העברים לפני נבו. When Shabbos comes the day of neshama one can experience that even if his past created mountains of aveiros הרי העברים nevertheless on Shabbos kodesh one is blessed with נבו which is gematriah חן.