21 And they set out from Libnah, and encamped at Rissah.
From Libnah, they traveled to Rissah which means disintegration and distillation. Reminiscent of one of the Alchemical processes, this also has to do with the ongoing process of the changes taking place in our consciousness.
22 And they set out from Rissah, and encamped at Kehela'thah.
After each operation of disintegration and distillation there is a need for reintegration of that which we wish to retain. This is indicated by their next stop which is Kehelathah. It means convocation or assembly. It is a gathering of the fruits of our labors.
23 And they set out from Kehela'thah, and encamped at Mount Shepher.
They journeyed on to Shepher which means bright and shining. This is the description of these fruits, these positive attributes.
24 And they set out from Mount Shepher, and encamped at Hara'dah.
Haradah, their next encampment, means excitement and intense feeling. This word has come to refer to negative feelings such as fear. But originally it could mean any kind of strong emotion, especially love; not the lustful kind, but the universal and unconditional love of all humankind, a vital requirement.
25 And they set out from Hara'dah, and encamped at Makhe'loth.
Our next stop is Makheloth which as Kehelathah, above means convocation and assembly. It indicates that this bringing together and consolidating our progress is frequently needed.
26 And they set out from Makhe'loth, and encamped at Tahath.
Tahath, which means humility is our next step in the journey. As we become more understanding of the spiritual truth of our existence, we gain humility.
27 And they set out from Tahath, and encamped at Terah.
Tarah, our next stop, means delay. Perhaps this is alluding to the time that this whole process requires. We must guard against impatience.
28 And they set out from Terah, and encamped at Mithkah.
The next encampment is Mithcah, which means sweetness and pleasantness.
29 And they set out from Mithkah, and encamped at Hashmo'nah.
Hashmonah means opulence and wealth. Both of these are an indication of what we can expect along the way.
30 And they set out from Hashmo'nah, and encamped at Mose'roth.
Moseroth which means bonds and corrections is our next stop. This indicates that we are still making corrections and loosening our bonds from the material consciousness.
31 And they set out from Mose'roth, and encamped at Bene-ja'akan.
The next point on our journey is Benejaakan. Bene means the son of. Jaakan means keen, acute or intelligent. Our mental powers are growing along with our spiritual powers.
32 And they set out from Bene-ja'akan, and encamped at Hor-haggid'gad.
We then come to Horhagidgad, meaning cave or hewn cavern. The reference here is to the unconscious. It is there that much of the work will be accomplished.
33 And they set out from Hor-haggid'gad, and encamped at Jot'bathah.
They traveled on to Jotbathah which means goodness and healthfulness. Again we can see that we are making progress and reaping the rewards for our labors.
34 And they set out from Jot'bathah, and encamped at Abro'nah.
Ebronah which means passage refers to the changes that are taking place within us.
35 And they set out from Abro'nah, and encamped at E'zion-ge'ber.
The next stay was at Ezion-beger which translates as the backbone of a giant. This has to do with the strength that is required to complete this journey.
36 And they set out from E'zion-ge'ber, and encamped in the wilderness of Zin (that is, Kadesh).
Continuing on, they arrived at Kadesh which means clean and pure. It is the condition of the thoughts which we are trying to embody.
37 And they set out from Kadesh, and encamped at Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.
From Kadesh they arrived at Hor. Hor means to be high or exalted state. This is the goal of our journey and we are told that we are getting there. But, we are not there yet.
38 And Aaron the priest went up Mount Hor at the command of YHVH, and died there, in the fortieth year after the people of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.
39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty-three years old when he died on Mount Hor.
40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the people of Israel.