Kabbalah Library

34. When the Creator took Israel out from Egypt, He took them out in the name of forty-two letters, as He created the heaven and earth in it.

35. For this reason, when Israel went out from the land of Egypt, they journeyed twelve journeys until they reached Mount Sinai, as it is written, “On that day they came into the Sinai desert,” since the letters of “this” [Zayin-Hey] are twelve in Gematria, and the Creator wanted them to walk the thirty other journeys, to complete to forty-two journeys corresponding to the name Mem-Bet, in three days, as it is written, “And they journeyed from the mountain of the Lord three days,” meaning that they had to walk ten journeys each day.

36. But because they sinned, they caused that they journeyed them only in the first thirteen, and all three days were counted for them as only one journey, and with the twelve previous ones, they were thirteen journeys. This is why they did not enter the land until they journeyed the thirty other journeys and the name of forty-two letters was completed, like the work of creation.