Charting A New Path

 Why is the parsha of ויהי בנסוע flanked by inverted נ's?  Why is the parsha of the travels of the camps put in this week's aprsha when it would seem to fit more in Massey?  The events after the parsha of ויהי בנסוע are parshiot which are not the shining moments of Klal Yisroel, the complaints at the end of our parsha, the lashan harah, the mereglim, Korach etc.  This derailed the joyous march of Klal Yisroel into Eretz Yisroel and they were stuck in the desert for 40 years.  

The Gemarah in Berachot (4b) says that there is no possuk that starts with נ in אשרי because that would start for the נפילה of Klal Yisrael.  The Maharal (Netzach Ch. 13) explains that when the מנצפ"ך letters are added to the aleph bet, the נ is the letter that is dead middle, meaning it has no support from either side, hence it falls down and that is why the ן is bent downward.  The next possuk in אשרי is סומך ה' לכל הנופלים  meaning that Klal Yisroel has only Hashem to pull them out from falling into the abyss.  Just as in kedusha, we don't count the 50th day of the Omer, we need Hashem's pull to bring us up to the 50th level, so too it is Hashem that stops one who is נופל.  The נ's on the the parsha of ויהי בנסוע represent that Hashem remains connected to us to pull us out of our mishaps.  The method of Klal Yisroel traveling is recorded as a message that throughout travels, through the long golut, with all the modern-day versions of the setbacks Klal Yisroel suffered, there is the aron brit Hashem traveling with us, ensuring we will reach the final destination.  Even though a new, longer path has to be taken, we will eventually reach the destination.  

That is why the parsha initiates with the parshiot of Aharon kindling the menorah and Pesach sheni.  Rashi at the beginning of the parsha says Aharon was upset that he didn't participate in the chanukat hamikdash and therefore Hashem gave him the mitzvah of menorah which is greater than the offerings of the nesieim.  How was it greater?  The Ramban explains that the menorah is greater for it is eternal because we still light candles on Chanukah.  Rav Shneur Kotler explains that Aharon merited to have a greater avodah because of the fact that he felt bad on missing out on the offerings of the nesieim.  By missing out, Aharon actually gained.  Those that were tamei and missed out on offering the Pesach merited to introduce a new mitzvah of Pesach sheni.  Here also, a perceived miss turned into a gain.  These parshiot serve as the intro. to the parshiot which tell us about Klal Yisroel's missed opportunity to enter Eretz Yisroel that even though a longer route must now be charted, there will be nothing lost due to the errors.