“To the wilderness of Shur.” We do not find that there is a wilderness whose name is Shur. What is [meant by] “the wilderness of Shur”? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is due to the merit of Abraham, with whom I spoke, and I said to him: “And also that nation that they will serve [I will judge, and afterwards they will emerge with great property]” (Genesis 15:14), and in whose regard it is written: “He settled between Kadesh and Shur” (Genesis 20:1).
Rabbi Avin said: What is [meant by] the wilderness of Shur? There Israel desired to be configured in rows [shurot] of banners. Another matter, “the wilderness of Shur,” is the wilderness of Kuv. They said regarding the wilderness of Kuv that it is eight hundred parasangs and filled with snakes, fiery serpents, and scorpions.
Rabbi Abba spoke before our Rabbi:9Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. One time, a person passed through the wilderness of Kuv, and he saw a certain snake that was sleeping and it was as thick as the beam of an olive press. He saw the snake but the snake did not see him. Since he was so overcome with trepidation, he panicked and his hair fell out.
They would call him the bald one. That is what Moses said to Israel: “Who guides you in the great and awesome wilderness; [snake, fiery serpent, and scorpion]?” (Deuteronomy 8:15). Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: We do not know regarding what it says “great,” whether it is regarding the Holy One blessed be He, or it is regarding the wilderness. But Moses said to them: ‘Great and awesome is God, whom you would anger, and you would walk in that wilderness that is filled with snakes, scorpions, fiery serpents, and famine, and He guided you through it in peace.’
Moreover, the snakes and the serpents would crouch before them10They would position themselves as though bowing in servitude and fear (Midrash HaMevoar). so that Israel would not panic on their account. Another matter, what is [meant by] “the wilderness of Shur”? Until Israel departed from Egypt, the world was a wilderness. When they departed, the world became a wall.11Initially, people felt that the world was like a wilderness in which anyone could come and do as he pleases.
After Israel departed from Egypt, they felt as though the world was protected by a surrounding wall in the sense that there were boundaries and an authority, namely God. Alternatively, until Israel received the Torah, the world conducted itself as a wilderness. When they received the Torah, the world became a wall, this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon. The Holy One blessed be He said: In the future, I will do so to Zion, which is a wilderness, as it is written: “Zion became a wilderness,” (Isaiah 64:9).
But in the future, I will be a wall for it, as it is stated: “I will be for it, the utterance of the Lord, a wall of fire all around, and for glory I will be in its midst” (Zechariah 2:9).