The Holy Land as a Mirror of Moses' Leadership

Another explanation: Just as sheep do not gather treasures, only the shepherd in the wilderness, so too, Israel lived for forty years without gathering treasures. Another explanation: Just as in a place where the shepherd leads, the flock follows, so too, Israel would travel to any place that Moses and Aaron guided them. And Moses wrote (hinting with the numerical value 318): "And they journeyed from Raamses in the first month." It is written, "He made the moon for festivals; the sun knows its setting." Rabbi Yochanan said, "The sun was created only to illuminate during the day." It is written, "Let there be lights in the firmament." But if so, why was the moon created? To sanctify the beginnings of months and years. Rabbi Shila of Kfar Tamarta said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "Even though the sun knows its setting, we learn from here that we do not count the moon unless the sun has set." Yusta Haverya said in the name of Rabbi Berachya, "And they journeyed from Raamses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the month." If you count the moon until that point, there are only fourteen (heard or measured). From here we learn that we do not count the moon unless the sun has set.