Matot-Masei

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In our own day, we may be used to conflict on the west bank of the Jordan, but in our double Torah portion, Matot-Masei, at the very end of the book of Numbers, we find a conflict on the east bank. The people of Israel are preparing to enter into the Promised Land, but the tribes of Reuben and Gad see promise elsewhere. The tribal leaders go to Moses and ask if they can settle outside of the Land on the pastures of the east bank of the Jordan in the modern day Kingdom of Jordan. Moses assumes they plan to shirk their responsibilities to help conquer the land, but they insist they’ll get settled in and then head right to the frontline. They inform Moses:

 

גִּדְרֹ֥ת צֹ֛אן נִבְנֶ֥ה לְמִקְנֵ֖נוּ פֹּ֑ה וְעָרִ֖ים לְטַפֵּֽנוּ וַאֲנַ֜חְנוּ נֵחָלֵ֣ץ חֻשִׁ֗ים לִפְנֵי֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל
We will build pens for our flocks and then towns for our children. Then we will hurry to serve as troops for the people of Israel.
– Numbers 32:16-17

 

When Moses agrees to their plan, he replies:

 

בְּנֽוּ־לָכֶ֤ם עָרִים֙ לְטַפְּכֶ֔ם וּגְדֵרֹ֖ת לְצֹנַאֲכֶ֑ם וְהַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּיכֶ֖ם תַּעֲשֽׂוּ׃
Build towns for your children and sheepfolds for your flocks, but do as you have promised.
– Numbers 32:24

We know the Torah can be repetitive in its storytelling, but Moses flips around their words, putting children before sheep. Why? Reuben and Gad may have been revealing that their priorities were misplaced, that they valued their property over the welfare of their children, and Moses needed to set them straight. Moses understood, as we do today, that nothing we have means anything if we fail to invest in the generations to come and especially in their education. The rabbis of the Talmud in Tractate Shabbat tell us that any community without a school is worthy of destruction. Thank goodness that our temple, even over the summer, is filled with young people learning, growing, and connecting with each other, so we’ve been spared, as far as I’m concerned.

In any community, all of us are responsible for our young people as caretakers and role models. No matter how complicated the situation around us gets, this Jewish priority remains. And even in the toughest times the Jewish people have experienced, our commitment to the next generation has given us the strength and inspiration to keep going. Even having just gotten here, I can already see that Anshe Sholom doesn’t need Moses to set them straight. We get what it’s all about. I so look forward to getting to know every generation of our Anshe Sholom families.

L’shalom,

Rabbi Michael Weiss