Shabbos Parashas Mattos - 5774

Shabbos Parashas Mattos - 5774

Rabbi Hal Miller

They said, If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to

your servants as a heritage, do not bring us across the Jordan.

[Bamidbar 32:5]

The entirety of Chapter 32 covers the discussion between Moshe and the members

of the tribes of Reuven and Gad over whether those tribes might settle on the

eastern bank of the Jordan River. Moshe, and most of the commentators since

then, read this as an attempt by two tribes to avoid community service, an

example of misdirected priorities. But there are other issues here too. Were

the tribes of Reuven and Gad in the right or wrong? Was it just a matter of

misunderstanding between Moshe and those two tribes?

In verse 33, Moshe details part of the tribe of Menashe to go with Reuven and

Gad. If those two tribes were in the wrong, why did he send others along,

others who had not approached and asked for this?

In addition, since Reuven and Gad requested the transJordan as their heritage,

what does this say about the ownership of that land? Is it Eretz Yisrael?

The commentators make much of the apparent prioritization issue, where the

requestors spoke of cattle and children, and Moshe "corrected" them, referring

to children then cattle. We can leave that to those commentaries, noting here

only that the Torah has its own word-order issue. In verse 1, it says, "The

children of Reuven and the children of Gad". Throughout the rest of the

chapter, it lists them as "children of Gad and children of Reuven". Why the

switch in order? Ramban addresses this directly: "Scripture places the

children of Reuven first in the inital verse, as is appropriate since Reuven

was the firstborn and the son of a main wife." He continues, "But throughout

this passage it places the children of Gad first because they raised this

idea, and they are the ones who spoke first to Moshe concerning this

inheritance." If this is the case, what did Reuven do that could be considered

wrong?

Both tribes quickly reassure Moshe that they will not only participate in the

conquering of the land of their brethren, but that they will even lead the

march. It was enough to convince Moshe to send along half of Menashe, so it

must have been a pretty convincing presentation. If he sent along Menashe, he

must have also been pretty certain that the land involved was an appropriate

place for part of the nation to live. Why?

The area to the east of the Jordan River, the transJordan, was where Sichon

and Og had lived with their nations and armies. The Israelites had just, under

Moshe, defeated them, in accordance with Hashem's direction. Ramban writes,

"For the land of Sichon and Og was the inheritance of Israel, since it belonged

to the Amorites, and according to the law, were they to have responded in peace

and opened to them, the entire people found within it should have been as

tribute and they should have served them." Sichon and Og took it, and Israel

took it from those two as part of the conquest. If so, why did Moshe make a

fuss about these two tribes wishing to settle in what was supposed to be part

of the land of Israel?

Ramban continues, "But Moshe knew that Israel would not conquer all the ten

nations promised to Avraham now, and he wanted that their entire conquest be

on the other side of the Jordan and beyond so that the dwelling of Israel be

together." It was a timing issue. In other words, Moshe's thought was for the

unity of the people of Israel moreso than for the unity of the land. This is

also a reason behind his assigning part of another tribe to the venture.

Menashe, with families split across the river, would act as a bridge

connecting the two portions of the nation. Why specifically Menashe? Ramban

says that they too had herds and flocks. The area involved was too large for

the portions of the two tribes, and needed to be further subdivided. The

numbers worked out.

So, if this area is in fact part of the heritage that Hashem granted to

Avraham and his descendants, what did Gad and Reuven do wrong? Apparently it

was merely a matter of timing and misunderstanding. Had they worded their

request differently, had they waited until the rest of the tribes had their

land conquered, Moshe may have been more than happy to comply with their

desires.

Why is this story so important to us now? Two reasons. First, it establishes

the need for unity amongst the people of Israel, even to the detriment of

the holy land. Second, it means that the Golan, which will be Debbie's and

my home as of Rosh Hashanah this year, is really part of the land that truly

belongs to the nation of Israel. Come see us.