Mattot 5771 - english

Rabbi Mario Gurevich

Beth Israel Synagogue, Aruba

The forty years of wandering in the desert are coming to an end.  Our people’s invasion of the land of Canaan is imminent, and the air is already full of the excitement and anticipation that precedes what is to come.

A new generation, born in the desert, will be the one to undertake this battle.  The previous generation was left in the wilderness; it did not deserve, or could not accomplish, such a conquest.

And it is at this point that the sons of Reuben and Gad, who according to the Torah had a lot of cattle, approach Moses and say:

“… the land which the Lord smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle… let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession; bring us not over the Jordan” (Num. 32-4-5).

Moses relives the nightmare of the spy episode.  Is he facing another rebellion?  How many has he lived through during the past forty years?

And thus, he is outraged.  In fact, his angry speech occupies the following ten verses.

But at this point, Gad and Reuben’s sons explained:  “We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones; but we ourselves will be ready armed to go before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place... We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance” (32:16-18).

Moses realizes that he was mistaken.  Times change, generations change, and even for him, the hour for change and his replacement is just around the corner.  The leaders of the coming epic will also be new.  What better satisfaction for the great leader than being able to ascertain that his efforts succeeded, and that his years of education and teaching are finally bearing fruit.

However, even if the generation gap exists, experience counts, and so does wisdom.  Therefore, Moses must deliver one last lesson:  “Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep…” (32:24).

What is the message?  He is simply changing the order of the original phrase: the priority must be the children, the families, and not barns and pens for their livestock.  Permanent values are more important than material possessions.

This will be the only way to conquer the land.  Only in this manner will a righteous society be built, where the dignity of all its citizens is preserved and where family occupies the most important cornerstone of the social structure.

With this lesson, Moses has almost finished his work.  The heartbreaking process of saying good-bye can begin, which, as he is a teacher, will involve more invaluable lessons.

These will fill all the next chapters.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Mario Gurevich