Matos
Because I Said So
The Torah asks us to keep our word. It tells us to not profane our word. We understand keeping our word; committing to what we have said. But ‘profanity’? Is there holiness in our words?
‘Holiness’ here does not refer to classical holiness, which means spiritual and unphysical. Presumably our usual chatter is not hallowed. Rather, it means that our words are not mere talk; they are binding. They are meaningful halachikly, for breaking them is illegal. Committing to something creates a power binding us. Breaking our word is acting as if it were not binding – as if it were profane and unmeaningful.
Besides keeping to our word because you accept responsibility for it, know that your word is a legal item.
Sometimes you just don’t feel the responsibility; I’m thinking of the time someone wrangled an agreement out of me because ‘you anyhow do lots of travelling’. I agreed out of discomfort. But it’s yet binding, for I agreed to it…
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Vengeance!
The Torah emphasizes revenge twice in these parshios:
1. In the beginning of Matos Moshe is asked to take Hashem’s revenge for the Jewish people and then die. Does his death connect to revenge? Yes. It comforts to see payback on your enemies before you die. Moshe deserved that vindication. Getting even is important. [-Midrash]
2. In Masai, the blood-avenger, relative of the victim, ought to kill the murderer. Don’t pity the murderer, ‘for blood has corrupted the earth, and the earth cannot be atoned… without the blood of the killer’.
Getting even is an expression of justice – let the score be settled. Unless revenge is extracted the balance is out: the one has injured the other. With revenge things are normalized, balance restored.
However we are prohibited from taking revenge. The Torah forbids: ‘take no revenge against the sons of your people’. Does that fit with the revenge we speak of here?
The Rambam (Hilchos Deos) explains that we refrain from revenge because most things are not worthwhile. Someone insulted us. Or didn’t lend us their pen; ought we avenge that? Isn’t it silly? The Torah is telling us not to be petty-minded!
If this is why we don’t avenge, in a matter as significant as murder or incitement to sin, revenge would be appropriate. And a mitzvah!
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Settling The Score
When Moshe asked the Jews to go fight the Midianites, they refused. They needed to be impressed into service. They knew that Moshe would die after this war, and demonstrated their love for him. (Rashi) Who had told them that info, and why?
It can only be that Moshe himself had told them. in fact, Hashem had directed him to discuss it with the nation. Why, why did the Jews need to know? Why tell them if it will cause them to refuse fighting?
This battle was a personal satisfaction for Moshe. The Midianites had deeply injured the Jews, and the debt was still unpaid. The war made Midian settle with them. Moshe would not die without being vindicated. He was promised; ‘take revenge from the Midianites and (only) then die’. The Jews were entitled to learn that Hashem was holding off Moshe’s death so that he could have the satisfaction of seeing revenge. They needed to know that Hashem cares for His tzaddikim, even resolving their insults. And reading this parshah, we know it too.
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Be Nice, For Your Sake
“And they campaigned against Midyan as Hashem told Moshe” What was that? The Sifra explains that they left the fourth side open to excape. They did not encircle their enemies. This was not specific here, says the Rambam, but applies to any war we fight. The Ramban explains two reasons for this; A. that we practice compassion even in war, even on our enemies, leaving them a escape route, and B. that the enemy not become desperate. Some explain this that when the enemy soldiers become desperate, they fight harder. Better leave them recourse, for it increases the odds of victory.
We also suggested that people sicken when they need to act cruel. The Einsatzgruppen collapsed because even SS Nazis could not go on shooting unarmed civilians. The gas chamber guards also often needed to get drunk before their shift. They couldn’t cope otherwise. So act with humanity towards your enemies – even if only for your own sake.
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Levels Of Obligation
Of from the soldiers’ tithe it says ‘…from people (captives), cattle, donkeys and sheep’ (only these were tithed – Chizkuni). The Jews however, tithed the above and ‘…from all the other animals’ too. Why? The soldiers gave one of five hundred; the other Jews gave one out of fifty. (Ten times as much!) Why?
One is obligated to be more generous with windfall money than with money earned. It’s more difficult to part with hard earned cash, so less is expected of him. The soldiers had worked hard, risking their lives too. So they tithed only certain animals and only 1/500. The Jews did not work for that money, so they tithed all at 1/50. The lesson? Don’t easily compare your donation to anyone else’s. You may be obligated more, or you might have less responsibility. To each their own.
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Coming Clean
Moshe exhorted the tribes ‘Be clean before Hashem and Jewry!’ Even if you are correct, take care that others accept that. Why? If I’m doing the correct thing, why do I need to be justified to my fellowman’s eyes; why give a hoot about what he thinks!?
The requirement to be “yotzai peoples opinion” is just as one needs to “be yotzai Hashem’s opinion” (-Meseches Kallah ch. 8) and its connected with loving fellow Jews. What’s the connection?
Here is the deal: Our brotherhood lies in that we are all Hashem-servers. We share a life-goal. Putting yourself in suspicion of sin, is removing oneself from the brotherhood. It undermines the very basis of loving fellow Jews. Keeping yourself above suspicion is living together as a group, which opening oneself to suspicion precludes. You owe it to your fellows to stick together, and you owe it to them that they think well of you!
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Seize The Inspiration!
When the generals saw that nary one soldier was lost, they offered a Korbon to Hashem; a gift of the most sensual and seductive jewelry captured. Why this?
Perhaps they responded to Hashem’s sign of love by embracing greater spirituality, renouncing sensuousness to a degree. They felt closeness with Hashem, and they knew to capitalize on it and propel themselves to be more. They symbolized this by giving away the objects of sensuality that they had won; “We are holier now. We are more spiritual”.
The lesson for us is that when inspiration strikes, capture it in an action. Create lasting value of it.
P.s.; That’s why inspiration strikes! Think of it as a man lost at night. He strikes a match. It lasts but a second or two, but gains him his bearings. Inspiration is a lit match – use it to align yourself!
Masai
The Story IS The Message
The Parshah begins with a list of the Jewish camps through the desert. Why do I need to know this?
Rashi offers the parable of a prince who fell deathly ill. The royal physician suggested a trip so that he recover, and the king took his son and together they traveled long and hard, finally acheiving the cure they needed. The prince recovered, and on the journey back the king showed his son “Here you had a violent headache, there you began vomiting etc.” What is the lesson in this parable?
Perhaps indeed there is no lesson whatsoever, and that’s the whole idea. Hashem, the king, is reminiscing with his son, Prince Yisroel, about times they shared. He remmembers and recalls, because He cares about His People and those little episodes are meaningful to Him. There is no lesson here, just a huge message of caring and love…
Do you have people you love? Spend time with them, just talking about old times. Its shooting the breeze, and it means so so much….
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Eye Candy
The Torah specifies that the Levi’im be given 48 cities in Eretz Yisroel, each with a two thousand amah commons around the city. This place was to remain empty, and the empty space beautified the city, like a park of sorts. This is not found by other cities, and we assume in honor of the Levi’im their cities need to be handsome. Ordinary cities do not need to be so fancy. So is the Torah concerned with the city planning? It would seem that as you may design your home as you wish, so too you can design your city. Nice cities are great to have, and greenery is certainly refreshing, but it is not a Torah mandate. Some things are better left to individual tastes.
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Win Win
The Torah specified that female first-generation land occupiers marry into her own tribe. Limited to that generation, a holiday – Tu B’av – was established at its official dissolution, which allowed the shvatim to marry one another. Why was the mitzvah established only for that generation? If the claim of the Bnei Menashe – that they lose when a land owning woman married into another tribe and then bequeathed her property to her sons – was valid, why isn’t this a permanent mitzvah? (Truth is that the argument seems specious – the same process can give new land to Menashe too!)
Perhaps Bnos Tzelofchad were correct. Indeed, the land was theirs, and they ought not to be limited in their options. Yet Bnei Menashe worried that their territory would become compromised. Very worried. The Torah pointed to a basic principle: right as you may be, if you can easily accommodate the next guy, please do so. Do not stand on your rights.
Some people say this still applies today. You think?
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Double Sided Warheads
If we do not wipe out the evil nations we find in Israel, the Torah warns, ‘they will be a thorn in your side and a pain in your eyes. And as I planned to do with them, I shall do with you!’
The forces of destruction have been loosed. They are designed to crush the wicked people living in Canaan. But take care: if those forces are not used against them, they will turn against you, and destroy you. Evil is not neutral. You are either part of the solution or part of the problem. And watch out – ‘then as I planned for them, I will do to you…’