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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 holiness in our words?
‘Holiness’ here does not refer to classical holiness. Presumably our usual chatter is not hallowed. Rather, our words are not mere talk; they are binding. In other words, they are meaningful halachikly. 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’. But it can still be binding, because you said so…
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Vengeance!
The Torah emphasises 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. Hashem had directed him to discuss it with the nation. Why did the Jews need to know?
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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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. 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 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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Paying Our Debts
The Jews split the booty from the Midyan war; half to the soldiers and half to the rest of the people. Why ought the soldiers give half their spoils away?
The soldiers fought as representatives. The entire nation took revenge through their soldiers. While the soldiers fought, the People’s merit protected them, resulting in very few soldiers winning the battle with no casualties! Each contributed, so the booty was split.
Each group – the soldiers and the Jews – gave a tithe. The soldiers’ was 1/500. The nation’s was 1/50, ten times as much! Why?
In this partnership, the Nation supplying Merit, and the soldiers Action, Hashem helped out more with the Nation’s portion than with the soldiers’. Merits are sort of doubtful; we need Hashem’s kindly eye to validate them. The soldiers’ acted. Action is factual.
The tithe represented our debt to Him. Our debt was 10 times greater than the soldiers’ was, so the Tithe was more too!
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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.
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?
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, you owe it to them that they think well of you!
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Seize The Inspiration!
When the generals saw that not a soldier was lost, they offered a Korbon to Hashem; a gift of the most sensual and seductive jewelry around. Why this?
Perhaps they responded to Hashem’s sign of love by embracing 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.; Thats 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 match lit up – use it to align yourself!