1. Promises, Promises
Parshat Mattot begins with the laws of vows and oaths, which are introduced as follows: ?And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying: If a man makes a vow to G-d or swears an oath to prohibit something to himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do? (Chap. 30, verse 3).
The question: Commenting on the verse above, Rashi states that Moshe would first teach all laws to the tribal leaders and only then to the rest of the nation. Why then does th8e Torah choose to indicate this here, when introducing the laws of vows and oaths?
The answer: The Chatam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer, 1762-1839) says that it is the way of the world that leaders frequently make promises to the people that in the end are not fulfilled. Indeed, leaders occasionally will do the exact opposite of what they had previously insisted they would never do. Since leaders are supposed to serve as role models for the community, setting an example in terms of their behavior and character, it can be especially harmful when they fail to keep their word. Thus, says the Chatam Sofer, the Torah chose to mention the tribal leaders when introducing the laws of oaths and vows to remind all those in a position of leadership that they must scrupulously live up to their promises, for as the verse says, ?he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.?
The lesson: In recent years, people have become increasingly cynical about politics, as the ritual of pre-election promises has inevitably been followed by post-election duplicity. The trail of broken promises left by men such as Ehud (?I will not divide Jerusalem?) Barak brought public confidence in elected officials to new lows. Just six months ago, Israel elected Ariel Sharon primarily on the strength of two promises: peace and security. Thus far, neither seems to be in the offing. Palestinian terror has only intensified, and Jews are neither safe nor secure in their own homeland. The people of Israel overwhelmingly chose Sharon because they believed that he was a man of his word who would live up to his promises and eliminate the scourge of terror. As we saw above, the Torah goes to great lengths to stress the importance of a leader fulfilling his pledges to the people. The time for Sharon to do so is now. Israel has had enough of promises ? what it needs now is to see them fulfilled.
2. This is Everyone?s Battle
Parshat Mattot relates how the tribes of Reuven and Gad approached Moshe and asked permission to settle on the eastern bank of the Jordan river. The two tribes had a multitude of livestock, and they preferred to settle in the lush, verdant territories that Israel had won after defeating Sichon, king of the Emorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Moshe?s response was spirited and critical. The Torah says, ?Moshe said to the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuven: ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here? And why do you dissuade the Children of Israel from crossing to the Land that G-d has given them??? (Chap. 32, verses 6-7). In the wake of Moshe?s reprimand, the two tribes promised to fight alongside the rest of the Jewish people until the entire Land of Israel was won.
The question: What is the meaning of Moshe?s rebuke ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here??
The answer: Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschutz interprets Moshe?s rebuke to Reuven and Gad as more than just a guilt trip directed at the two tribes. Moshe was telling them: do you think that when the enemy wages war on your brothers west of the Jordan River that he will leave you alone to dwell here in peace and tranquility? If you sit here with folded hands and fail to come to the aid of your brothers in the coming war in the Land of Israel, then the enemy is likely to turn his attention to you once the battle there is over. For the strength of the Jewish people lies in its unity, says Rabbi Eibeschutz, and when the Jews stand as one against those who rise up against them, they will succeed with Divine assistance in prevailing over their enemies.
The lesson: This past week witnessed a sharp escalation in tension between Israel and the Palestinians as a result of intensifying Palestinian terrorism. For the first time, Palestinians launched mortar shells at the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. Palestinian terrorists carried out a suicide bombing in Binyamina that killed two young Israeli soldiers, directed heavy gunfire at the Jewish community of Hebron and launched an increased number of violent assaults in the territories. Yet even as the mini-war between Israel and the Palestinians is threatening to spiral out of control, the Jews of the Diaspora have been remarkably muted in their reaction. Aside from an occasional solidarity mission or community rally, the Jews outside of Israel have yet to raise their voices, take to the streets and stand up on Israel?s behalf. Facing an unabashed foe, Israel needs the political support, financial assistance and impassioned prayers of Jews everywhere. As we saw above, the strength of the Jewish people lies in its unbreakable, ironclad unity, and unity means more than a shared sense of purpose ? it also means a shared fate. We have seen in the past how the enemies of Israel make no distinctions among Jews ? when they wish to harm Israel, they often direct their anger at more convenient targets, such as local Jewish communities around the world. Diaspora Jews should not make the mistake of thinking that war in Israel will pass them by untouched. An assault on Israel is an assault on Jews everywhere, and it is time for the Jews outside of Israel to heed Moshe?s plea: ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here??
3. To Dwell in the Land
Parshat Masei lists the journeys of the Jewish people during their forty years of wandering in the desert, through their arrival at the Jordan River, where they were preparing to enter the Land of Israel. With the Promised Land in sight, G-d instructed Moshe to tell the Jewish people, ?When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the Land before you? You shall possess the Land and you shall settle in it, for to you have I given the Land to possess it? (Chap. 33, verses 51-53).
The question: Why does the Torah state that we should ?possess? the Land and then ?settle? in it? What is the connection between the two?
The answer: Rashi explains the verse to mean that the Jewish people are commanded to take possession of the Land from its inhabitants, and that such possession is a precondition to settling in it securely. In other words, if the Jewish people do not take control of the Land and assert their sovereignty over it, they will not be able to live there safely. The Ramban (Nahmanides), interprets the verse slightly differently, saying that ?you shall settle in it? is a positive Biblical commandment requiring all Jews to live in the Land of Israel.
The lesson: Two of the primary challenges facing the Jewish people today are defending the Land of Israel from those who would usurp it from us and filling the Land with Jews through increased immigration. These two issues are intrinsically linked. As the Oslo process so painfully demonstrated, Israel can not afford to cede territory and expect such moves to result in peace, for the fact is, as Rashi pointed out some nine centuries ago, only Jewish possession of the Land can ensure that Jews will be able to dwell there safely. And, if the Ramban?s message were to be heeded, and more Jews were to move to Israel, then it would be impossible for anyone to even suggest giving up territory in the first place. A Land of Israel teeming with faithful Jews is a Land of Israel safe from any and all enemies. The interpretations of Rashi and the Ramban therefore go hand in hand ? for only by asserting Jewish sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel, and by permeating it with a Jewish presence, can we hope to live there in peace.
Parshat Mattot begins with the laws of vows and oaths, which are introduced as follows: ?And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes of the Children of Israel, saying: If a man makes a vow to G-d or swears an oath to prohibit something to himself, he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do? (Chap. 30, verse 3).
The question: Commenting on the verse above, Rashi states that Moshe would first teach all laws to the tribal leaders and only then to the rest of the nation. Why then does th8e Torah choose to indicate this here, when introducing the laws of vows and oaths?
The answer: The Chatam Sofer (Rabbi Moshe Sofer, 1762-1839) says that it is the way of the world that leaders frequently make promises to the people that in the end are not fulfilled. Indeed, leaders occasionally will do the exact opposite of what they had previously insisted they would never do. Since leaders are supposed to serve as role models for the community, setting an example in terms of their behavior and character, it can be especially harmful when they fail to keep their word. Thus, says the Chatam Sofer, the Torah chose to mention the tribal leaders when introducing the laws of oaths and vows to remind all those in a position of leadership that they must scrupulously live up to their promises, for as the verse says, ?he shall not desecrate his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.?
The lesson: In recent years, people have become increasingly cynical about politics, as the ritual of pre-election promises has inevitably been followed by post-election duplicity. The trail of broken promises left by men such as Ehud (?I will not divide Jerusalem?) Barak brought public confidence in elected officials to new lows. Just six months ago, Israel elected Ariel Sharon primarily on the strength of two promises: peace and security. Thus far, neither seems to be in the offing. Palestinian terror has only intensified, and Jews are neither safe nor secure in their own homeland. The people of Israel overwhelmingly chose Sharon because they believed that he was a man of his word who would live up to his promises and eliminate the scourge of terror. As we saw above, the Torah goes to great lengths to stress the importance of a leader fulfilling his pledges to the people. The time for Sharon to do so is now. Israel has had enough of promises ? what it needs now is to see them fulfilled.
2. This is Everyone?s Battle
Parshat Mattot relates how the tribes of Reuven and Gad approached Moshe and asked permission to settle on the eastern bank of the Jordan river. The two tribes had a multitude of livestock, and they preferred to settle in the lush, verdant territories that Israel had won after defeating Sichon, king of the Emorites, and Og, king of Bashan. Moshe?s response was spirited and critical. The Torah says, ?Moshe said to the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuven: ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here? And why do you dissuade the Children of Israel from crossing to the Land that G-d has given them??? (Chap. 32, verses 6-7). In the wake of Moshe?s reprimand, the two tribes promised to fight alongside the rest of the Jewish people until the entire Land of Israel was won.
The question: What is the meaning of Moshe?s rebuke ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here??
The answer: Rabbi Yonatan Eibeschutz interprets Moshe?s rebuke to Reuven and Gad as more than just a guilt trip directed at the two tribes. Moshe was telling them: do you think that when the enemy wages war on your brothers west of the Jordan River that he will leave you alone to dwell here in peace and tranquility? If you sit here with folded hands and fail to come to the aid of your brothers in the coming war in the Land of Israel, then the enemy is likely to turn his attention to you once the battle there is over. For the strength of the Jewish people lies in its unity, says Rabbi Eibeschutz, and when the Jews stand as one against those who rise up against them, they will succeed with Divine assistance in prevailing over their enemies.
The lesson: This past week witnessed a sharp escalation in tension between Israel and the Palestinians as a result of intensifying Palestinian terrorism. For the first time, Palestinians launched mortar shells at the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo. Palestinian terrorists carried out a suicide bombing in Binyamina that killed two young Israeli soldiers, directed heavy gunfire at the Jewish community of Hebron and launched an increased number of violent assaults in the territories. Yet even as the mini-war between Israel and the Palestinians is threatening to spiral out of control, the Jews of the Diaspora have been remarkably muted in their reaction. Aside from an occasional solidarity mission or community rally, the Jews outside of Israel have yet to raise their voices, take to the streets and stand up on Israel?s behalf. Facing an unabashed foe, Israel needs the political support, financial assistance and impassioned prayers of Jews everywhere. As we saw above, the strength of the Jewish people lies in its unbreakable, ironclad unity, and unity means more than a shared sense of purpose ? it also means a shared fate. We have seen in the past how the enemies of Israel make no distinctions among Jews ? when they wish to harm Israel, they often direct their anger at more convenient targets, such as local Jewish communities around the world. Diaspora Jews should not make the mistake of thinking that war in Israel will pass them by untouched. An assault on Israel is an assault on Jews everywhere, and it is time for the Jews outside of Israel to heed Moshe?s plea: ?Shall your brothers go out to war while you settle here??
3. To Dwell in the Land
Parshat Masei lists the journeys of the Jewish people during their forty years of wandering in the desert, through their arrival at the Jordan River, where they were preparing to enter the Land of Israel. With the Promised Land in sight, G-d instructed Moshe to tell the Jewish people, ?When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the Land before you? You shall possess the Land and you shall settle in it, for to you have I given the Land to possess it? (Chap. 33, verses 51-53).
The question: Why does the Torah state that we should ?possess? the Land and then ?settle? in it? What is the connection between the two?
The answer: Rashi explains the verse to mean that the Jewish people are commanded to take possession of the Land from its inhabitants, and that such possession is a precondition to settling in it securely. In other words, if the Jewish people do not take control of the Land and assert their sovereignty over it, they will not be able to live there safely. The Ramban (Nahmanides), interprets the verse slightly differently, saying that ?you shall settle in it? is a positive Biblical commandment requiring all Jews to live in the Land of Israel.
The lesson: Two of the primary challenges facing the Jewish people today are defending the Land of Israel from those who would usurp it from us and filling the Land with Jews through increased immigration. These two issues are intrinsically linked. As the Oslo process so painfully demonstrated, Israel can not afford to cede territory and expect such moves to result in peace, for the fact is, as Rashi pointed out some nine centuries ago, only Jewish possession of the Land can ensure that Jews will be able to dwell there safely. And, if the Ramban?s message were to be heeded, and more Jews were to move to Israel, then it would be impossible for anyone to even suggest giving up territory in the first place. A Land of Israel teeming with faithful Jews is a Land of Israel safe from any and all enemies. The interpretations of Rashi and the Ramban therefore go hand in hand ? for only by asserting Jewish sovereignty over the entire Land of Israel, and by permeating it with a Jewish presence, can we hope to live there in peace.