"We will then arm ourselves and go as an advance guard before the other Israelites...." (Numbers 32:17)

From the very first commandment given to the very first Jew Abraham - "Get thee forth from they country, thy

Can we posit the correct kind of motivation, which will help ensure a successful Aliyah?

birthplace, thy father's house, to the land which I shall show thee" (Gen 12:1) - Zionism has been a fundamental Jewish ideal. And indeed, the major transgression of the Book of Numbers was the refusal of the freed Hebrew slaves to conquer and settle the Land of Israel.

Our Biblical portion of Mattot, coming as it does at the conclusion of the Book of Numbers and describing the willingness of the next generation - the children of those who left Egypt but died in the desert - to wage battle for the Promised Land, even uses the Biblical phrase halutz ("pioneer", "advance guard") for the first time.

Yet, can we speak of a Zionism that is properly motivated as opposed to a Zionism that is improperly motivated? In other words, for a modern Jew's Zionist journey, can we posit the correct kind of motivation, which will help ensure a successful Aliyah? And given the many successful Diaspora Jewish communities - like Teaneck, New Jersey, the West Side of Manhattan, Dallas, Texas, the Hendon area of London - how can the Babylonian Talmud declare that there is no authentic Jewish community (kahal) outside of the Land of Israel (Horayot 3a)?

I believe that the answer to these questions is found in a fascinating dialogue between Moses and representatives of the tribes of Gad and Reuven in parshat Matot, the first half of this week's double portion.

Let us begin with Gad and Reuven, who want to settle trans-Jordan immediately, and present their request to Moses (Numbers 32:1-5). Correctly, the prophet chides them, throwing out the challenge: "Why should your brother go out [to the other side of the Jordan] and fight while you stay here? Why are your trying to discourage the Israelites from crossing over to the land that G-d has given them?" (32:6)

Responding to Moses' challenge, the tribal representatives agree to arm themselves and go forth as an advance guard (halutzim) "before the other Israelites," settling the eastern bank of the Jordan River only after their brethren have captured and settled the western bank. The matter seems settled; yet, the dialogue continues for another nineteen verses, each side seemingly repeating their already stated positions. Why the repetition?

This dialogue opens with the words, "The descendants of Reuven and Gad had an extremely large number of animals, and they saw that the Ya'azer and Gilead areas were good for livestock. The descendants of Gad and Reuven therefore came and presented the following petition to Moses...." (32:1,2) Clearly, their motivation for settling the land was materialistic: the green slopes are excellent pasture lands for grazing their cattle.

Indeed, the introductory descriptions of these two tribes focus first on their livestock, and only later on their children: "We will bring enclosures for our sheep here and cities for our children." (32:6) Moreover, they refer twice to their willingness to fight "before the children of Israel"; whereas, Moses stresses no less than six times the fact they must be an advance guard (halutzim) "before the Lord" (32:20).

Now we can understand why this dialogue is rather long - the necessity of recording a process that can only culminate when the Gadites and Reuvenites finally internalize Moses' message: "Our children, wives, property and livestock will remain here in the cities of Gilead. Meanwhile, our special advance forces (halutz) will cross over before G-d to wage battle as my Master has spoken." (32:26,27)

In a word, Zionism for materialistic reasons - and on behalf of the people of Israel alone - is not sufficient; Zionism must be for the sake of the future generations of Israel, Jewish continuity, and on behalf of G-d's Divine mission that we teach justice, compassion and peace to the entire world.

From this perspective, I also understand the Talmudic statement (Horayot 3a) about kahal, community, only existing in Israel. Israel is the land wherein G-d charged Abraham "through you shall be blessed the families of the earth" (Genesis 12:3). Israel is the land wherein G-d entered into His "covenant between the pieces" with Abraham, guaranteeing him an eternal progeny. Israel is the land wherein G-d charged Abraham with instructing all following generations to act with righteousness and justice (Genesis 18). Israel is the land where Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah are buried. Israel is the land where our prophets walked and had visions of a future when all nations will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks -

We settle the Land - most importantly - for our children and the God who desires world peace.

the messianic age of peace. And Israel is the land where King Solomon built the Holy Temple, dedicating it as a place for Gentiles as well as Jews, and from whence the entire world will recognize a G-d of love and morality, peace and redemption.

Israel is the land of Jewish continuity, the headquarters of the Jewish mission. The verse which the Talmud cites is from I Kings, where Solomon - in celebrating the dedication of the Temple - calls the Jews of Israel Kehal Yisrael. From this perspective, the very stones and air of Israel pulsate with Jewish vision, the Jewish goal of world peace. Indeed, we settle the Land - most importantly - for our children and the God who desires world peace.

Indeed, we settle the Land of Israel not only for the sake of Israel in the present, but also - and most importantly - for the sake of our Jewish children and for the sake of the G-d who created every human being in His image, the one law that must penetrate every human being before the world can achieve a permanent and lasting messianic peace.