Matos – Page 8 – Peninim on the Torah

“If a man takes a vow to Hashem… to prohibit a prohibition upon himself, he shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Chochmas HaMitzpon draws a penetrating analogy from the laws of Nedarim, vows, and the Torah’s admonition to keep one’s word to the regular prohibitions of the Torah. It is well- known that if one is ill with a serious disease, he will seek out a specialist in that field. Even specialists have various levels of experience. Commensurate with the gravity of the illness, one will make every effort to see the most qualified practitioner. There seems to be a parallel between the physician’s level of expertise and the seriousness of the disease. The more qualified the physician one seeks, the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Matos

“He shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

Horav Mendel, z.l., m’Kosov rendered this pasuk homiletically: Hashem will fulfill the blessing of the person who guards his mouth, who does not make his words chullin, mundane. In other words: if one sanctifies his speech, if he does not waste his words and everything that he says is of a holy nature, Hashem will make it His priority to fulfill this individual’s blessings. It is told that Horav Yisrael Abuchatzeira, z.l., the Baba Sali, went to Ashdod in 1966 together with his father-in-law, Horav David Yehudiaf, z.l., to visit a venerable sage. The Baba Sali encouraged his father-in-law to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5760, Matos

“A thousand from a tribe, a thousand from a tribe, for all the tribes of Yisrael shall you send to the legion.” (31:4)

The Midrash discusses the number of soldiers who went out to battle. According to one point of view, each tribe sent two thousand men, while the other view contends that each tribe sent three thousand men. The men were divided into three groups: twelve thousand were soldiers who fought in battle; twelve thousand were in charge of the various vessels and weapons; twelve thousand were there to pray. We wonder why there was a need to have an equal number of men designated specifically for prayer. This was Hashem’s war; He commanded Bnei Yisrael to wage war on the Midyanim,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Matos

Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanites; afterward you will be gathered unto your people. Moshe sent them – a thousand from each tribe for the legion, them and Pinchas…to the legion. (31:3,6)

We find two commands regarding the Midyanites. In the previous parsha, immediately following the tragic plague that resulted from the Midyanite’s advice which caused the Jews to sin with the daughters of Moav, Klal Yisrael was commanded to despise Midyan as enemies of the Jewish people. In this parsha, Hashem instructs Moshe to seek vengeance for the grave sin that Midyan catalyzed. Two mitzvos are presented: to hate and to avenge. Pinchas was chosen to lead a select group of soldiers in battle. Chazal say he was the one who initiated the mitzvah when he slew Zimri and Kosbi; he…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Matos

So there was delivered from the thousands of Yisrael, a thousand from each tribe. (31:5)

Rashi says that the term “vayimasru,” “there was delivered,” implies that the Jewish soldiers were actually coerced into going to battle. They were well aware that Moshe Rabbeinu’s demise was dependent upon his carrying out this last war, and they did not wish to see their beloved leader die. Rashi adds that, interestingly, for much of their forty-year sojourn they either complained to — or about — Moshe. There was rarely a peaceful moment in their relationship. Now, when confronted with the imminence of his death, they do not wish to see him depart. This indicates their deep love for…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5759, Matos

Moshe sent them – a thousand for each tribe for the legion, them and Pinchas. (31:6)

Rashi explains why Pinchas, and not Elazar, led the army in battle against Midyan. Hashem said that he who initiated the mitzvah, who originated the vengeance against this abominable nation, should complete the task. Pinchas, who slew Kosbi, should finish the job. What is the reason that “he who begins the mitzvah” is told to complete it? Horav Chaim Shmuelevitz, zl, comments that there is no comparison between an endeavor which is executed piecemeal and one which is performed in one complete unit. A number of people participating in a mitzvah – one after another – demonstrates the beauty of…

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Matos

Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “Take vengeance for the Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanim; afterward you will be gathered unto your people. (31:1,2)

Moshe is instructed to seek vengeance for the harm Midyan caused Bnei Yisrael. Chazal tell us that Moshe responded to Hashem, “If we had been idol worshippers they would not have harmed us. They persecuted us only because we believe in You. Therefore, the vengeance is Yours, Hashem, not mine.” Thus, when Moshe conveyed Hashem’s message to Bnei Yisrael, he spoke only of avenging Hashem’s honor, not his own. Moshe’s death was connected with executing vengeance against Midyan. The Yalkut Shimoni tells us that Hashem was apparently aware of Moshe’s distress over his “inability” to respond to Zimri’s blatant desecration…

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Moshe Marcovich In 5758, Matos

And Moshe gave to them, to the Bnei Gad, and the Bnei Reuven and half of the tribe of Menashe ben Yosef. (32:33)

In the previous text, we find that Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven requested to remain in Eiver HaYarden. How did shevet Menashe enter into the situation? Moreover, why did only a part of shevet Menashe stay? Last, why did they receive such a large parcel of land? The Ramban contends that actually Moshe asked for volunteers to join the two tribes who remained in Eiver HaYarden. Part of the tribe of Menashe responded, probably because of their abundant flocks. In his commentary on Sefer Devarim, the Netziv claims that Moshe insisted that part of shevet Menashe move to Eiver…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Matos

And Moshe became angry at the officers of the army…and Elazar the Kohen told the soldiers going to war, “This is the statute of the Torah that Hashem told Moshe. (31:14)

One should do everything possible to contain his anger. Perhaps, if one seriously considers the devastating effect of anger, he would exert more effort to control himself. This seems to apply only in the event the anger is unfounded. What about situations in which one feels his anger is justified — or if it really is justified? Rav Chaim claims that the detrimental results of anger, the loss of one’s wisdom and stature, apparently occur regardless of the nature of the anger. Indeed, by taking into account the tragic effects of anger, one might quite possibly deter the anger from…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5757, Matos

Behold! You have risen up in a place of your fathers, a society of sinful people, to add more to the burning wrath of Hashem against Yisrael. (32:14)

Moshe Rabbeinu’s reaction to Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven seems atypical. What did they do that was sufficiently terrible to invoke such anger on his part? How were they jeopardizing the rest of the people with their request? Horav Eliyohu Meir Bloch,zl, offers a thoughtful explanation, addressing why Moshe Rabbeinu reacted in the way that he did. When a group of people breaks away from the community and seek to be different – even if what they are requesting is justified – it creates a rift in the general populace. The situation is no longer the same. The communal zeal…

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“If a man takes a vow to Hashem… to prohibit a prohibition upon himself, he shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

“He shall not profane his word; according to whatever comes from his mouth shall he do.” (30:3)

“A thousand from a tribe, a thousand from a tribe, for all the tribes of Yisrael shall you send to the legion.” (31:4)

Take vengeance for Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanites; afterward you will be gathered unto your people. Moshe sent them – a thousand from each tribe for the legion, them and Pinchas…to the legion. (31:3,6)

So there was delivered from the thousands of Yisrael, a thousand from each tribe. (31:5)

Moshe sent them – a thousand for each tribe for the legion, them and Pinchas. (31:6)

Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, “Take vengeance for the Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanim; afterward you will be gathered unto your people. (31:1,2)

And Moshe gave to them, to the Bnei Gad, and the Bnei Reuven and half of the tribe of Menashe ben Yosef. (32:33)

And Moshe became angry at the officers of the army…and Elazar the Kohen told the soldiers going to war, “This is the statute of the Torah that Hashem told Moshe. (31:14)

Behold! You have risen up in a place of your fathers, a society of sinful people, to add more to the burning wrath of Hashem against Yisrael. (32:14)

YEARS

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