Matos – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5756, Matos

“Take vengeance for the Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanites afterward you will be gathered unto Your people.” (31:2)

Moshe Rabbeinu’s death was dependent upon his waging war against the Midyanites. Why was this so? What would have happened if vengeance had been meted against Midyan after Moshe’s death? Meshech Chochmah posits that had Moshe not been at the forefront of the battle against Midyan, some individuals would infer that Moshe did not support taking adverse action against them. Moshe benefitted greatly from his stay in Midyan. He married the daughter of Yisro, the high priest of Midyan. He lived there for a number of years, safe and secure from the clutches of Pharaoh. Perhaps he was beholden to…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5756, Matos

“The children of Reuven and the children of Gad had abundant livestock… they approached him (Moshe) and they said, pens for the flock we shall build here for our livestock and cities for our children… and Moshe said to them… Build for yourselves cities for your small children and pens for your livestock.” (37:1,16,24)

Chazal teach us that Moshe criticized Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven for the prioritization of their values. They said they would build pens for their animals and cities for their children. They were implying that their livestock rated higher priority than their children. In Moshe Rabbeinu’s response, he implied that they should respond first to the needs of their children, and only then take the necessary steps to care for their livestock. It is difficult to comprehend that such great people would place their livestock before their children. This is not a question of priorities – it represents sheer stupidity!…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Matos

“Bnei Reuven and the Bnei Gad had abundant livestock … The Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven came and said to Moshe … Ataros and Divon … the land that Hashem smote … it is a land for livestock and your servants have livestock … And they said, ‘If we have found favor in your eyes …’ and Moshe said to the Bnei Gad and the Bnei Reuven.” (32:1-6)

A number of issues can be raised regarding the text of the pesukim which describes the dialogue between Bnei Gad, Bnei Reuven and Moshe Rabbeinu. First, why is Reuven’s name mentioned prior to Gad’s in the opening statement of this parsha, although throughout the remaining pesukim Gad’s name precedes Reuven’s ? Second, the word, urnthu, “and they said,” is repeated in their dialogue. Why is there such an apparent redundancy ? Horav Tzvi Hirsch Ferber, z.l., cites Horav Sapir who asserts that Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven were motivated by two disparate objectives, even though they were making the same…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5755, Matos

And you shall be clear before Hashem and before Yisrael.” (32:22)

In this pasuk Moshe is addressing the two and a half shevatim. He is informing them that after they have completed their part in conquering Eretz Yisrael, they will be considered “nekiim,” clear. This means that they will have fulfilled their obligation to Hashem and to Klal Yisrael. In the Yerushalmi, Shekalim 3:2, Chazal delineate the parameters of this obligation. One must be careful to deal with his fellow man with the same integrity that he deals with Hashem. Just as we must be sure to ferret out any vestige of inappropriateness in our behavior towards Hashem, so, too, must…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Matos

“And (there) were delivered out of the thousands of (Bnei) Yisrael, a thousand of every tribe, armed for war.” (31:5)

Rashi notes the word “they were delivered.” This seems to indicate that Bnei Yisrael were reluctant to wage war with Midyan, to the extent that Moshe literally was compelled to force them. Rashi explains that this episode demonstrates the love that Bnei Yisrael have for their leadership. Before Moshe’s impending demise was announced, Bnei Yisrael wanted to stone him. When they heard that his death was contingent upon their battle with Midyan, they refused to go to battle until they were delivered against their will. The Steipler Rav z.l. questioned Bnei Yisrael‘s apparent change in attitude towards Moshe. One moment…

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Sruly Schnair In 5754, Matos

“Take the sum of the booty that was taken and divide the booty into two parts, both of man and of beast you and Elazar Ha’Kohen… and divide the booty into two parts between those who took the war upon them and between all the congregation… and of Bnei Yisrael’s half you shall take one portion of fifty and you shall give it to the Leviim who keep the charge of the Mishkan of Hashem.” (31:25,26,30)

The Torah dedicates more than twenty pesukim to describing the distribution of the booty taken from Midyan. It goes on to list the number of sheep and cattle, relating the manner in which they were divided. Why is this entire activity eternalized in the Torah for posterity? Is there a special message to be gleaned from here? Horav Elchanan Sorotzkin z.l. explains that the Torah seeks to emphasize the importance of each member of the Jewish army, therefore it stresses those individuals who actually engage the enemy in battle, as well as those who stay behind. The latter contribute their…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5753, Matos

“Of every tribe a thousand, of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Yisrael you shall send to the war.” (31:4)

Rashi explains that the phrase “throughout all the tribes of Yisrael” includes the tribe of Levi with the other tribes. The commentators find this statement difficult to understand. In the next pasuk, the Torah clearly states that only twelve thousand men, representing twelve tribes, went forth as soldiers. “And there were delivered out of the thousands of Yisrael, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.” If the tribe of Levi was included among the soldiers, there should have been thirteen thousand! Rav Avrahom Mordechai M’Gur, z.l., suggests the following explanation. As stated in this parsha, Moshe’s imminent…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In 5753, Matos

“They came close to him and said, ‘we wish to build here sheep enclosures for our sheep and cities for our children.'” (32:16) – “Build for you cities for your children and sheep enclosures for your sheep.” (32:24)

Chazal describe the dialogue between Moshe and the tribes of Bnei Gad and Reuven in the following manner. First they asked for sheep enclosures. Afterward, they requested cities for their children. Moshe corrected them by saying, “Do not turn the unimportant into the essential and the essential into the secondary. First you must provide for your children, and then for your possessions.” Chazal explain that their obsession with their material needs caused these tribes to be the first to be exiled. How true this has been throughout history. As soon as there is a modest improvement in our material sustenance,…

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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)

“Take vengeance for the Bnei Yisrael against the Midyanites afterward you will be gathered unto Your people.” (31:2)

And you shall be clear before Hashem and before Yisrael.” (32:22)

“And (there) were delivered out of the thousands of (Bnei) Yisrael, a thousand of every tribe, armed for war.” (31:5)

“Of every tribe a thousand, of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Yisrael you shall send to the war.” (31:4)

“They came close to him and said, ‘we wish to build here sheep enclosures for our sheep and cities for our children.'” (32:16) – “Build for you cities for your children and sheep enclosures for your sheep.” (32:24)

YEARS

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