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Weekly Reading Insights: Matttot-Massei
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Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read on Shabbat Mattot/Massei, 26 Tammuz 5783/July
15, 2023
Torah: Numbers 30:2-36:13
Haftorah: Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4, 4:1-2 (2nd haftorah of
affliction)
Pirkei Avot: Chapter
1
Blessing of the New Month
Mattot is the 9th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and it
contains 5652 letters, in 1484 words, in 112 verses
Massei is the 10th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and it
contains 5773 letters, in 1461 words, in 132 verses
Mattot opens with laws concerning
making vows and their annulment. Next, G-d commands the Jews to take vengeance
on Midian for having deliberately caused them to sin. After killing, capturing,
and plundering the Midianites, the Jews are commanded how to purify themselves
and the spoil. The spoil is divided according to G-d’s command, and a part is
dedicated to the Sanctuary. Remarkably (31:48-49) not a single Jew was killed
in the battle with Midian. Mattot ends with the tribes of Reuven and
Gad requesting to live in the conquered lands (that were not originally intended
to be part of the Land of Israel). They are granted permission on condition
that they only permanently settle this land after the rest of the Jews conquer
and divide the Land of Israel on the opposite side of the Jordan River.
Massei begins listing the 42 different journeys
the Jews traversed during their 40 years in the desert. Then, G-d commands that
when the Jews will cross the Jordan to conquer the land of Canaan, they must
completely drive out the inhabitants and destroy all idolatry. The Land is then
to be divided according to tribes and families through a special type of Divinely
conducted lottery system. G-d also defines the specific borders of the Land
and lists leaders from each tribe who will help parcel out the Land. The Levites
are also to be given 48 residential cities. These include 6 cities of refuge-havens
to which the accidental murderer escapes from the blood avenger, a relative
of the killed. Here are detailed many laws concerning intentional and unintentional
bloodshed. The parsha ends with the tribe of Menashe complaining that their
tribal inheritance would be diminished due to the daughters of Tzelofchad inheriting
their father’s portion. The sisters are then told that if they want to keep
the inheritance, they must marry only men from their own tribe ensuring that
their sons who inherit the land would also be from the tribe of Menashe.
With the conclusion of Massei, we complete the book of Bamidbar (Numbers).
Chazak, Chazak, Venitchazek!
 An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
The beginning of Mattot (the first of this week's double portion)
speaks about oaths. The Torah exhorts us (Bamidbar/Numbers 30:3) to keep our
oaths. Don't make your words frivolous. Everything that leaves your mouth,
do! The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out that the Hebrew for "his word' (devaro)
can also mean someone's possessions, their things. The inner lesson of the
verse is that that not just our speech, but all aspects of our physical lives,
should not be mundane. Our lounge chair is for studying Torah. Our cell phone
is for doing a favor for another person. The food we eat is to give us strength
to serve G-d. All of our material possessions should be connected to Divinity.
[Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson. Likutei Sichot ("Collected Talks"):
An Anthology of Talks. Kehot Publication Society. Volume 13]
The Amshinover Rebbe points out a problem in the verses and
teaches a very deep lesson. The verse is redundant. It first says, "Keep
your word". Then the verse continues, "All that you say, you should
do".
The verse is actually describing a particular circumstance. A person is confronted
by a challenging situation. This causes him or her to feel a very strong connection
to G-d. Consequently, s/he makes a promise, an oath, to add in his or her
Torah study or mitzvah observance, so that G-d should save him/her from the
difficult situation. Then when G-d does save them, and they come to fulfill
their promise, their original ardor has cooled off!
This is the meaning of the verse. First, "Keep your word", fulfill
the promise you made to G-d. This is the beginning of the verse. The Torah
then continues, "All that you say [everything that comes out of your
mouth] - do! You should fulfill your oath with exactly the same enthusiasm
as you made it when you wanted to get G-d's attention and salvation.
[Siach Chasidim]
Chasidim tell a story about one of the great rabbis of the Chabad community
of the last generation. In his early years as a rabbi, he once participated
in a community event. There was a buffet and he tasted from a few of the foods
but forgot to fulfill the requirement to first make a blessing on the cake,
in this case honey cake. [Cake and similar foods from flour should be eaten
before other foods (fruit, vegetables, drink) as their blessing has more importance.]
One of the members of the community asked him about it. As a very young rabbi
he was embarrassed to tell the truth and said, "My custom is not to eat
honey cake". From that day onward, until he passed away, a crumb of honey
cake never entered his mouth.
[As told by Rabbi E. Friedman]
Shabbat shalom, Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's Reading,
see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically, for an overview
of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary Kabbalists,
and more, click to Mattot-Massei
one sample:
Contemporary Kabbalists
.jpg) Moses,
Warrior of Peace
Adapted by Yosef Marcus from a discourse of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
In the First Temple era
the Jews committed major sins that were clearly evil and therefore easily recognized
and repented of. Their exile lasted only seventy years.
But during the Second Temple
era, the primary sin of the Jews was senseless hatred; subtler and more difficult
to correct. Thus the second exile lasts much longer, due to the length of time
necessary to recognize the evil and repent.
To continue, click
here.
For a free email subscription to our weekly anthology, click
here.
For another taste of recommended Kabbalah articles on a variety of subjects,
click to the our
weekly Kabbalah magazine
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