Parshiyyot Matot-Masei 5780 — 07/18/2020
Matot: Bamidbar 30:2 – 32:42
Mas’ei: Bamidbar 33:1 – 34:29
Exact the vengeance of the Children of Israel from the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered to your people. (31:2)
Torah links Moshe Rabbeinu’s death to the defeat of Midian. It is called “vengeance” because it was the Midianites who had caused the death of a considerable number of Israelites by prostituting their women and inducing the Jews to bow down to their idols (at the end of parashat Balak). Many commentators note that despite the fact that the Midianite campaign would mean the end of his life, Moshe did not flinch from doing Gd’s command, but hastened to appoint an army and send it to battle.
Or haChaim analyzes the language of the verses carefully:
But in truth, the statement, take the Children of Israel’s vengeance, bears two possible meanings. One is to put effort into preparing for the act [i.e. the battle], that is, by devising a wise battle plan to help ensure victory, whether with respect to the number of soldiers needed, or with respect to the strategies that would help them succeed in destroying their enemies, or the formations in which the soldiers would organize themselves, etc. The second possible meaning is that Hashem told Moshe to take part in the battle itself, which is the act of vengeance. And Moshe correctly understood that the meaning … was to plan a wise course of action …
… he understood that is the case at hand there was a need for wise planning. The reason for this is that Midian, the nation on which Hashem commanded vengeance, was a nation with whom the Jewish people had fallen with regard to forbidden [sexual] relationships, some in deed, and others in thought. And although Hashem had struck down a great number, nevertheless the sin would prevent the Jews from meriting a miracle against the Midianites. To the contrary, the Accuser would prosecute [the Jews] to have them fall in battle on account of the trace of sin. This is similar to the golden calf, where even though Hashem had struck down all those who had worshiped it, Hashem nevertheless commanded the Kohen Gadol not to enter the Holy of Holies [on Yom Kippur] wearing the golden vestments [RAR: so the Accuser wouldn’t prosecute the Jews on account of the calf].
This is a fascinating application of the idea that a people has a distinct collective consciousness, which is something more than and, in some ways, independent of, the consciousness of the individuals who make up the nation. And even though decisions and actions, right or wrong, are made by individuals, somehow those thoughts and actions add up and interact with one another to produce an overall effect, for better or worse.
One can see this difference between entire nations during times of crisis, such as the current pandemic. For example, Israel is used to mobilizing the entire society to respond to its enemies’ attacks. It was therefore able to present a very united front against the virus, get on top of it fairly quickly, and keep the death toll relatively low. It even found the resources to help other countries with their response. The US, on the other hand, is much more individualistic, and consequently our response was not as coordinated, with a correspondingly higher death toll per capita. Under other circumstances, a more individualistic approach might give better results. The point is that each nation has its own character and style of functioning, its own collective consciousness.
An individual’s actions can be right or wrong, in accord with Gd’s Will or otherwise, and the result is either that person’s soul becomes elevated, closer to Gd, or the opposite, Gd forbid. The same holds true of the collective soul of the nation – based on the total of the individual actions of the individual components of the nation, the collective soul is either elevated or not. And when it is elevated, the collective will of the nation is in tune with Gd’s Will, and all the resources of nature gather around that elevated soul to accomplish what it wants – because it wants what Gd wants!
Or haChaim continues:
As to what it says, afterward you will be gathered to your people, it appears correct to say that [Hashem] intended to tell [Moshe] that until then, the perfection of his soul would not be complete to the point where he could be gathered to his people. That is, there would be an obstacle to his receiving a completely favorable judgment, which would prevent his soul from arriving at its resting place, which … is referred to as “his people.” …
Now the reason there was an obstacle is that this perfect one had been lax in the incident involving Zimri and had not done anything as the Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Bamidbar Rabbah 20:24) that his hands became weak. … Therefore, when it came time for [Moshe] to die, Hashem told him how he could rectify this matter…
It is difficult to conceive that Moshe’s soul could be imperfect at this point, after having served Gd faithfully for so long. Perhaps what Torah is telling us is that Gd gives us a chance to rectify any lack or any twist of our soul as we go through life. Just the fact that we are finite beings, separate from Gd, is itself something that is in need of rectification. If we are wise, we will live our lives so that we realize that in fact, we are not finite at all, but rather a part of Gd, as infinite on our level as Gd is on His.
Chazak! Chazak! V’Nitchazeik!
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Commentary by Steve Sufian
Parshiyyot Matos – Massei
Parashat Matos begins with Moses declaring that Gd has said whatever we vow to Gd to do or to refrain from doing, we must do or refrain from; the exceptions are a daughter’s vow may be annulled by her father and a wife’s by her husband at the time of hearing the vow. Rashi adds a third and fourth source of annulment, based on the fact that Moses spoke these word to the princes and not to all Israel: a single expert may annul (The Lubavitcher Rebbe says “a sage”) or three laymen.
I found the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s discussion particularly helpful: he presented the view that we need to bind ourselves to Gd as the Father and let nothing stand between us and His Will – knowing it and doing it. Similarly, we need to betroth ourselves to Gd and do his will so the bondage of the world is annulled and we rise to the state of marriage to Gd, in Oneness, with the “children” of our marriage being our good deeds.
We must rise to the level of marriage with Gd in which with Gd’s help we annul the bonds that keep us and our world in illusion, concealing Gd’s Presence:
…nullifying in himself and the world, the masks of illusion that hide Gd’s presence from man. And this power is “retroactive,” that is, beyond the normal limitations of time and space. Just as a vow binds, and an annulment breaks the bond, so he, with the help of Gd, releases the world from its bondage, from falsehood, finitude and the concealment of Gd.
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/2524418/jewish/Torah-Studies-Mattot.htm
Our Tradition helps us move in this direction.
Baruch HaShem