MATOT, NUMBERS 30:2-32:19

MATOT-, NUMBERS 30:2-32:19

 

Moses is commanded by Hashem to exact revenge from the Midianites for their part in seducing all those Jewish men, a precursor to Jewish assimilation.  A 12,000-strong, hand-picked army is led by Pinchas.  This is Hashem’s war, waged against Midian (but not Moab). All adult Midianite males are killed, along with Balaam and Midian’s five kings. We do not suffer loss of life.

Moses at the age of 120 is ordered to fight a war against Midian, a war for Hashem, just before he is to be gathered to his ancestors…Why him?…Why then?  Could it be that he had to clear the slate because of his Midianite wife or father-in-law or is it because he did not speak out and come forward at the incident of Zimri and Cozbi?

 How many of the Midianite casualties were kinsmen of Yisro, Moses’ father-in-law?

Zipporah, Moshe's wife had six sisters, perhaps their families were involved.  What do you think?

                                        

The Women of Midian Led Captive by the Hebrews, watercolor by James Tissot, 1896-1900.

At 31:14-18 we experience some strong words said by Moses to the officers of the returning army:

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם משֶׁ֑ה הַֽחִיִּיתֶ֖ם כָּל־נְקֵבָֽה

“Moses said to them, "Did you allow all the females to live?”

“They were the same ones who were involved with the children of Israel on Balaam's advice to betray the Lord over the incident of Peor, resulting in a plague among the congregation of the Lord”.

“So now kill every male child, and every woman who can lie intimately with a man you shall kill”.

“And all the young girls who have no experience of intimate relations with a man, you may keep alive for yourselves”.

It is difficult to relate to these words and resultant actions, but about 500 years later it will happen again when King Saul is commanded to kill without exception all of the Amelekites…wow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Haftarah portion comes from the Prophet Jeremiah and is in regard to our continuing intransigence:

​ At 2:25 it reads: “but you said, "I despair. No, for I love strangers, and I will follow them."

This verse is reminiscent of Rabbi Meir Kahane:

“For so long as the Jew has even one ally, he will be convinced - in his smallness of mind - that his salvation came from that ally. It is only when he is alone - against all of his own efforts and frantic attempts - that he will, through no choice, be compelled to turn to G-d.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

There is more than one way to view the Parshah.  In 1898 Rabbi Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn published an authoritative text referred to as a “maimar”.  It is entitled : Heichaltzu”.  In it the Rabbi tries to understand what and why did Midian have anything against the Israelites.  He concluded that Midian harbored a baseless hatred, sinas chinam, שנאת חינם, against the Israelites.

The text for Heichaltzucan be found at https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/83659/jewish/Heichaltzu-Chapter-I.htm

Among many other thingsthe Rabbi found that he name Midian (מדין) is etymologically related to the word  מדון meaning strife and contention.  

 ------------------------------------------

The Haftarah portion is from the first two chapters of Jeremiah; at 2:1-3:

1And the word of the Lord came to me, saying:

2Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem, saying: so said the Lord: I remember to you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me in the desert, in a land not sown.

3Israel is holy to the Lord, the first of His grain; all who eat him shall be guilty, evil shall befall them, says the Lord. I find this amazing because Jeremiah is seeking to reunite Judea with erstwhile Israel, the Northern Kingdom. In attempting this, the Prophet is in lockstep with King Josiah.  Both men are about the same age.  The time is about 627 BCE. There is peace in the Land. Verse 2 is directed at Judea.  It recalls a time of harmony, of unity.  Verse 3 reaches out to the survivors of the Northern Kingdom, conquered by Assyria some 100 years ago.  There is no enmity from above or “I told you so”, only the spirit of reconciliation.   I see this as a message for the Jewish world today.