Thursday, Tammuz 28, 5781 / July 8, 2021
This Shabbat we read the last two Parshiot Matot and Masei in the fourth book of the Torah, the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar).
These two Parshiot are always read during the Three Week period, a time when we mourn the destruction of our two Holy Temples. It is a time when we do not perform weddings and we minimize in festivities etc. to remember our great losses.
Q. In the beginning of Parshat Matot the Torah tells us the importance of keeping a vow. What is the connection between the Parsha and the Three Weeks?
A. We find great comfort in the Parsha. For G-d vowed that He will gather us from our exile and rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, with the coming of Moshiach. Thus, we are assured that G-d will also keep His vowand bring about the redemption and rebuild the Temple. May it be speedily in our days.
In Parshot Matot, after commanding about the laws of vows, G-d tells Moshe, “Avenge the vengeance
of the children of Israelof the Midionites, afterward you shall be gathered unto your people.”
G-d commands Moshe to wage war against the Midionites to avenge for what they have done unto the Jewish people, by enticing the Jewish men to perform sinful acts with the Midionite and Moab women and also to bow to their idols. As a result, close to two hundred thousand Jews died. G-d now wanted the Jewish people to avenge what was done to them.
However, when Moshe tells the people about this he says, “Arm from among you men for the war and they shall go up against Midian to avenge the vengeance of G-dagainst Midian.” A force of twelve thousand men went to war with Midian. They won the war and not one Jewish soldier was killed.
Even though Moshe’s passing was dependent on this war against Midian, he didn’t hesitate and encouraged them to go right away.
Q. G-d tells Moshe to “Avenge the vengeance of the people of Israel, but Moshe changes that and says to them, “Avenge the vengeance of G-d.” Why did Moshe change from what G-d said?
A. Rashi, whose day of passing (yartzeit) is Friday, explains that one who fights against the Jewish people is like they are fighting against G-d. Thus, what G-d said and what Moshe said is really the same thing. Avenging for what they did to the Jewish people is avenging for what they did against G-d.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev explains that in effect the Midionites went against both, the Jewish people and also against G-d. To G-d the honor of the Jewish people was most important and thus He told them to go to war to avenge what they did to the Jewish people. But to Moshe and the Jewish people G-d’s honor was most important. Thus, Moshe tells them to go avenge G-d’s honor.
From this we learn the strong bond and connection between G-d and the Jewish people. Our sages teach us, “G-d, the Jewish people and the Torah are firmly bound together and are inseparable.”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY