Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
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Synopsis: Parashat Matot-Masei ends Sefer Bamidbar (the Book of Numbers) by focusing on Israel’s duties, victories, travels, and how they get ready to live in the Land. Matot starts with laws about vows, highlighting how important it is to keep promises made before ADONAI and the roles of fathers and husbands when women make vows. Israel then judges Midian for leading them into sin at Baal Peor. The war spoils are divided, purified, and shared among the soldiers, the community, and the Levites.
The tribes of Reuben and Gad, and later half of Manasseh, ask for land east of the Jordan because it is good for their livestock. Moses agrees, but only after they promise to cross the river with the rest of Israel and help take the Land.
Masei lists the forty-two places Israel traveled from Egypt to the plains of Moab. It gives instructions for removing the Canaanites, sets the borders of the promised land, names leaders to divide the Land, assigns cities for the Levites, and sets up six cities of refuge. The portion ends with rules to protect tribal inheritance through the marriages of Zelophehad’s daughters.
Principle: Shalom is always G-d’s desire, but never at the compromise of holiness.
(Repeat)
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
50 Adonai spoke to Moses along the Jordan in the plains of Moab across from Jericho saying,
51 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,
52 You must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. You must destroy all their idols and cast images, and demolish their high places.
53 You will take possession of the land, so you will settle in it, because I have given it to you to possess.
54 “You are to divide the land by lot according to your families. To the large, make their inheritance larger, and to the small, make their inheritance smaller. Whatever comes out of the lot will be theirs. You are to distribute the inheritance according to your ancestral tribes.
55 “But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, whoever you allow to remain will become to you barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land in which you will be living.
56 Then what I had intended to do to them, I will do to you.”
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
Principle: Shalom is always G-d’s desire, but never at the compromise of holiness.
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
10 “When you go near a city to fight against it, call out shalom to it.
11 Now if it answers you shalom and opens up to you, then all the people found in it will serve you as forced laborers.
12 If it does not make peace with you but makes war against you, then lay siege against that city.
Jerusalem Talmud in Sheviit 6:1 says: For Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman said, Joshua sent three orders to the Land of Israel before they entered the Land: Those who want to evacuate should evacuate, those who want to make peace should make peace, those who want to go to war should go to war. The Girgasites evacuated, believed in the Holy One, praised be He, and went to Africa. (2K. 18:32, Is. 36:17) “Until I come and take you to a land like your Land,” that is Africa. The people of Gibeon made peace, (Jos. 10:1) “… that the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel.” Thirty-one kings went to war and fell.
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
Principle: Shalom is always G-d’s desire, but never at the compromise of holiness.
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
1 Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also get rid of every weight and entangling sin. Let us run with endurance the race set before us,
2 focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
3 Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and lose heart.
(Call Worship Team Back)
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
14 Pursue shalom with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God; and see to it that no bitter root springs up and causes trouble, and by it many be defiled.
16 Also see to it that there is no immoral or godless person—like Esau, who sold his birthright for one meal.
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
Principle: Shalom is always G-d’s desire, but never at the compromise of holiness.
Parashat Matot-Masei 5786
