Mattoth - Tribes
Torah: Bemidbar 30:1-32:42
Haftorah: Yirmeyahu 1:1-2:3
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Matt 5:33-37
Torah: Bemidbar 30:1-32:42
Num 30:1 And Mosheh spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “This is the word which יהוה has commanded:
Num 30:2 “When a man vows a vow to יהוה, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he does not break his word, he does according to all that comes out of his mouth.
Num 30:3 “Or if a woman vows a vow to יהוה, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth,
Num 30:4 and her father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her father has kept silent towards her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement with which she has bound herself stands.
Num 30:5 “But if her father forbids her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her agreements by which she has bound herself stand. And יהוה pardons her, because her father has forbidden her.
Num 30:6 “But if she at all belongs to a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance from her lips by which she bound herself,
Num 30:7 and her husband hears it, and he has kept silent towards her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself do stand.
Num 30:8 “But if her husband forbids her on the day that he hears it, then he has nullified her vow which she vowed, and the rash utterance of her lips by which she bound herself, and יהוה pardons her.
Num 30:9 “But any vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, stands against her.
Num 30:10 “And if she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an oath,
Num 30:11 and her husband heard it, and has kept silent towards her and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself stands.
Num 30:12 “But if her husband clearly nullified them on the day he heard them, then whatever came from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it does not stand – her husband has nullified them, and יהוה pardons her.
Num 30:13 “Every vow and every binding oath to afflict her being, let her husband confirm it, or let her husband nullify it.
Num 30:14 “But if her husband is altogether silent at her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all the agreements that bind her – he confirms them, because he kept silent towards her on the day that he heard.
Num 30:15 “But if he nullifies them after he has heard, then he shall bear her crookedness.”
Num 30:16 These are the laws which יהוה commanded Mosheh, between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter in her youth in her father’s house.
Num 31:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 31:2 “Take vengeance for the children of Yisra’ĕl on the Miḏyanites. After that you are to be gathered to your people.”
Num 31:3 And Mosheh spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for the campaign, and let them go against the Miḏyanites to take vengeance for יהוה on Miḏyan.
Num 31:4 “Send a thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl for the campaign.”
Num 31:5 So there were supplied from the tribes of Yisra’ĕl one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed ones for the campaign.
Num 31:6 And Mosheh sent them on the campaign, one thousand from each tribe, them and Pineḥas son of Elʽazar the priest on the campaign, with the set-apart utensils and the trumpets for sounding in his hand.
Num 31:7 And they fought against the Miḏyanites, as יהוה commanded Mosheh, and slew all the males.
Num 31:8 And they slew the sovereigns of Miḏyan with the rest of those who were pierced: Ewi, and Reqem, and Tsur, and Ḥur, and Reḇa, the five sovereigns of Miḏyan. And they slew Bilʽam son of Beʽor with the sword.
Num 31:9 And the sons of Yisra’ĕl took all the women of Miḏyan captive, with their little ones, and took as spoil all their livestock, and all their possessions.
Num 31:10 And they burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their settlements.
Num 31:11 And they took all the spoil and all the booty, both of man and beast.
Num 31:12 And they brought the captives, and the booty, and the spoil to Mosheh, and to Elʽazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to the camp in the desert plains of Mo’aḇ by the Yardĕn of Yeriḥo.
Num 31:13 And Mosheh, and Elʽazar the priest, and all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.
Num 31:14 But Mosheh was wroth with the officers of the army, with the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who had come from the campaign.
Num 31:15 And Mosheh said to them, “Have you kept all the women alive?
Num 31:16 “Look, they are the ones who caused the children of Yisra’ĕl, through the word of Bilʽam, to trespass against יהוה in the matter of Peʽor, and there was a plague among the congregation of יהוה.
Num 31:17 “And now, slay every male among the little ones. And every woman who has known a man by lying with a man you shall slay.
Num 31:18 “But keep alive for yourselves all the female children who have not known a man by lying with a man.
Num 31:19 “And you, camp outside the camp seven days. Whoever has slain any being, and whoever has touched any slain, cleanse yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.
Num 31:20 “And cleanse every garment, and every object of leather and all the work of goats’ hair, and every object of wood.”
Num 31:21 And Elʽazar the priest said to the men of the campaign who went to the battle, “This is the law of the Torah which יהוה commanded Mosheh:
Num 31:22 “Only the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Num 31:23 every object that passes through fire, you put through the fire, and it shall be clean; only, let it be cleansed with the water for uncleanness. And whatever does not pass through fire you pass through water.
Num 31:24 “And you shall wash your garments on the seventh day and be clean, and afterwards come into the camp.”
Num 31:25 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 31:26 “Count up the plunder that was taken, of man and of beast, you and Elʽazar the priest and the heads of the fathers of the congregation.
Num 31:27 “And you shall divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the battle, who went out on the campaign, and all the congregation.
Num 31:28 “And set aside a levy for יהוה on the men of battle who went out on the campaign: one out of every five hundred, of man, and of the cattle, and of the donkeys, and of the sheep.
Num 31:29 “Take it from their half, and give it to Elʽazar the priest as a contribution to יהוה.
Num 31:30 “And from the children of Yisra’ĕl’s half you shall take one of every fifty, of man, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep, of all the livestock, and give them to the Lĕwites guarding the duty of the Dwelling Place of יהוה.”
Num 31:31 And Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest did as יהוה commanded Mosheh.
Num 31:32 And the booty remaining from the plunder, which the people of the campaign had taken, was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,
Num 31:33 and seventy-two thousand cattle,
Num 31:34 and sixty-one thousand donkeys,
Num 31:35 and thirty-two thousand human beings in all, of women who had not known a man by lying with a man.
Num 31:36 And the half, the portion for those who went out on the campaign, was in number three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
Num 31:37 and the levy unto יהוה of the sheep was six hundred and seventy-five.
Num 31:38 And the cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the levy unto יהוה was seventy-two.
Num 31:39 And the donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the levy unto יהוה was sixty-one.
Num 31:40 And the human beings were sixteen thousand, of which the levy unto יהוה was thirty-two beings.
Num 31:41 So Mosheh gave the levy which was the contribution unto יהוה to Elʽazar the priest, as יהוה commanded Mosheh.
Num 31:42 And from the children of Yisra’ĕl’s half, which Mosheh divided from the men who campaigned:
Num 31:43 now the half belonging to the congregation was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
Num 31:44 and thirty-six thousand cattle,
Num 31:45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
Num 31:46 and sixteen thousand human beings.
Num 31:47 Then Mosheh took from the children of Yisra’ĕl’s half: one out of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave them to the Lĕwites, who guarded the duty of the Dwelling Place of יהוה, as יהוה commanded Mosheh.
Num 31:48 And the officers who were over thousands of the campaign, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, came near to Mosheh,
Num 31:49 and they said to Mosheh, “Your servants have taken a count of the fighting men under our command, and not a man of us is missing.
Num 31:50 “So we have brought an offering for יהוה, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for ourselves before יהוה.”
Num 31:51 And Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned ornaments.
Num 31:52 And all the gold of the offering that they presented to יהוה, from the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty sheqels.
Num 31:53 The men of the campaign had taken spoil, every man for himself.
Num 31:54 And Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a remembrance for the children of Yisra’ĕl before יהוה.
Num 32:1 And the children of Re’uḇĕn and the children of Gaḏ had much livestock, a large number. And they saw the land of Yaʽzĕr and the land of Gilʽaḏ and saw that the place was a place for livestock.
Num 32:2 So the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn came and spoke to Mosheh, and to Elʽazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,
Num 32:3 “Ataroth, and Diḇon, and Yaʽzĕr, and Nimrah, and Ḥeshbon, and Elʽalĕh, and Seḇam, and Neḇo, and Beʽon,
Num 32:4 the land which יהוה had smitten before the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.”
Num 32:5 And they said, “If we have found favour in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants as a possession, and do not let us pass over the Yardĕn.”
Num 32:6 And Mosheh said to the children of Gaḏ and to the children of Re’uḇĕn, “Are your brothers to go into the battle while you yourselves sit here?
Num 32:7 “Now why do you discourage the heart of the children of Yisra’ĕl from passing over into the land which יהוה has given them?
Num 32:8 “Thus your fathers did when I sent them away from Qaḏĕsh Barnĕa to see the land.
Num 32:9 “For when they went up to the wadi Eshkol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Yisra’ĕl, so that they did not go into the land which יהוה had given them.
Num 32:10 “Then the displeasure of יהוה burned on that day, and He swore an oath, saying,
Num 32:11 ‘Not one of the men who came up from Mitsrayim, from twenty years old and above, is to see the land of which I swore to Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq, and Yaʽaqoḇ, because they did not follow Me completely,
Num 32:12 except Kalĕḇ son of Yephunneh, the Qenizzite, and Yehoshua son of Nun, for they have followed יהוה completely.’
Num 32:13 “So the displeasure of יהוה burned against Yisra’ĕl, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the eyes of יהוה was destroyed.
Num 32:14 “And see, you have risen in your father’s place, an increase of men, sinners, to add still more the burning displeasure of יהוה against Yisra’ĕl.
Num 32:15 “For if you turn away from following Him, He shall once again leave them in the wilderness, and you shall destroy all these people.”
Num 32:16 Then they came near to him and said, “Let us build sheep-enclosures here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones,
Num 32:17 but let us ourselves be armed, hastening before the children of Yisra’ĕl until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall dwell in the walled cities because of the inhabitants of the land.
Num 32:18 “We shall not return to our homes until every one of the children of Yisra’ĕl has received his inheritance.
Num 32:19 “For we shall not inherit with them on the other side of the Yardĕn and beyond, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this eastern side of the Yardĕn.”
Num 32:20 And Mosheh said to them, “If you make this promise: if you arm yourselves before יהוה for battle,
Num 32:21 and all your armed ones pass over the Yardĕn before יהוה until He has driven out His enemies from before Him,
Num 32:22 and the land has been subdued before יהוה, then afterward you shall return, and be guiltless before יהוה and before Yisra’ĕl. And this land shall be your possession before יהוה.
Num 32:23 “But if you do not do so, then see, you shall sin against יהוה, and know: your sin is going to find you out.
Num 32:24 “Build cities for your little ones and enclosures for your sheep, and do what you have promised.”
Num 32:25 And the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn spoke to Mosheh, saying, “Your servants are going to do as my master commands.
Num 32:26 “Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock are going to be there in the cities of Gilʽaḏ,
Num 32:27 but your servants are passing over, every armed one of the army, before יהוה, to battle, as my master says.”
Num 32:28 And Mosheh gave command concerning them to Elʽazar the priest, to Yehoshua son of Nun, and to the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Yisra’ĕl.
Num 32:29 And Mosheh said to them, “If the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn pass over the Yardĕn with you, every man armed for battle before יהוה, and the land has been subdued before you, then you shall give them the land of Gilʽaḏ as a possession.
Num 32:30 “But if they do not pass over armed with you, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Kenaʽan.”
Num 32:31 Then the children of Gaḏ and the children of Re’uḇĕn answered, saying, “As יהוה has said to your servants, so we do.
Num 32:32 “We ourselves are passing over armed before יהוה into the land of Kenaʽan, but the possession of our inheritance remains with us beyond the Yardĕn.”
Num 32:33 So Mosheh gave to the children of Gaḏ, to the children of Re’uḇĕn, and to half the tribe of Menashsheh, son of Yosĕph, the reign of Siḥon sovereign of the Amorites and the reign of Oḡ sovereign of Bashan, the land with its cities within the borders, the cities of the land round about.
Num 32:34 And the children of Gaḏ built Diḇon and Ataroth and Aroʽĕr,
Num 32:35 and Atroth, Shophan and Yaʽzĕr and Yoḡbehah,
Num 32:36 and Bĕyth Nimrah and Bĕyth Haran, walled cities, and enclosures for sheep.
Num 32:37 And the children of Re’uḇĕn built Ḥeshbon and Elʽalĕh and Qiryathayim,
Num 32:38 Neḇo and Baʽal Meʽon – the names being changed – and Shiḇmah. And they gave other names to the cities which they built.
Num 32:39 And the sons of Maḵir son of Menashsheh went to Gilʽaḏ and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.
Num 32:40 So Mosheh gave Gilʽaḏ to Maḵir, son of Menashsheh, and he dwelt in it.
Num 32:41 And Ya’ir son of Menashsheh went and took its small towns, and called them Ḥawoth Ya’ir.
Num 32:42 And Noḇaḥ went and took Qenath and its villages, and he called it Noḇaḥ, after his own name.
Haftorah: Yirmeyahu 1:1-2:3
Jer 1:1 The words of Yirmeyahu the son of Ḥilqiyahu, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Binyamin,
Jer 1:2 to whom the word of יהוה came in the days of Yoshiyahu son of Amon, sovereign of Yehuḏah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jer 1:3 And it came in the days of Yehoyaqim, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah, until the end of the eleventh year of Tsiḏqiyahu, son of Yoshiyahu, sovereign of Yehuḏah, until the exile of Yerushalayim in the fifth month.
Jer 1:4 Now the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
Jer 1:5 “Before I formed you in the belly I knew you, and before you came out of the womb I did set you apart – I appointed you a prophet to nations.”
Jer 1:6 And said I, “Ah, Master יהוה! See, I do not know how to speak, for I am a youth.”
Jer 1:7 And יהוה said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ but go to all to whom I send you, and speak whatever I command you.
Jer 1:8 “Do not fear their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,” declares יהוה.
Jer 1:9 Then יהוה put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and יהוה said to me, “See, I have put My words in your mouth.
Jer 1:10 “See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the reigns, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant.”
Jer 1:11 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying, “What do you see, Yirmeyahu?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.”
Jer 1:12 And יהוה said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word to do it.”
Jer 1:13 And the word of יהוה came to me a second time, saying, “What do you see?” And I said, “I see a boiling pot, and it is facing away from the north.”
Jer 1:14 And יהוה said to me, “Out of the north evil is set loose on all the inhabitants of the land.
Jer 1:15 “For look, I am calling all the clans of the reigns of the north,” declares יהוה. “And they shall come and each one set his throne at the entrance of the gates of Yerushalayim, against all its walls all around, and against all the cities of Yehuḏah.
Jer 1:16 “And I shall pronounce My judgments against them concerning all their evil, because they have forsaken Me, burned incense to other mighty ones, and bowed themselves to the works of their own hands.
Jer 1:17 “Now, gird up your loins and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not break down before their faces, lest I break you before them.
Jer 1:18 “For look, I have made you this day a walled city and an iron column, and bronze walls against all the land, against the sovereigns of Yehuḏah, against her heads, against her priests, and against the people of the land.
Jer 1:19 “And they shall fight against you, but not prevail against you. For I am with you,” declares יהוה, “to deliver you.”
Jer 2:1 And the word of יהוה came to me, saying,
Jer 2:2 “Go, and you shall cry in the hearing of Yerushalayim, saying, ‘Thus said יהוה, “I remember you, the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridehood, when you went after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.
Jer 2:3 “Yisra’ĕl was set-apart to יהוה, the first-fruits of His increase. All who ate of it became guilty – evil came upon them,” declares יהוה.’ ”
Suggested HaBerith HaChadashah Reading: Matt 5:33-37
Mat 5:33 “Again, you heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to יהוה.’
Mat 5:34 “But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s throne;
Mat 5:35 nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of the great Sovereign;
Mat 5:36 nor swear by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 “But let your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is from the wicked one.
| Matot Aliya Summary |
| General Overview: This week's Torah reading, Matot, begins with the laws of oaths. The Israelites wage battle against Midian and the spoils are divided and tithed. The tribes of Reuben and Gad request and receive territory outside the mainland of Israel. First Aliyah: This section discusses the laws of verbal vows. A person who obligates him or herself with a vow is required to fulfill the vow. Under certain circumstances, a husband or father can annul vows made by his wife and daughter. Second Aliyah: The Israelites are commanded to exact revenge from the Midianites for their part in seducing Jewish men to sin (described in the end of the Torah reading of Balak, Numbers 25). A 12,000-strong army of Israelites, led by Phinehas, waged battle against Midian. All adult Midianite males were killed, along with Balaam and Midian's five kings. The women, children, and battle spoils are brought back to the Israeliteencampment. Third Aliyah: Moses is enraged that the Midianite females were spared. "They were the primary culprits; the ones who seduced the Israelites and brought about the plague which killed so many!" Moses exclaimed. All the males and all women who possibly could have been involved in the campaign of seduction were killed. The soldiers are then instructed how to purify themselves from the ritual impurity they contracted from contact with corpses in the course of battle. They are also told how to kosher the food utensils which were among the spoils. Fourth Aliyah: The spoils of the war were evenly divided between the soldiers and the greater community. From the portion of the spoils given to the soldiers, a tithe of 1/500 was given to Elazar the High Priest. Fifth Aliyah: From the other portion of the spoils, the half divided amongst the rest of the Israelites, 1/50 was given to the Levites. The army officers count the soldiers who returned from battle, and determine that not a single man was lost in the war. To show gratitude to G‑d for this miracle, the officers donate to the Tabernacle all the gold jewelry which they personally plundered from the Midianites. Sixth Aliyah: The tribes of Reuben and Gad owned lots of cattle. Seeing that the eastern bank of the Jordan -- the lands of Sichon and Og which they had just conquered -- had abundant pasture, they asked Moses if they could remain and settle on the eastern bank. Moses angrily responds that they are following in the footsteps of the spies who were fearful of the Canaanites, did not want to enter the land of Israel, and discouraged the entire nation from doing so. The Reubenites and Gaddites respond that they will leave their cattle and families behind in fortified cities, and all their men will proceed into Israel with their brethren and lead them in the conquest of the land. Only after all the land has been conquered and settled would they return to the other side of the Jordan. Seventh Aliyah: Moses accepts the offer of the Reubenites and Gaddites, and informs Joshua and Elazar the High Priest of the agreement. These two tribes, along with half of the tribe of Manasseh settle on the eastern bank of the Jordan, and conquer many of the areas wherein they encountered opposition. |
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