This week the Torah starts with a command to the Heads of the Tribes. This is unusual because normally it would either be a command to the Israelites in general or to Moses specifically. And it relates to fathers and husbands having the right to cancel vows either as a husband or a father on the grounds that one cannot…
Parsha Mattot
Midian
Moses is told that before he dies, the last thing he must do is to destroy Midian because they nearly succeeded in corrupting almost the whole of the Israelite leadership below Moses and Aaron. Notice the Torah mentions Midian and not Moab but in fact they were partners from the start. The Midrash suggests that they merged. So, off the…
Reuben & Gad Negotiate
As the Israelites prepared to invade the Land of Canaan, the tribes of Reuben, Gad and part of Menashe approached Moses with a request to be allowed to stay on the East Bank where there was excellent prairie land, good for herds. Moses at first objected to splitting the people. All the tribes had been involved in conquering the territory…