בס”ד
A THOUGHT ABOUT PARSHAT CHUKAT 5784
Making Choices
| And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness, and came to Jahaz; and he fought against Israel. | וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כׇּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א יָ֑הְצָה וַיִּלָּ֖חֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
| And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from the Arnon unto the Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong. | וַיַּכֵּ֥הוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְפִי־חָ֑רֶב וַיִּירַ֨שׁ אֶת־אַרְצ֜וֹ מֵֽאַרְנֹ֗ן עַד־יַבֹּק֙ עַד־בְּנֵ֣י עַמּ֔וֹן כִּ֣י עַ֔ז גְּב֖וּל בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ |
| And Israel took all these cities; and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the towns thereof. | וַיִּקַּח֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֵ֥ת כׇּל־הֶעָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בְּכׇל־עָרֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחֶשְׁבּ֖וֹן וּבְכׇל־בְּנֹתֶֽיהָ׃ |
| For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto the Arnon. | כִּ֣י חֶשְׁבּ֔וֹן עִ֗יר סִיחֹ֛ן מֶ֥לֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִ֖י הִ֑וא וְה֣וּא נִלְחַ֗ם בְּמֶ֤לֶךְ מוֹאָב֙ הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן וַיִּקַּ֧ח אֶת־כׇּל־אַרְצ֛וֹ מִיָּד֖וֹ עַד־אַרְנֹֽן׃ |
| Wherefore they that speak in parables say: Come ye to Heshbon! let the city of Sihon be built and established! | עַל־כֵּ֛ן יֹאמְר֥וּ הַמֹּשְׁלִ֖ים בֹּ֣אוּ חֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן תִּבָּנֶ֥ה וְתִכּוֹנֵ֖ן עִ֥יר סִיחֽוֹן׃ |
Settling in the Amorite Cities: Insights and Lessons
After the war with Sihon, king of the Amorites, the Israelites captured all the Amorite cities and began to settle in them. This raises a question: How could they be settling in these cities instead of waiting to enter the adjacent land of Canaanite nations that G-d had promised to the Israelites (Numbers 13:2)?
| 2 ‘Send thou men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a prince among them.’ | ב שְׁלַח-לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים, וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת-אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, אֲשֶׁר-אֲנִי נֹתֵן, לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל: אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד לְמַטֵּה אֲבֹתָיו, תִּשְׁלָחוּ–כֹּל, נָשִׂיא בָהֶם. |
This event takes place several chapters before the Israelites cross into Canaan. So, who settled in these Amorite cities, and why did they choose to stay there instead of moving into the Promised Land of Canaan?
In the later chapters of Numbers, we read that the tribes of Reuben and Gad requested to remain in this territory, which now belonged to Moses as land he conquered in war – in this case, wars of self-defense (see The Divine Code, Part VII, 14:1). They expanded the city of Heshbon and expressed their desire to stay because the land was well-suited for their large herds of livestock. These tribes had received substantial blessings of cattle, perhaps as a reward for their exemplary role as soldiers who had defended the people from enemies in the desert. Moses agreed to their request and apportioned the land to them (along with half of the tribe of Menashe), on the condition that they lead the conquest of the Promised Land of Canaan, going into battle in front of the other tribes (see Numbers 32:17-21, and Rashi there).
Why Did Reuben and Gad Choose to Settle Outside the Promised Land?
There are three main reasons proposed for why the tribes of Reuben and Gad chose to settle outside the Promised Land of Canaan:
1. Material Wealth: Like Lot, who chose the fertile plains of Jordan, these tribes might have been driven by material considerations. The land of the Amorites was better suited for their business interests, particularly their cattle.1 This practical consideration might have outweighed the spiritual significance of living within the boundaries of the Promised Land of Canaan.
2. Honoring Moses: Another reason might be their desire to honor Moses. They knew that Moses would die on Mount Nebo, located near the city of Heshbon. They might have wanted to have the spiritual merit of having his holy burial site within their territory, preserving their connection to him and preserving his connection to the people he led. This sense of duty towards Moses could have influenced their decision to settle near his final resting place, even if it meant living outside the Promised Land of Canaan.2
3. Beginning to fulfill the promise of the Messianic Era which G-d made to Abraham: There were seven Canaanite nations that inhabited the land west of the Jordan River. G-d promised that land to the Israelite tribes which He freed from slavery in Egypt. However, G-d had promised Abraham that his descendents would eventually be given the land of ten nations: seven located west of the Jordan River, and – in the future Messianic Era – three located between the Jordan River and the Euphrates River in the east (Genesis 15:18-21). It is likely that the tribes of Reuben and Gad seized upon the opportunity to try to advance the fulfillment of G-d’s Messianic promise to Abraham.
This presented a complex choice between fulfilling the mitzvah (commandment) of living in the Promised Land of Canaan or the mitzvah of honoring Moses who served as their king and who also greatly desired to bring in the Messianic Era (see for example Rashi on Exodus 4:13 and Deuteronomy 3:25).
The Wisdom of Heshbon
The Torah speaks about the city of Heshbon in Numbers 21:27:
| Wherefore they that speak in parables say: Come ye to Heshbon! let the city of Sihon be built and established! | עַל-כֵּן יֹאמְרוּ הַמֹּשְׁלִים, בֹּאוּ חֶשְׁבּוֹן; תִּבָּנֶה וְתִכּוֹנֵן, עִיר סִיחוֹן. |
The Talmud (Bava Batra 78b) uses a wordplay on “Heshbon” to impart a moral lesson:
The Gemara interprets these verses homiletically. “Hamoshlim”; these are the people who rule over [hamoshlim] their evil inclination. They will say: “Come to Heshbon,” meaning: Come and let us calculate the account of [ḥeshbono] the world, i.e., the financial loss incurred by the fulfillment of a mitzva in contrast to its [spiritual] reward, and the reward for committing a transgression, i.e., the pleasure and gain received, in contrast to the [spiritual] loss it entails. “Let it be built and established” means that if you make this calculation [correctly], you will be built in this world and you will be established in the World-to-Come.
Lessons for Life
In life, we often face choices between different ethical obligations. For those following the 7 Noahide Laws, this can mean deciding how best to uphold principles that might conflict.
Take the Noahide Laws of “not stealing” and “establishing justice.” Imagine you know a coworker is taking office supplies for personal use, violating the law against stealing. Reporting this aligns with establishing justice. However, not reporting might preserve workplace harmony but could be seen as condoning theft.
You might choose to address the issue directly with your coworker, balancing the principles by giving him (or her) a chance to correct his (or her) behavior. This approach honors both the need for justice and the prohibition against stealing, while also showing compassion.
Ultimately, the sincere effort to navigate these choices, even when the path isn’t clear, is crucial. It reflects a commitment to living by the Noahide Laws and striving to uphold their values in all aspects of life.
Cheshbon Hanefesh: Soul Accounting
Cheshbon Hanefesh, or accounting of the soul, is a practice of reflecting on our daily choices and actions. Before going to sleep each night, it is a beneficial habit to evaluate the decisions, statements and actions that you made that day. Consider the dilemmas you faced, the choices you made, and how you might improve in the future.
During the month of Elul, before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is another appropriate time for this reflection, to determine what needs to be repented for. On Rosh Hashanah, G-d judges the actions of all people from the past year, just as a shepherd counts and evaluates each of his sheep, and this includes His judgment of a person’s unrepented sins.
Your birthday can also be a meaningful time for Cheshbon Hanefesh. Starting a new year of life is an opportune moment to take stock of the past year and plan for the future (See https://asknoah.org/essay/birthday-celebrations)3
By engaging in regular self-reflection, we cultivate our ability to make thoughtful and deliberate decisions, aligning our actions with our deepest values and the teachings of the Torah.
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In this blog we learn about the practical lesson we can learn from the story of Reuben and Gad’s settlement in the Amorite cities.
Footnotes/ sources
1 Steinsaltz on Numbers 32:4
2 Alshekh on Torah Numbers 31:1:1-4
3 AskNoah Article: Advice for Meaningful Birthdays
Chukat 5779
Shabbat Shalom Weekly
by Kalman Packouz
See also the blog: LEVITICUS 23:24 – MORNING AND EVENING PRAYER – ROSH HASHANAH EVERY DAY
and the updated blog: WHAT CAN NOAHIDES LEARN FROM “THE OMER”?
With thanks to Rabbi Tani Burton and Dr. Michael Schulman for the input and feedback
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