{"id":21896,"date":"2025-07-19T21:45:06","date_gmt":"2025-07-19T20:45:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/?p=21632"},"modified":"2025-08-19T12:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T11:12:33","slug":"emunah-priorities-and-the-spiritual-inheritance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukkatshalom-bneinoach.com\/ko\/emunah-priorities-and-the-spiritual-inheritance\/","title":{"rendered":"EMUNAH, PRIORITIES, AND THE SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u05d1\u05e1”\u05d3<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A THOUGHT ABOUT PARSHAT<\/a> <\/strong>MATOT-MASEI 5785

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Based on <\/strong>Numbers 32:1\u20137<\/strong><\/a> <\/strong>With insights from Haamek Davar, Rabbi Mordechai Broyer, and contemporary reflection.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biblical Story (Numbers 32:1\u20137<\/a>)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now the sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad had very great livestock. They saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock.<\/em>
So the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben came and spoke to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the leaders of the congregation, saying:<\/em>
\u201cThe land which the L-rd struck down before the congregation of Israel is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.\u201d<\/em>
They said, \u201cIf we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession; do not take us across the Jordan.\u201d<\/em>
But Moses said to the sons of Gad and to the sons of Reuben, \u201cShall your brothers go to war while you yourselves sit here?<\/em>
Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the L-rd has given them?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Request of Reuben and Gad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The tribes of Gad and Reuben<\/strong>, who owned large herds of livestock, noticed that the land east of the Jordan \u2014 near Jazer and Gilead<\/strong> \u2014 was ideal for their animals. So they approached Moses with a request:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cLet us stay here and inherit this land, instead of crossing into the Promised Land.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Moses\u2019 Sharp Response<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Moses reacts strongly.
He accuses them of abandoning their brothers on the eve of conquest. More than that, he reminds them of a painful history:
When their ancestors lacked faith and refused to enter the land, G-d\u2019s anger was kindled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses\u2019 reaction, when seen in light of everything he had gone through with the people, is completely understandable. This moment isn\u2019t primarily about geography \u2014 it\u2019s about the weight of history, of broken hopes, and of a leader\u2019s deep connection to his mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their Clarification<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tribes respond respectfully:
They will indeed build homes and sheepfolds on this land \u2014 but first, they pledge to join their brothers in battle<\/strong>, not returning home until all<\/strong> the tribes have received their inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses agrees \u2014 if they keep their promise. Though the land east of the Jordan was not part of the original Promised Land<\/strong>, it would be given to them as a conditional inheritance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Commentaries: What\u2019s Really Going On?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Haamek Davar<\/strong><\/a>: Fear Disguised as Practicality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Haamek Davar<\/em> suggests their true motivation<\/strong> may not have been livestock at all.
Perhaps they feared war<\/strong>, or even feared living so close to G-d’s presence<\/strong> in the holy land. Their reasoning, then, was cloaked in practical concerns \u2014 but rooted in a lack of emunah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moses feared this could set a dangerous precedent \u2014 and in fact, it already had. The episode with the spies had shown what a lack of faith could lead to: despair, rebellion, and exile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Wait\u2014Hadn\u2019t They Seen G-d\u2019s Miracles?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

These tribes had grown up surrounded by the supernatural:<\/p>\n\n\n\n