Parashat Matot

לא יחל דברו, ככל היוצא מפיו יעשה . The last four words in this verse appear superfluous, since if we are prohibited from breaking a vow, we must obviously do according to what we have vowed. The moral lesson the Torah wishes to convey is therefore not connected to the laws of vows and oaths, rather the Torah emphasizes that we must keep our word even if what we have said was not said in the form of a promise or vow. Moses told the tribes of Gad and Reuben: "Carry out what you have said" (32,24). Rashi comments that Moses referred to their undertaking to be the spearhead of the Jewish army in their conquest and division of the Land of Canaan west of the Jordan river (32,18). The latter part was something that Moses had not demanded of them. Another statement of intent had been volunteered by those tribes which had not been part of the condition Moses imposed upon them in order to retain their possessions east of the Jordan.

This is also why Moses in his blessing of the tribe of Gad in Deut. 33,21 refers to that tribe as having performed צדקת ה' עשה ומשפטיו עם ישראל, "both a deed of righteousness vis-a-vis G–d and one of justice did he (the tribe) perform with Israel." From a legal point of view the tribe of Gad did only have to take part in the conquest of the land, something which took seven years. The additional seven years that were required to parcel out the land was an act of צדקה, something volunteered. By honoring this voluntary undertaking, the tribe qualified for Moses' unstinting praise. The Torah wishes us to apply such modes of behavior not only when it concerns utterances that may be financially costly for us, but also when such utterances imply undertakings by our souls, i.e. our religious conduct.

וימסרו מאלפי ישראל . "Thousands of Israelites were handed over, etc." (31,5); Rashi comments that "the Torah here informs you how beloved Israel's leaders were by their charges. As long as Israel had not heard that their leader Moses was about to die, they themselves sometimes assumed such a threatening posture that Moses said to G–d: "They are close to stoning me!" (Exodus 17,4) Now that they had been told that Moses was to die after the punitive expedition against Midian, they refused to undertake that expedition and had to be forced." Why does Rashi include the former statement of Moses "they are about to stone me!," as part of the praise Israel is entitled to?

Whenever we find Israel quarreling with Moses, such a quarrel can be viewed from two aspects, – negatively, that Israel was either ungrateful or too demanding, – or positively, that the very fact of Israel's constant demands represents a great compliment to Moses, for it showed that they looked upon him as a child does on his father, expecting the father to be able to fulfill every one of the child's wishes. As long as Israel did not refuse to go into battle after they had heard that doing so would hasten Moses' death, there was room to interpret their conduct in either direction. Now that they had refused to undertake a mission that would shorten Moses' life, it became clear that any negative character attributed to them was based only on their excessive expectations of Moses, whom they looked up to as a child would to his father.

ויקצוף משה על פקודי החיל . "Moses was angry at the commanders of the army" (31,14). How could Moses be angry at these commanders seeing he had not commanded them to kill the women? There was no need to issue such a command since common sense should have told the commanders that the women who had been the chief seducers were to be the targets of that expedition. We find that even a Bileam acknowledges guilt when confronted by an angel whose presence he had not been aware of, and he says: חטאתי כי לא ידעתי, "I have sinned though I was unaware" (Numbers 22,34). Failure to use one's common sense is culpable. I have elaborated on this in my commentary on the last chapter of tractate Sanhedrin.

גדרות צאן נבנה למקנינו פה, וערים לטפינו . "We shall build fences for our sheep and cattle here, as well as towns for our children." (3,16). Rashi points out that these tribes were more concerned with their property than with the safety of their families, seeing they first mentioned that they would build stables for their cattle, and only afterwards did they speak about building cities for their families. Moses told them that they had their priorities mixed up when he told them in 32,24 to build in the following order: "Cities for your children and enclosures for your sheep." They accepted Moses' rebuke and said afterwards in 32,26: "Our children, our wives our cattle and all our livestock will remain there in the cities of Gilead." Thus we learn that what a person says should reflect both common sense and moral values.

Parashat Maasei

אלה מסעי בני ישראל . "These are the journeys of the children of Israel." Journeys are comparable to exiles in that they afford a person atonement for his sins. When someone decides to leave home in order to reside in a place where Torah learning is available, his journey may be described as at G–d's behest. It is not by accident that all the Torah scholars of earlier generations left home, i.e. exiled themselves in order to study. This principle can be summarized as צא ולמד, "leave home in order to study!"

Parashat Devarim

אלה הדברים . Moses admonished the Jewish people when he himself was close to death, even though he had taught and admonished them on a daily basis during all the years he had led them. Every leader of subsequent generations ought to model himself after Moses in this regard. Also every father and mother should treat his or her family as Jacob our patriarch did.

יוסף עליכם ככם אלף פעמים . "May the Lord increase you a thousand fold more" (1,11). I have discovered among the writing of the Arizal that he sees the numerical value of משה as equal to א-ל שדי (345) and that when that name is spelled fully (in words instead of in letters), that the total amounts to 1000. Rashi comments that this thousand-fold blessing is Moses' own, whereas G–d Himself would add an additional dimension to it. Rashi, in saying זו משלי, meant that he blessed them with all that was contained in his name i.e. 1000. (יוד ,434=דלת ,360=שין ,74=למד ,111=אלף=20 plus 1 for the name itself =1000).

When Moses commenced to admonish the people, he spoke of their virtues and their accomplishments, that they were to present him with distinguished men who were to serve as judges, etc. (1,13). He did so because we know already from Solomon in Proverbs 9,8: אל תוכח לץ פן ישנאך, הוכח לחכם ויאהבך, "Do not rebuke the scoffer for he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you." You need to impress the person whom you wish to rebuke with the fact that you esteem him highly; otherwise he will not accept your rebuke. You must convince such a person that it is shameful for a person of his niveau to act in a manner that ruins his image.

ותקרבון אלי כלכם . Rashi comments that it was a mob that approached Moses. Later on, in 5,20, however, Moses says of the people ותקרבון אלי כל ראשי שבטיכם וזקניכם, "You approached me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders." At that time they asked Moses to become their intermediary since the people were afraid that being exposed to G–d's voice directly would become fatal for them. This latter approach (at the time of the revelation) was correct; children showed respect for their elders. Humility is one of the best traits a person can practice. Only by allowing others זכות קדימה, the right of precedence, can one prove that one deserves a measure of honour oneself.