Scrollers Preview - Mattot-Masei

Scrollers Preview Parashat Matot-Masei Rabbi Rachel Goldenberg We have come to the double parasha at the end of the Book of Numbers. The Israelites are at the threshold of the Promised Land. The next book, Deuteronomy, consists of Moses’ final speech to the Israelites. There, Moses summarizes and remembers incidents from earlier books. But the end of the Book of Numbers is really the end of the narrative of the Torah. This parasha includes some additional laws, including laws about vows, especially the status of women’s vows, and an amendment to the law of inheritance for women. We have a bloody war against the Midianites. Instructions are given on the division of the land of Canaan among the tribes, and we get the story of why the Reubenites, Gadites, and the ½ tribe of Mannasseh are granted holdings outside of Canaan, on the East side of the Jordan river. We also have instructions concerning the towns of the Levites, six of which are set aside as cities of refuge. This year I’m noticing that unlike the endings of previous books, the ending of the Book of Numbers leaves me neither with a sense of completion nor of suspense. Genesis ends with the sons of Jacob in Egypt and a sense of impending doom, Exodus ends with God’s Presence resting on the completed Tabernacle and a sense of hope that God is with us, Leviticus ends with blessings and curses as consequences for Israel’s obeying or disobeying the laws. Here in Numbers, I know the story is over, but it doesn’t really feel like an ending. Parashat Masei opens with a recounting the various encampments of the Israelites throughout their wilderness journey, and this can provide a moment of reflection on what they’ve gone through and where they’ve come from over these 40 years. And we have a view into the future, with the division of the land among the tribes. But this year I feel the need for Deuteronomy, Moses’ personal reflection and exhortation to the people. I need an emotional, prophetic, poetic ending. We don’t get that here at the end of Numbers. Perhaps that’s why the editors did include Deuteronomy. As we conclude this book, I want to hear your thoughts on whether these parashot are a satisfying conclusion of Numbers for you. What do you think the Israelites need to hear and/or do at this point in their journey? What does it mean to end a period of wandering and to transition into a more settled life in the Land, where the expectation is that we will be here for generations – perhaps even forever? How would it actually feel to be one of this new generation of Israelites, who never knew Egypt, who have only known the wilderness, looking over the steppes of Moab toward Jericho? Are we eager? Afraid? What do we imagine our relationship with God will be like once we cross over? How would you end this book?