Hello and welcome back to Torah Thoughts from Adas Israel, the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa based in Mason City. Glad you're with us again. A reminder that we'll be holding services at the shul on Friday evening and our Midrash (Torah Study) is on Shabbat starting at 10:00AM. Hope to see you with us. This week we read Parsha Mattos-Masei which you can find in Bamidbar (Numbers) 30:2 - 36:13. Let's go...
We Need A Leader
If you remember last week Moses, knowing he will not be allowed to enter the Land of Israel asks G-d to appoint a successor. Someone that will "go in with Israel and go out with Israel". What does that mean?
Often, when it comes to battle, kings would sit in their palace or at the rear of the army. Yes, they might have been there but they were not engaged. Moses, who had led the people into and out of battle many times requested that the next leader do the same. That leader was Joshua who would go in and come out with Israel.
But Wait!
This week we read the Hashem tells Moses to go into battle and take vengeance on the Midianites in retribution for the licentious plot the Midianites perpetrated upon the Israelites. Remember Bilaam and Balak and the 24,000 who died due to the "cavorting" with the daughters of Midian?
But in a strange twist Moses appoints his nephew Pinchas to lead the army into battle. Why would Moses defer to another when G-d tells him to go and smite the Midianites?
Being Thankful
Here is where the story give us a great lesson. If you remember, long ago, it was Moses who was on the run for killing an Egyptian Taskmaster who was beating a Jewish slave. Where did he end up? In Midian where he also married a woman from Midian. The people there sheltered Moses for years and now, to lead an army to destroy Midian, was just too much.
We are told that he could not do such a thing because he was so thankful for his treatment there.
The Lesson
The lesson here for us is to always be...thankful. G-d has created an amazing world for us and our responsibility is to remain thankful. Every day, in every way we should than Hashem for the wonder that is the world and for the faith that we have. This is why there are so many blessings in our lives. For when we get something new, when we eat bread, when we eat, well, anything. When we get up in the morning and when we lay down at night. Blessings of being thankful.
After all, it is in our name. We are Jews from the Hebrew word of Judah which means, you guessed it, "Thanksgiving".
We can do no less.
One other thing we learn from this Parsha is how to make things...utensils...kosher. We'll talk about it.
See you in Shul!
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