The double Parshiyot of Matot and Masei teach us about the relationship of women and vows, the rules of war and taking booty. Still, we are on the verge of entering The Land and in Perek 32 we find the fascinating story of the tribes of Gad and Reuven who approach Moshe and respectfully request that their tribes remain where they are and not enter The Land. They claim that the current location is excellent for grazing cattle. Moshe heats up in anger and asks them,
"Moses replied to the Gadites and the Reubenites, “Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here?
Why will you turn the minds of the Israelites from crossing into the land that יהוה has given them?"
Further, the Gadites and Reuvenites first mention their cattle and afterward their children.
What are the priorities of the Gadites and Reuvenites? After their collective experience of going through the desert, have their priorities changed? Is it fair of Moshe to question them?
Eventually, the Gadites and Reuvenites promise to go to war with their brethren to conquer The Land. This commitment to fight as shock troops is enough for Moshe to give permission to the leaders to stay in Jazer and Gilead once The Land is conquered.
This parsha brings up the topic of priorities. Do our priorities always remain the same? How do we ensure that our priorities are what drive us? What happens when our priorities are overshadowed by circumstances?
Priorities effect each one of us. Whether they are personal priorities, communal priorities or national priorities, we are all bound to each other through them
This is a short post about finding priorities.
In this tumultuous time, may we hear better news soon.
Leann
Priorities
Stage Notes: (The Scene: a living room with two muted blue couches, armchairs. To the right an old desk with drawers half opened and papers protruding. To the left, a tall bookcase stacked with books arranged haphazardly. A tall dresser with a stool to stand on is in the corner. A thick copper colored rug is on the floor. It is dusk. A person with graying hair enters the room. The person is clearly disturbed. A grandfather clock ticks loudly.)
Where are they?
Once
upon a time,
as in a fairy tale,
they were placed (for safe keeping)
in a drawer,
haphazardly stuffed with
other important
Stuff.
Hmmmm....
No,
maybe they were
in the corner
Up high....
No, no, no!
Reach a little higher
in that hidden place
where
no one
would think to look.
Priorities
Nowhere to be found?
Searching back,
were there many or few?
Realistic? Foolish?
Created in good faith?
What was considered
and what was omitted?
How can they be lost?
Stage Notes:
(Scuffle, scuffle, shuffle, shuffle and
other sounds of desperate searching
followed by ruffling, unfolding)
Ah-hah!
Success!
Found!
Priorities rediscovered.
Located
in the same drawer
as youthful ideals,
smudged lists of sacred,
naive truths.
Forgotten, faded, but never quite destroyed.
Scribbled records.
Who We Were Then.
Who Are We Now?
Stage notes
(The Scene: The older person sits at the desk, the drawer half open, papers scattered on the floor. The person's head is bent over these papers, which appear yellowed over time. The person is reading carefully and the person's head droops. The lights dim slowly in the room until it is dark. A sigh is heard in the dark. The grandfather clock keeps up its loud ticking.)
The Reubenites and the Gadites owned cattle in very great numbers. Noting that the lands of Jazer and Gilead were a region suitable for cattle,
the Gadite and Reubenite [leaders] came to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the chieftains of the community, and said,
“Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon—
the land that יהוה has conquered for the community of Israel—is cattle country, and your servants have cattle.
It would be a favor to us,” they continued, “if this land were given to your servants as a holding; do not move us across the Jordan.”
Bamidbar 32:1-4
וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ אִם־מָצָ֤אנוּ חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ יֻתַּ֞ן אֶת־הָאָ֧רֶץ הַזֹּ֛את לַעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ לַאֲחֻזָּ֑ה אַל־תַּעֲבִרֵ֖נוּ אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּֽן׃
Two podcasts that I most grateful for in preparing this post.
אִם־מָצָ֤אנוּ חֵן֙
コメント