Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 27 Tammuz, 5784
Parsha Mattot – Massei: (Numbers 30:2 – 36:13)
Sixth Portion: Numbers 34:16  – 35:8

Good morning! We are coming to the last to portions of the book of Numbers. Massei means journey – and the journey is about to shift and end in this book of numbers.  We are camped out – ready to go into the promised land. These are Moses’ last days. Let’s see where we go:

16The Lord spoke to Moses saying:

17These are the names of the men who shall inherit the land on your behalf: Eleazar the kohen and Joshua the son of Nun.

Hashem reassures Moses two men will take his place – Eleazar the priest and Joshua the leader. That is reassuring, right? To get to the end of your life and be told – these men will carry on your legacy.

Legacy is crucial in this story. What is our legacy? Who are we leaving behind in charge?

18You shall take one chieftain from each tribe to [help you to] acquire the land.

19These are the names of the men: for the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

20For the tribe of the descendants of Simeon, Samuel the son of Ammihud.

21For the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon.

22The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli.

23For the descendants of Joseph; the chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod.

24The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan.

25The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach.

26The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan.

27The chieftain for the tribe of the descendants of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi.

28The chieftain of the tribe of the descendants of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.

29These are the ones whom the Lord commanded to apportion the inheritance to the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

Now Hashem tells Moses who will carry on the legacy of the children of Jacob. One man in each tribe being called by name.

One tribe left out. Levites. Let’s dig in:

35:1The Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab, by the Jordan at Jericho saying:

2Command the children of Israel that they shall give to the Levites from their hereditary possession cities in which to dwell, and you shall give the Levites open spaces around the cities.

3These cities shall be theirs for dwelling, and their open spaces shall be for their cattle, their property, and for all their needs.

4The areas of open space for the cities which you shall give to the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward, one thousand cubits all around.

5You shall measure from outside the city, two thousand cubits on the eastern side, two thousand cubits on the southern side, two thousand cubits on the western side, and two thousand cubits on the northern side, with the city in the middle; this shall be your cities’ open spaces.

So each tribe had their own land, separated from others. The Levites? They were integrated into all of them.  What an image of spirituality. It is infused in all of us.

6Among the cities you shall give to the Levites, shall be six cities of refuge, which you shall provide [as places] to which a murderer can flee. In addition to them, you shall provide forty two cities.

Refuge. For murder. That a really interesting thought process. We have spirituality spread out – and we have refuge spread out. Shelter. For when we struggle. Life in the promised land was not going to be all sunshine and rainbows. It was going to be real. I think sometimes we believe in a future where there are going to be sunshine and rainbows.

7All the cities you shall give to the Levites shall number forty eight cities, them with their open spaces.

8And as for the cities that you shall give from the possession of the children of Israel, you shall take more from a larger [holding] and you shall take less from a smaller one. Each one, according to the inheritance allotted to him, shall give of his cities to the Levites.

And this is an interesting close, isn’t it? The inheritance for the Levites? It was meant to be a little unbalanced. They were to be given more space than what was equitable. We are meant to give more spirituality space – and not less.

These are my thoughts. What about you?

Here is my thought from a year ago:

Tyler’s Torah Thoughts for 25 Tamuz, 5783

Today’s portion is about being “called out” by Hashem.  The portion starts with Hashem telling Moses BY NAME which men will lead an inherit the lands for their tribes.  I am making an assumption here that could be wrong – but it would see that there were likely different elders in each tribe.  We have already experienced the political landscape a bit – so there may have been things happening within a tribe as elders were vying for leadership.  But Hashem makes it clear.

Imagine THINKING you were going to lead the tribe and inherit the land, but Moses says “nope.  Hashem has called Elidad to inherit the land for your tribe.”

Or – imagine thinking you are Elidad. Thinking someone ELSE was more worthy to lead and inherit the land.  And Moses comes to your tribe and says “Hashem has told me – Elidad is inheriting the land!”

That would do a lot for Elidad, right?  To know you were chosen?  Even when it seems like you shouldn’t be.

I think we make the assumption these men called by Hashem KNEW they were going to be called by Hashem.  I am not so sure.

What is the takeaway?  Hashem knows our hearts. Because He is IN our hearts.  We can trust that.  If we THINK we are supposed to get something and we don’t? Maybe Hashem wants us to work on ourselves – to do some inner work.  Become more self aware.  Focus on Kindness, compassion, empathy – for ourselves and for others.  If we are comfortable, we aren’t growing and developing towards spiritual freedom and liberation.

And if we do the work? We can trust we will be taken care of; and be placed in a position we may not think we are ready for; but Hashem knows we are.

We can trust either side of this, can’t we? Because even in the first part of this takeaway, the leaders who THOUGHT they should lead and weren’t chosen?  They were being taken care of as well.

Trust. Faith. In Hashem. In our Neshama.

That is the takeaway (in my opinion) of today’s portion.

We then see there are those who did NOT receive an inheritance.  They had a role to play too.  The Levites. They were the priests. And they were given land within each city.

Our portion ends with the “cities of refuge” for murderers. Six cites – basically one city for every two tribes.  Places for a “murderer” to flee.  And we will get into that tomorrow.  Keeping in mind that Kabbalah considers every sin to be a type of “murder.”  Looking forward to closing this out tomorrow on Shabbat!

Until then, enjoy your friday!  And tell me your thoughts!