It Belongs To The Children Of Our Children's Kids (John Barlow & Brent Mydland - "We Can Run")

Well, the kids are away at camp. Things are quiet. For another couple of weeks I don’t have any direct parent responsibilities. Sure, I write them, and make sure that the various schools, and extracurricular programs and camps have been paid. But for another couple of weeks, I don’t have to shlep. I don’t have to settle any quarrels or mete out any punishments. Friends of ours children, did not go to sleep away camp. They are running more carpools now that we ordinarily do during the school year! Although I realized that the carpooling is nearly as much for the parents as it is for the children. For as much as we Parents sacrifice and do for our children, we also live vicariously through our children.  We want for our children what we didn’t have growing up.  So in order to afford all that we give our children; both parents work. Some commute long distances, wanting their children to grow up in a larger nicer home than the one they grew up in. The cost has been enormous. Typically, children don’t spend quantity or quality time with their parents. Typically, everyone is running around so much, families forget what families, relationships and growth is about. Eventually, and very often, families grow further and further apart as priorities become misplaced.

            This Shabbat we read from the second to last Parsha of Sefer B’Midbar, Parsha Matot.   Matot speaks of the laws of Oaths and Vows, God commands Moshe and B’nai Yisroel to attack and utterly destroy the Midianites. After all, the Midianites were the cause of the most recent plague because of their successful in bringing idolatry to B’nai Yisroel. This battle had all the elements of a holy enterprise as the priest Elazar and Pinchas went out to the battle. Soldiers needed to be spiritually purified afterwards because they had come into contact with death, so they remained outside the camp for seven days. Then the Torah informs us as to the boundaries that each tribe was to inherit.

            There is one troubling moment when two tribes ask Moshe if they can remain on the eastern side of the Jordan instead of entering into Eretz Canaan. Each tribe had various sources of wealth, but the tribe of Reuven and Gad had an abundance of livestock. They were under the impression that the land of Yazer and Gilad, east of the Jordan River, was Mkom Mikneh, a place for livestock. So the leaders of each tribe approach Moshe and request to remain on the eastern banks of the Jordan River and not enter into Eretz Canaan. Atarot v’Divon v’Yazeir v’nimrah v’Cheshbon v’Elalei Usvam Unvo Uv’on Ha’aretz Asher Hikah Adonai Lifnei Adat Yisroel Eretz Mikneh Hi V’lavadecha Mikneh – Atarot and Divon, Yazeir, and Nimrah, and Cheshbon and Elalei and Svam and Nebo and Veon (territorial names of various sites on the eastern and northeastern side of the Jordan river) the land that Hashem smote before the assembly of Israel – these lands are for livestock and your servants have livestock (Num. 32:3-4). These tribes wanted this land for one purpose, for the purpose of increasing their flocks, increasing their cattle. In the Torah scroll there is an empty space between the end of that verse and the next verse. This space does not connote the end of an aliyah, a chapter or the end of the parsha. This empty space connotes silence. It connotes an angry silence at Reuven and Gad’s request. Moses essentially sits there, seething in anger and waits. The two tribes then re-state their request using the formula Im Matzanu Chen b’Einecha – If we have found favor in your eyes (Num. 32:5). Again the request is couched in terms of cattle and wealth. Moshe gives an angry answer questioning these tribes’ priorities and their sense of responsibility to the rest Adat Yisroel, as well as their sense of ancestral obligation. Finally, the tribes huddle together and restate their request a third time. Gidrot Tzon Nivneh Lmikneinu Po V’Arim l’Tapeinu – Pens for our flock shall we build here and cities for our small children, v’Anachnu Neichaleitz Chushim Lifnei Bnai Yisroel – We shall aim ourselves swiftly in the vanguard of the Children of Israel (Num. 32:16-17). Finally, the tribes of Reuven and Gad understand. Inheritance of the land is not about flocks and wealth. It is about passing this inheritance, this land to the children.         

            The same holds true for Judaism. Judaism, Torah and Mitzvot are our inheritance. Our lives are not only and cannot only be about wealth, and extracurricular activities that come at the expense of Torah Mitzvot and Judaism. It took these two tribe three attempts to realize that they are responsible for the future. We are responsible for our children’s Jewish future. Our job is to pass Judaism, Torah and mitzvot to our children. Hopefully, as we pass this inheritance to our children, we derive the same sense of joy and nachas as when we watch them participate in a sports program, or play a musical instrument. Ultimately, it will be Torah and Jewish life that will be the inheritance that our children will be able to pass along to their children.

Peace,

Rav Yitz