Questions & Commentary on Parashat Mattot Mas‘ei
1. In Numbers 30:2-17, Moses relays to the people
instructions regarding the taking of vows. Under which circumstances does the
Torah allow for vows to be annulled? Under which conditions do our sages permit
the taking and annulment of vows? In light of Yeshua's statements in Matthew
5:33-37, how should Moses' instructions in this chapter be understood?
Rabbi Jonathan
Kaplan
Moses offers two sets of instructions regarding the
taking of vows. One set for men and the other for women. Men are given no
opportunity to annul vows made to God or other obligation which they take upon
themselves. Rather, "all that has crossed his lips he must do" (30:2). This
language is interesting because it reminds us that vows entail a firm
commitment whether to God, another, or oneself to fulfill an obligation.
Women also face the same strictures concerning vows
that men do. However, a woman's father (if she is unmarried) or husband may
annul the woman's vows or allow them to stand without objection (30:4-16). The
father or husband is responsible for the woman's fulfillment of the vow if he
allows it stand. If the woman fails to keep her commitment, her father or
husband bears her guilt. This approach to women and the taking of vows
highlights the social role of women in Ancient Israel as subordinate members of
a household headed by a man. Do these strictures still apply when the structure
of modern family life is different?
Our sages detail three circumstances in which it is
commendable to make a vow:
- If someone has developed sinful habits and wishes to repent of their actions,
they may take a vow to strengthen their resolution.
- One may swear to fulfill a mitzva so as not to miss the opportunity to
fulfill the commandment.
- In times of distress, one may follow the example of our father Jacob in making
a vow (Genesis 28:20).
Just as one may only make vows under certain
conditions, one may only seek the annulment of vows under certain conditions.
The Mishna (Nedarim 3:1) details these vows as:
- Vows of incitement
- Vows of exaggeration
- Vows made in error
- Vows [broken] under constraint
Our sages pursue the path of mercy here and
recognize that vows are not always easy to keep. However, they still advise
that there are strict consequences for the violation of vows. They cite a story
in the Talmud (b. Nedarim 65a) which recounts how King Tzedqiyahu's
broken vow to King Nebuchadnezzar to keep secret Nebuchadnezzar's practice of
consuming live rabbits led to the destruction of Judah
and the Temple.
We commemorate this horrible event on the upcoming Tisha B'Av (this year July 24, 2007).
In Matthew 5:33-37, Yeshua also emphasizes the
importance of vows by emphasizing the teaching of Moses in this week's parasha
and in other places in the Torah concerning vows (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:20; and Leviticus 19:12). Yeshua establishes a
fence around the Torah by stating that one should avoid making vows altogether
lest one transgress commitments made to God (and others). The importance of
avoiding making vows which one fails to keep is also emphasized by Yeshua's
brother Ya‘aqov who says, "Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by
heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "Yes" be yes your "No" be no, so that you may not fall
under condemnation" (Ya‘aqov 5:12).
2. "Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I
have given you the land to possess" (Numbers 33:53). According to our Rabbis,
this verse forms the basis of the commandment of Yishuv Eretz Yisra'el (Settling in the Land
of Israel). In light of the Torah
and Brit Chadasha, do you think it is a mitzva
to live in Israel?
Is it incumbent on every Jew to live there today? Is there any benefit to
living in Eretz Yisra'el?
Rabbi Jonathan
Kaplan
In his comments on this verse from Numbers 33 in his
Torah commentary, Ramban (R. Moses ben Nachman or Nachmanides, d. ca. 1270)
derives a single, positive commandment of Torah - to settle in the Land
of Israel and take possession of
it. Interestingly his predecessor Rambam (R. Moses ben Maimon or Maimonides, d.
1204) did not include the commandment of Yishuv Eretz Yisra'el in his
list of 613 commandments from the Torah.
The rabbis began restricting emigration from the Land
of Israel and Jerusalem
in particular during the Tannaitic period (1st-2nd centuries CE) thus
highlighting the importance of Jewish settlement in the Land. At the end of tractate Ketubot in the
Mishna (the section dealing with marriage contracts), the following injunction
is recorded (13:11),
All may be compelled to go up to the land
of Israel, but no one may be
compelled to leave. All may be compelled to go up to Jerusalem,
but no one may be compelled to leave. This includes men and women alike. . .
Though rabbis in both Babylon and the Land of Israel
during the 3rd through the 5th centuries CE acknowledged the authority of this
ruling, the sages in Babylon gradually advocated a vision of their community as
a center of Jewish life equal to (or greater than) in learning, renown, and
status with the community in the Land of Israel. In fact Rav Yehuda, a second
generation Babylonian Amora and student of Rav, states in this section (b.
Ketubot 110b), "All who go up from Babylonia to the land
of Israel transgress a positive
commandment."
However, the Babylonian sages continued to envision,
as have most Jewish religious leaders, the Land
of Israel and Jerusalem
as the center of God's messianic promises (see b. Ketubot 111b-112a). In
fact the prayer for the State of Israel written by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate
emphasizes this conviction when it says that the establishment of the State of
Israel is reshit tzemichat ge'ullatenu - "the first flowering of our
redemption."
Throughout the Brit Chadasha, there is also a strong
emphasis placed on the mitzva of Yishuv Eretz Yisra'el and on Jerusalem
and the Land of Israel
as the center of Jewish religious life and identity. The early community of
messianic believers is headquartered in Jerusalem
under the leadership of Ya‘aqov the brother of Yeshua (see Ma‘asei Sheluchim
15). Shaul, the great shaliach of the messianic community in the Land
of Israel, considers supporting
"the poor in Jerusalem" a central
component of his work outside of the Land (Romans 15:25-26; 1 Corinthians
16:33). As a Messianic Jewish community, we should follow the examples of
Ya‘aqov, Shaul, and even Yeshua himself and strive to support Yishuv Eretz
Yisra'el whether through financial supports or our own fulfillment of this mitzva.
For in expressing our commitment to this mitzva, not only are we fulfilling a
commandment, but also we are declaring our messianic hope for the realization
of the redemption of the Jewish people and the culmination of Yishuv Eretz
Yisra'el.
Dima Birman
Luke
23:33-43 - Struggling,
Faith, and Suffering
One of the crucified criminals mocked Yeshua by
asking him to "save himself" in Luke 23:39
(interestingly, this is the pattern that all other antagonists at the scene -
leaders of people [23:35b] and soldiers [23:36]
followed). The second criminal rebuked the mocker and asked Yeshua to remember
him when Yeshua comes into his kingdom. Yeshua affirms the salvation of the
repented criminal.
An interesting detail: the repented criminal did not
expect Yeshua to "save himself" but he still believed Yeshua was the Messiah.
Recall that everyone at the time expected the Messiah to save Israel
from Rome and establish the kingdom
(hence another mocking detail - the "King of the Jews" inscription over Yeshua
in Luke 23:38b). It was only after the resurrection when Yeshua's mission
became clear to his followers. Everyone, including even his closest disciples,
despaired! It was only in Emmaus that Yeshua "opened the eyes" of the two
disciples in Luke 24:31 after showing himself resurrected to the women who came
to anoint his body.
Yet this repentant criminal understood it all and
thus merited Gan Eden. To merit Gan Eden this criminal displayed
the tremendous faith in salvation through the resurrection of Yeshua while
seeing Yeshua near death. This is the
faith of Abraham when he offered his only beloved son Yitzchaq (and thus all
hope of God's promise to ever come true) believing that God would resurrect him
(Hebrews 11:17-19).
The criminal expressed the faith of Abraham, faith
in resurrection despite the overwhelming circumstances. Not even the ones closest to Yeshua had that
kind of faith at that time. As it turns out, this righteous man (I can't call
him criminal any more) is the first true believer in Yeshua as Messiah.
We are currently in the three-week mourning period
that started on 17th of Tammuz and which will end on the 9th of Av. This is the
mourning primarily over the destruction of the Temple.
The Temple was the precursor and
symbol of the Messiah and just like the Temple
was destroyed so the Messiah went through death (See Mark 15:29 where the spectators of the execution draw the
parallel between the Temple and
Yeshua).
It is sometimes difficult for us to go on while
seeing destruction all around and insurmountable obstacles ahead. At the same
time we have to learn that we will not always be extricated from difficult
circumstances (just as Yeshua knew he had to follow through without "saving
himself"). However, just as this righteous man executed with Yeshua, we have to
see through the veneer of our struggle and sometimes suffering with the faith
we inherit from Abraham. We have to understand that no matter what happens to
us, it is good, sent by God so he can give us our share in Gan Eden, and
that without our struggles, who knows, maybe we would never be able to see
clearly who our Savior is and what he went through to grant us our deliverance.
Parashat Mattot-Mas‘ei
1. In
Numbers 30:2-17, Moses relays to the people instructions regarding the taking
of vows. Under which circumstances does the Torah allow for vows to be
annulled? Under which conditions do our sages permit the taking and annulment
of vows? In light of Yeshua's statements in Matthew 5:33-37, how should Moses'
instructions in this chapter be understood?
2. "Take possession of
the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess" (Numbers
33:53). According to our Rabbis, this verse forms the basis of the commandment
of Yishuv Eretz Yisra'el (Settling in
the Land of Israel). In light of the Torah and Brit Chadasha, do you think it is a mitzva to live in Israel? Is it incumbent on every Jew to live there today?
Is there any benefit to living in Eretz
Yisra'el?
NEXT WEEK'S READINGS
- PARASHAT DEVARIM
Deuteronomy 1:1 -
3:22
Isaiah 1:1-27
Luke 23:44-56
UPCOMING YACHAD NETWORK EVENTS
4th Annual Young Leaders Shabbaton
New
York City ●
June 2008
7th Annual Young Messianic Jewish
Scholars Conference
New
York City ●
June 2008
Learning 
