Parashat Ma’asei
Numbers 30:2 – 36:13

Topics (click on any link)
Synopsis of the Torah portion
Spiritual insights into Parashat Ma'asei
Key verses
Creative Midrash for Parashat Ma'asei

Chapter 30  (Matot)
Moses continues with the laws that God commanded him teach the Israelites from the previous parashat. The emphasis of this chapter in on vows. If a man makes a vow to the Lord, he must not break his pledge and must carry out everything that he promises. The bulk of this chapter deals with the many conditions of vows made by women, which can be altered depending upon their marital status.

Chapter 31
God now tells Moses that in order to be gathered to his kin, he must wreak the Lord’s vengeance on Midian. Moses gathered twelve thousand men for the campaign. They went into battle with Midian and slew every man together with the five kings of Midian. Balaam, the Midianite prophet also met his doom. When the troops returned from battle with the women and children captives, Moses became angry with the commanders for sparing the lives of the women. They were the ones who induced the Israelites to profane themselves causing the community to be struck by a plague. Moses commanded all women who had known a man carnally, except for the young women, and the all the male children to be slain.
All the troops who had partaken in the campaign that were unclean through the condition of touching a corpse had to purify himself as commanded. Every article that was utilized in the battle also had to be purified by fire or water if the object could not withstand the fire. The booty that was captured was to be divided equally among the community and a levy was exacted from the spoils of war for the Lord. The chapter concludes with the inventory of sheep, cattle, assets, and human beings that were taken and how it was all divided among the Israelites.

Chapter 32
Two tribes, the Gadites and the Reubenites came before Moses and requested that they not cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan because the land they just conquered was fertile land for all the cattle they owned. Moses reminded them that they were given the land of Canaan as an inheritance and God would be angered if they don’t cross over. He also reminded the chiefs of the tribes how their fathers were doomed to die in the desert as punishment for their apprehensive report when they were ordered to survey the land.
The chiefs proposed that they build their towns on the east side of the Jordan and assist the other tribes in conquering the land. Moses agreed that if they keep their word, they could retain their fruitful land, the land of Gilead. If however they do not fulfill their promise they will sin before the Lord, and their sins will come back to haunt them. This was the land of the Amorites, which the two tribes rebuilt after its destruction by the Israelites.

Chapter 33 (Ma'asei)
This chapter summarizes the journey that the Israelites took after leaving Egypt. The narrator begins his synopsis with the Israelites starting out from Egypt at the time the Egyptian were burying all the first-born struck down by the Lord. We are reminded that at Mount Hor, Aaron commanded by the Lord ascended the mountain and died there, at which time the Canaanite king learned of the coming of the Israelites. The narrative brings us up to date as the Israelites camp on the plains of Moab, just before crossing over. At this moment, God, through Moses, speaks to the Israelites and commands them to destroy the idols and dispossess all the inhabitants of the land that they are to occupy. If you do not do as you’re commanded, he continues, the inhabitants will harass you.

Chapter 34
The boundaries of the land of Canaan are defined for all of Israel. Moses then named the ten men through whom the land shall be allotted. One from each tribe; the tribes of Reuben and Gad have already received their portions.

Chapter 35
Moses than instructed the Israelites to assign towns for the Levites to dwell in from their allotted territories. These towns shall comprise the six cities of refuge to be set aside for man slayers to flee to. In addition another forty-two towns are to be added making total of forty-eight towns. These man slayers have killed someone unintentionally and need a place of refuge from an avenger. Here the Torah distinguishes between a man slayer and a murderer—one who intentionally kills someone. Murderers, regardless of what method they used to kill, are to be put to death by the blood-avenger. If the killing was done without malice, then an assembly shall decide between the slayer and the blood-avenger. The assembly must protect the man slayer from the avenger by sending him to a city of refuge. These rules were put into effect in order that the land must not become polluted. Blood pollutes the land.

Chapter 36
A family head in one of the clans, to whom Zelophehad’s daughter’s belonged, came before Moses to further clarify their share of the land. He requested that daughters should lose their share if they marry someone from another Israelite clan; he felt that their allotted portion would be diminished. The request was brought before God who ruled that they may marry anyone they wish provided they marry into a clan of their father’s tribe. Every daughter must marry someone from her father’s clan in order that every Israelite may keep his ancestral share. The daughters of Zelophehad did precisely what was asked of them; they married within their own clan.

This concludes the Book of Numbers 

Spiritual insights into Parashat Ma’asei                  return to top of page
Mase'ei is effectively the end of the Torah; the last book, Deuteronomy which begins next week is both a recap of the forty year journey and Moses last sermon to the Israelites before he is joined with his ancestors. Aaron, Moses’ brother and high priest ascends Mount Hor and there he dies at the command of the Lord. Meanwhile, the Lord speaks to Moses, saying: to the Israelites, “ When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land. You shall destroy all their figured objects; you shall destroy all their molten images, and you shall demolish all their cult places.  And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have assigned the land to you to possess” The question is do the Israelites ever really cross over the Jordan and arrive in the Promised Land. There is a strand of thought that says that they never did. If you’re under the impression that Canaan is not actually a parcel of physical geography, but a state of spiritual accomplishment, then the Israelites never really crossed over. Maybe that’s why we read the Torah over again each year with the hope that someday we’ll get there.

This Parasha also maps out the territory that God apportions to each of the tribes and the general boundaries of the Promised Land. It is this literal interpretation that the West Bank settlers depend upon to lay claim to their homes in the midst of strife in the Middle East.

Key verses                        return to top of page
This page is not a commentary on the text, but a chance for you to express your own comments and feelings in order to gain deeper insight into your own life.

Numbers 30:4
If a women makes a vow to the Lord and assumes an obligation while still in her fathers household by reason of her youth, and her father learns of her vow or self-imposed obligation and offers no objection, all her vows shall stand and every self-imposed obligation shall stand.
Food for thought:
1. Why do you think vows to the Lord hold so much importance in the Torah?
2. Men are totally obligated to carry out their vows; women on the other hand are obligated only to the extent of their marital status. Do you think that it's an advantage or is it another form of feminine discrimination?
3. Why do you think so many conditions are brought forth in this chapter regarding the women's obligations and very little regarding the men's duty?

Numbers 31:15-16
Moses said to them, "You have spared every female! Yet they are the very ones who, at the bidding of Balaam, induced the Israelites to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so that the Lord's community was stuck by the plague.
Food for thought:
1. This is the admonishment Moses gave his commanders after they destroyed Midian and slew the males. Was it just to kill the adult women and male children, in this case?
2. What really was the crime of the Midianites? Debauchery, lust, or idolatry? Can you think of other possibilities?
3. Why was a plague sent to the Israelites? How was it revoked?

Numbers 32:4
The land that the Lord has conquered for the community of Israel is cattle country, and your servants have cattle. It would favor us", the continued, "if this land were given to your servants as a holding; do not move us across the Jordan.
Food for thought:
1. These are the words of two tribes who preferred to remain on the east side of the Jordan because the land there was fertile for their cattle. Did they do anything that might provoke God's anger for not crossing the Jordan?
2. Can you recall other incidents or people in the Book of Numbers that also resisted going to the land of Canaan? Why did they oppose the journey?
3. Can you make the connection between the security of fertile land and the fear of entering unknown territory?
4. Do you do things like that when your own life calls for moving on?

Numbers 33:51-52
When you cross the Jordan, into the land of Canaan, you shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land; you shall destroy all their figured objects; you shall destroy all their molten images, and you shall demolish all their cult places.
Food for thought:
1. Why do you think all these objects must be destroyed once the Israelites enter the land?
2. Do certain obstacles stand in your way before you can make life changes? What are they?
3. Can you destroy your own obstacles to moving on? How would you do it?

Numbers 35:6
The towns that you assign to the Levites shall comprise the six cities of refuge, which you are to set aside for a man slayer to flee to.
Food for thought:
1. In this chapter, the Torah is outlining the conditions for those who kill others. There are many crimes that can be committed within a community.  Why does the Torah focus only on the crime of bloodshed?
2. These cities were set up to protect a man slayer from a blood-avenger. Why are other crimes not mentioned and why wouldn't a victim want vengeance for other violations?
3. What is the Torah getting at when it speaks about the blood-avenger? What may happen when shed blood is not avenged?

Numbers 36:13
These are the commandments and regulations that the Lord enjoined upon the Israelites, through Moses, on the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho.
Food for thought:
1. Generally, what kind of laws was specified on the steppes of Moab?
2. Do you think these laws mean something else other than their literal meaning?
3. Why did God instruct Moses to teach these specific laws before crossing the Jordan?
4. Were the Israelites able to carry out the laws that were specified regarding taking possession of the land?

Additional questions to ponder:
1. What is it about the story, a verse, a word that seems to resonate with some aspect of your life?
2. Is there something about the story that rings a bell?
3. Can you recall experiences in your life when you have experienced something similar to this story?
4. How would you describe the characters in the story? Who do you know who's like them?
5. Can you personally identify with any one of the characters in the story? Which one?
6. Can you find a similarity between yourself and all the characters in the story?

Reflections:
The Rabbis of old would meditate on such questions, sometimes for weeks at a time, to help find deeper meaning in the
verses. You may wish to contemplate just one or a few of these questions at a time, rather than tackling them
all. In what ways we any of your responses to the questions personally meaningful?

Suggestion:
Some of the questions here are of a personal nature which in some cases could be emotionally upsetting. If so, try
relaxing your body as much as possible and takes long slow breaths of air. That usually helps to relieve anxiety.

We would like to know if you find this method of Torah study particularly helpful to you. Click here to let us know

Creative Midrash on Parshiot Matot and Ma’asei                         return to top of page
 

Numbers 33:53
And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it.

The Rabbis of old would create parables, stories and narrative connections around such selected verses. What do you see between the lines, the sentences and the letters. The following questions can provide a launch pad upon which to create your own meanings of the Torah.

You are an Israelite waiting on the plains of Moab to cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan. What does the scene look like to you? What can you hear? What is the weather like? What’s going on in your mind? Are you frightened of the prospects of entering the land? Will the enemy fight back fiercely? Are you worried that you might be killed? Are you worried about the safety of your family? What do you think you will find on the other side? Are you still afraid, knowing that God is with you? Think back and remember battles the Lord fought for you triumphed, so why worry?
Now bring these thoughts forward to your present existence. Can you now enter new territories: a new job or career, a new relationship, a new home, etc., knowing that God is with you?

Spend some time thinking about these questions. After you mentally process them for a day or two, it could be helpful to record your conclusions in a journal. It's not important to have correct answers; it's more important to wrestle with the narrative. In time this process can teach you to change many of your unproductive thoughts and beliefs for new ones that work more effectively.