Parshiot Matot-Maasay (Tribes and Travels)
CARLSBAD, California — This week we read a double portion of Matot – Maasay, which translates as Tribes and Travels. The first portion begins by mentioning the Tribes of Israel. The second portion recounts the forty-two encampments of the Children of Israel during their forty-year sojourn in the desert; from the time they left Egypt until the time they were poised to enter the Holy Land.
When the Torah refers to the 12 Tribes it sometimes uses the Hebrew word ‘Shevatim’ and occasionally uses the word ‘Matot’. The singular form of each word is Shayvet and Matah.
The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson of righteous memory, asks, “What is the difference between the words and what does this difference teach us?”
Each word not only means ‘tribe’ but it also means ‘branch’. The connection between a tribe and a branch is fairly obvious, as tribes are disparate parts that come from the same source just as branches are. But we find that there are different types of branches; one kind is when the branch is still attached to the tree and/or still has the sap within it, and the other is when it is separate from the tree and the sap has dried out. In the first instance the branch is still supple while in the second instant it has become rigid.
The word Matot, in our portion, is the latter type of branch. It represents the idea that the branch has been separated from the tree and a rigidity has set in. This, at first glance, seems to have a negative connotation when discussing the Jewish people. Emphasizing the fact that they were separated from the Tree (in the metaphor G-d is the Source that we are alluding to) does not seem to be a positive. Intimating that the inner sap has dried and the branch has become rigid also does not seem very positive. This means that the presence of the sap is less discernable, or in the analogue the life-giving sap which emanates from the Almighty, meaning the life force of the Jew, has largely dried up.
But in fact, the Rebbe explains, there can also be a positive to be gleaned from this.
The Matah is much less likely to bend than the Shayvet. Sometimes rigidity is a positive attribute. The Jewish people are described as an ‘Am kishei oref,’ a stiff necked people. That means that we can be very stubborn. While stubbornness can often be considered a serious character flaw there are times when it can be a great character trait. For instance, when one’s neighbors worship idols or embrace some other evil action, and even put pressure on the Jew to engage in such activity, stubbornly clinging to Jewish ethics is a virtue.
We can now understand the connection of these two portions. The (unbending) Tribes of Israel would embark on numerous travels during their forty years in the desert. During that time they would be faced with numerous challenges, hardships, and negative influences. There is no doubt that sometimes the best approach is a ‘bend but do not break’ attitude. There are also times, however, when we must remain rigidly opposed and refuse to compromise our morals. Sometimes, as Jews, we must proactively reject the evil that we see. Often this will be an unpopular position. Nonetheless, we must rigidly and stubbornly reject evil, even popular evil.
It is precisely this approach that enabled our people to navigate the difficulties of the desert and overcome the challenges of inhabiting the Holy Land. It is this approach that will enable us to successfully navigate the harsh tests currently facing our community and nation!
Wishing everyone an uplifting, joyous, and healthy Shabbos!
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Rabbi Yeruchem Eilfort is Director of Coastal Chabads and Chabad at La Costa. Rabbi Eilfort welcomes readers’ comments and questions and may be reached at RabbiE@ChabadatLaCosta.com.