Today we read the last two Sidrot in the Book of Numbers. These two Sidrot, which are called Mattot and Massei, are read together in all normal years. They are only read separately in leap years. Together they are one of the longest annual Torah readings. They are connected by their theme. Both of them speak about the conquest of the land. In the last section of the Sidra of Mattot, we find a detailed account of the solemn oath taken by the tribes of Reuven and Gad in the presence of Moses and the entire leadership, to participate fully in the conquest of the land. In the Sidra of Massei we find details about the borders of the land of Canaan with reference to the specific commandment given to the Israelites to conquer the land and dispossess the Canaanites.
In chapter 34 verse 53 we read: “And you shall take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given the land to you to possess it” There is a famous dispute between the two eminent mediaeval scholars, Maimonides and Nachmanides in respect of this commandment. Maimonides does not count it amongst the 613 Commandments which apply today. Nachmanides, who lived two generations later, in the 13th century, disagrees and regards it as one of the 613 Commandments, which applies to this very day. He was so fervent in the fulfilment of this mitzvah, that he himself left Spain where he was born and went to live in Jerusalem. To this day, there is a synagogue in Jerusalem, which is named after him. On the basis of his view, there is a large group of religious Zionists, who are opposed to giving any of the land to the Arabs.
The Sidra of Mattot begins with laws regarding the making of vows and oaths. The Torah requires us to fulfil all the obligations that we undertake. It regards our promises as holy. If we fail to carry them out, we are guilty of desecrating our words. The commentators ask why this commandment is placed here in the Torah. The great grammarian and Biblical commentator, Avraham ibn Ezra, is of the opinion that the Torah is not recorded in chronological order. Therefore, he maintains, that the portion regarding vows and oaths was delivered to Moses after the war against Midian, which is described subsequently in chapter 31. He sets out the sequence of events in this way: After Moses agreed to give the land of Gilead, on the Eastern side, to the tribes of the Re’uven and Gad, he made them take an oath to conquer the Western side together with their brethren. He said to them: “What has crossed your lips you will have to fulfil”. This is the reason that directly afterwards, and as a consequence, God gave Moses specific instructions regarding oaths and vows. Indeed, the Torah uses precisely the same expression as above, in the beginning of the Sidra of Mattot in chapter 30, verse 3: “A person must carry out all that is crossed his lips”.
The Torah does not say very much about the possibility of cancelling a vow. For obvious reasons, the Almighty was reluctant to elaborate on this possibility. He wants us to think carefully before we make a vow, rather than cancel it afterwards. In one of his final speeches, which are contained in the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses, warned the Israelites that they must avoid making vows. We never know in advance if we can fulfil them, because our circumstances change so rapidly. Our rabbis say that the laws regarding cancellation of vows are based almost entirely on oral traditions. There is barely a hint to them in the Torah. They compared them to mountains which are suspended on hair. By the expression in the opening verse of Mattot: “he may not desecrate his word”, our rabbis found the allusion to the fact that oaths and vows may be cancelled in the presence of a rabbinic expert The text uses the expression ‘desecration’, rather than ‘breaking’. This means that the person may explain to the expert that he was unaware of all the implications at the time of making the vow. The Mishnah calls this AN OPENING, for the vow to be set aside. Only the expert can validate this opening.
Chapter 31 begins with God’s commandment to wage war against the Midianites and choose men from every tribe to join the Army. The soldiers were very carefully selected. Only thousand people went to fight from each tribe. Thus the army consisted of 12,000 soldiers. Our rabbis said that Moses was determined that the army should remain completely pure. They should carry out the attacks without being tempted again, to act immorally. Army life was a great test for young people, even in that early period of the our history. It is very easy to lose one’s faith when serving in the army. To this day, religious parents in Israel, have the same feelings when they send their young boys to the army at the age of 18. This is one of the reasons for the great divide in Israeli society.
At that moment, God announced that this war would be Moses last act of leadership before his death. God considered that it was right for Moses to be responsible for taking revenge against the Midianites and thus complete leading all the wars that took place on the Eastern side of the Jordan. It was a very difficult task for Moses, because when he was young he had found refuge in the land of Midyan. The Midianites deserved very strong action. They had fought a brutal religious war against the Israelites, by means of completely immoral tactics which had almost succeeded. Although the Moabites also fought against Israel, they were spared a war. Apart from the fact that they were related to the family of Abraham, through Lot, they were reprieved because they had been less aggressive than the Midianites. Rashi says that they had a more legitimate reason for going to war. They were afraid of Israelite raids against their crops. However, the Midianites became involved in the war against Israel without any reason. They were not afraid of them because they resided a little further away. Fighting in a war in which one has no direct interests is considered to be a very great evil.