Mattot CN Source Sheet

ByGrowTorah Education

GrowTorah Parsha Articles - Bamidbar

במדבר ל״ב:ט״ז

(טז) וַיִּגְּשׁ֤וּ אֵלָיו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ גִּדְרֹ֥ת צֹ֛אן נִבְנֶ֥ה לְמִקְנֵ֖נוּ פֹּ֑ה וְעָרִ֖ים לְטַפֵּֽנוּ׃

Numbers 32:16

(16) Then they stepped up to him and said, “We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks and towns for our children.

מדרש תנחומא, מטות ז׳

(א) וּמִקְנֶה רַב. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ וְגוֹ' (קהלת י, ב). לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ, זֶה מֹשֶׁה. וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ, אֵלּוּ בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי גָד, שֶׁעָשׂוּ אֶת הָעִקָּר טָפֵל, וְהַטָּפֵל עִקָּר. לָמָּה, שֶׁחִבְּבוּ נִכְסֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִגּוּפָן, שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה, גִּדְרוֹת צֹאן נִבְנֶה לְמִקְנֵינוּ פֹּה, פֹּה תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ, וְעָרִים לְטַפֵּנוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ. עֲשׂוּ אֶת הָעִקָּר תְּחִלָּה. בְּנוּ עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם. וְאַחַר כָּךְ גְּדֵרוֹת לְצֹאנְכֶם. הֱוֵי, לֵב חָכָם לִימִינוֹ, זֶה מֹשֶׁה. וְלֵב כְּסִיל לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ, אֵלּוּ בְּנֵי רְאוּבֵן וּבְנֵי גָּד. אָמַר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתֶּם חִבַּבְתֶּם מָמוֹנְכֶם יוֹתֵר מִנַּפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם. חַיֵּיכֶם, אֵין בּוֹ בְּרָכָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נַחֲלָה מְבֹהֶלֶת בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה וְאַחֲרִיתָהּ לֹא תְּבֹרַךְ (משלי כ, כא). אֶל תִּיגַע לְהַעֲשִׁיר, מִבִּינָתְךָ חֲדָל (משלי כג, ד). וְאֵיזוֹ עָשִׁיר. הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹּאכֵל, אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ (תהלים קכח, ב).

Midrash Tanchuma, Matot 7

(1) "And much cattle" (Numbers 32:1). This is [the meaning of] that which is stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 10:2), "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad, who made the essential, secondary, and the secondary, essential. Why? Because they loved their possessions more than their selves. As they said to Moshe (Numbers 32:16), "'We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks,' first, and afterwards, 'and towns for our children.'" Moshe said to them, "Do not do like this, make the essential first; 'build towns for your children,' and afterwards 'sheepfolds for your flocks' (Numbers 32:24)." Hence, "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You loved your money more than your souls. By your lives, there is no blessing in this, as stated (Proverbs 20:21), 'An estate acquired in haste at the outset will not be blessed in the end.'" "Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist" (Proverbs 23:4). And who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot, as stated (in Psalms 128:2), "You shall eat the produce of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you."

דברי הימים א ה׳:כ״ו

(כו) וַיָּ֩עַר֩ אֱלֹהֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶת־ר֣וּחַ ׀ פּ֣וּל מֶלֶךְ־אַשּׁ֗וּר וְאֶת־ר֙וּחַ֙ תִּלְּגַ֤ת פִּלְנֶ֙סֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּגְלֵם֙ לָראוּבֵנִ֣י וְלַגָּדִ֔י וְלַחֲצִ֖י שֵׁ֣בֶט מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה וַ֠יְבִיאֵ֠ם לַחְלַ֨ח וְחָב֤וֹר וְהָרָא֙ וּנְהַ֣ר גּוֹזָ֔ן עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃ {פ}

I Chronicles 5:26

(26) So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul of Assyria—the spirit of King Tillegath-pilneser of Assyria—and he carried them away, namely, the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, and brought them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river Gozan, to this day.

דברים ח׳:י״א-י״ד

(יא) הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֺתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיּֽוֹם׃ (יב) פֶּן־תֹּאכַ֖ל וְשָׂבָ֑עְתָּ וּבָתִּ֥ים טֹבִ֛ים תִּבְנֶ֖ה וְיָשָֽׁבְתָּ׃ (יג) וּבְקָֽרְךָ֤ וְצֹֽאנְךָ֙ יִרְבְּיֻ֔ן וְכֶ֥סֶף וְזָהָ֖ב יִרְבֶּה־לָּ֑ךְ וְכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ֖ יִרְבֶּֽה׃ (יד) וְרָ֖ם לְבָבֶ֑ךָ וְשָֽׁכַחְתָּ֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ֛ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם מִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִֽים׃

Deuteronomy 8:11-14

(11) Take care lest you forget the LORD your God and fail to keep His commandments, His rules, and His laws, which I enjoin upon you today. (12) When you have eaten your fill, and have built fine houses to live in, (13) and your herds and flocks have multiplied, and your silver and gold have increased, and everything you own has prospered, (14) beware lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the LORD your God—who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage;