Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
The tribes of Reuven and Gad ask Moshe for permission to settle just outside אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel).
When Moshe hears their request, his response is a strong, “No way!” (Bemidbar 32:6-15).
The tribes respond to Moshe’s concerns, and yet Moshe still doesn’t seem totally satisfied (Bemidbar 32:20-24).
Why not? Are there clues in the Torah that can help us better understand what’s bothering Moshe?
עָשׂוּ אֶת הָעִקָּר טָפֵל, וְהַטָּפֵל עִקָּר. לָמָּה?
שֶׁחִבְּבוּ נִכְסֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִגּוּפָן, שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְמֹשֶׁה, "גִּדְרֹת צֹאן נִבְנֶה לְמִקְנֵנוּ פֹּה" תְּחִלָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ, "וְעָרִים לְטַפֵּנוּ" (במדמר לב:טז).
אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה, לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּ כָּךְ. עָשׂוּ אֶת הָעִקָּר תְּחִלָּה - "בְּנוּ־לָכֶם עָרִים לְטַפְּכֶם." וְאַחַר כָּךְ - "וּגְדֵרֹת לְצֹנַאֲכֶם" (במדבר לב:כד).
These tribes treated the ikkar (the more important thing) as tafeil (the less important thing), and the tafeil as ikkar. How?
They valued their property more than their people when they said to Moshe, “we will build here pens for our flocks,” first, and only afterwards, “towns for our children” (Bemidbar 32:16).
Moshe said to them, “Don’t do it that way. The ikkar should be first, ‘build towns for your children.’ Only after that, ‘pens for your flocks’ (Bemidbar 32:24).”
- What is this midrash teaching about priorities? How can a person show that they value their family more than material things?
- As you read Moshe’s conversation with these tribes (it takes up most of chapter 32), what else do you notice Moshe emphasizing to them? What else seems to be important to him?
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