The tribes of Reuven and Gad have lots of cattle, and they notice that the land east of the Jordan River is good for grazing. They bring a request to Moshe and the other leaders of Benei Yisrael.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִם מָצָאנוּ חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ
יֻתַּן אֶת הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לַעֲבָדֶיךָ
לַאֲחֻזָּה
אַל תַּעֲבִרֵנוּ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן׃
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי גָד וְלִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן
הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה
וְאַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ פֹה׃
וְלָמָּה תְנִיאוּן אֶת לֵב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
מֵעֲבֹר אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם ה'׃
They said, “If we have found favor in your eyes,
let this land be given to your servants for a possession,
don’t make us cross the Jordan River.”
And Moshe said to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuven,
“Shall your brothers go to war, while you sit here?!
And why would you turn the hearts of Benei Yisrael away
from crossing into the land that God has given them?”
- What do you notice?
- Did these tribes do something wrong by asking to remain outside Eretz Yisrael? What evidence can you find?
- What are Moshe’s different objections? What tone do you imagine him using?
- Can you think of something else Moshe might have said, but doesn’t quite say in his words here?
- What solution might you suggest? (You can read on to find the resolution of this conflict in 32:20-22.)
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