THE LOVE FOR ERETZ YISRAEL

Dear Family,

I hope that everyone is well

Mazal Tov to Hirshy on his birthday today. It is interesting that your Barmitzvah was also the same as this week’s Sedra Hirshy – Matos Masei. Wishing you a successful and happy year in all that you do both begashmius and ruchnius!

Mazal Tov to Sophia whose birthday is 2 days later – so you and your Daddy can celebrate together Sophia. Wishing you a wonderful happy year!

In this week’s Sedra Matos /Masei, the Tribes of Reuven and Gad requested from Mosheh to stay on the East side of the Jordan *and not to cross over* to enter ERETZ YISRAEL proper. This is because the East side of the Jordan River was suitable for shepherding livestock which they had a lot of.

Moshe recalls to them the fury of Hashem when the spies discouraged Am Yisrael from entering Eretz Yisrael 40 years previously, with their accompanying punishment, and he explains that this new request may reignite Hashems anger again.

But Reuven and Gad reassured Mosheh that they intend to go in together with the other 10 Tribes at the head of the army, and do whatever it takes to conquer the Land (which took 7 years), and then return to their families and cattle East of the Jordan. To which Mosheh agreed, and in addition he allocated land on the East side of the Jordan to half of the tribe of Menasheh.

The Rebbe explained the whole rationale behind the thinking of the spies and of Reuven and Gad:

*Spies* Their sin was that they wanted to stay in the desert where all their material needs were met and they could just focus on Torah and Mitzvot. They did not want to be part of normal material living of working the land, jobs etc and all the troubles that go along with it.

Which seems valid enough, but really our purpose is to be part of the world, and in the process, to bring G-dliness into the world.

*Reuven and Gad* - Was their request of not the same as that of the spies? (Shepherding allows one to sit in the fields all day contemplating and studying as did our Forefathers)

They replied that they understood that the whole Nation could not be involved in such activity (as requested by the spies), and, that rather we should be involved in the ways of the world. But at least some of the Nation should have the opportunity to do activities removed from the world!

And that in the meantime, anyway, they would join with the rest of the Nation to help conquer the Land.

Mosheh accepted this argument, but as a safeguard, he allocated that half of the Tribe of Menasheh should join Reuven and Gad on the East side of the Jordan.

This is because Menasheh WERE FAMOUS FOR THEIR LOVE OF ERETZ YISRAEL (as we recently learnt from Tzelafchad and the daughters of Tzelafchad, who were from Menasheh).

Mosheh wanted to make sure that this presence, and spirit of the love of Eretz Yisrael, would never be lost by the Tribes of Reuven and Gad, who would be outside of the mainland.

May these 3 Weeks of Mourning for the destruction of our Temples and our Exile, be replaced this year with the Coming of Mashiach, the rebuilding of the Third and final Bet HaMikdash and our full return to Greater Israel

Gut Shabbos to all