This week, we’re finishing up the Fourth Book of the Torah, B’midbar (Numbers). After this, the Fifth (and final) Book, Devarim/Deuteronomy, is mainly just a recapitulation of all that has happened to the Israelites on their Exodus from Egypt.
So whatever place they arrive at in our
parashah, that’s pretty much as far as they’re going to go. Just the Jordan to cross, and they’re IN the Holy Land! And that’s been the goal all along, right? Not only to escape slavery, nor merely to receive the Torah at Mount Sinai, and not even “just” to congeal as a people and become a nation... but THE LAND - that’s the Grand Prize! Isn’t it? Well, I’m not so sure. The Torah, in fact, doesn’t seem 100% sure about this either, and, perhaps MOST surprisingly, even Moses kind of leaves some room for question. Sooo... now what?
Everything was going swimmingly. 40 years of wandering has passed, the people are stronger and more battle-tested; they are ready for The Conquest - capital T, capital C. Then, a band of no-good-niks
go and mess it all up. The two tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with half (??) of the tribe of Menashe approach Moses with a request: “If we have found favor in your eyes, give us this land as an inheritance; do not move us across the Jordan [River].” (Numbers 32:5) What an outrage!! What chutzpah!! We wandered and wandered for 40 years, only so you can stay on the OTHER side of the Jordan and not claim the Holy Land for us and for God?!?! Moses is incensed, and yells at these agitators that even uttering such a petition has surely already enraged The Divine!! But their audacity continues. Instead of apologizing and backing away slowly, they try to negotiate. They offer to leave their families and belongings in this land they have requested, and enter the land WITH the rest of the Israelites, to help them conquer it (and then they'll return home, back across the Jordan). Well, you can only IMAGINE what Moses has to say about that, right???
Moses says “sure.” Yup, you heard that right. Moses agrees to their proposal. Ummmm... well that’s a little confounding, isn’t it? Back to my original assertion, wasn’t it a central and essential goal of this Exodus to conquer THE LAND??
And not just to conquer it, but to settle it and build our homes there? I think it’s fair to say that that’s what we’d been led to believe the whole time. Nevertheless, the Torah goes on to tell us that this is exactly what happens with the two-point-five tribes, and even in later books of the Tanach, we see that this community does indeed remain in Jordan for hundreds of years. As I’ve stated in previous blog posts, not only is this the first real Diaspora Jewish community, but one might even argue that the Diaspora was established BEFORE a community was formed in Israel; starting with the moment these families and possessions were kept back on the other side of the river.
I believe the Torah is teaching us a fundamental lesson here. Maybe even several lessons. First of all, the safety and protection of the Land of Israel is ALL our responsibility; whether we live there or not. But interestingly, choosing to NOT live in the land is also a valid option! Even today, those of us living outside the State of Israel are sometimes made to feel guilty, as if residing elsewhere is an “inferior” choice, or perhaps even a “cop-out.”
But the Torah itself doesn’t seem to feel that support and settlement are one and the same. So why should we? Second, perhaps a more global lesson (not tied to the question of Zionism) is that I love how the Torah shows us that each person and group may have their own destiny. What’s right for one person isn’t right for everyone. We don’t have to feel ashamed or apologetic when our journey leads us to unexpected places; life is FULL of unplanned shifts, changes, and resets. I highly doubt that Reuben, Gad, and Mena (cause it’s only half of “Menashe”...) were hatching this plan for 40 years. They had every intention of sharing the Promised Land with the other tribes... but life took them in a different direction. We may feel surprised, challenged, and even disappointed when things change in a BIG way. But we also have to learn to adapt and accept. If Moses (and God) could do it, I think we’re capable as well.
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