Parashas Matot Masei (Numbers 30 - 36) 7-16-17

July 16, 2017: http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=115845 Parasha Matot is Numbers 30:2–32:42, and Masei is Num. 33-36.

* Num. 30:2-17 assumes that all adult women are married. By giving the husband 24 hours to nullify the wife’s vow, it assures him that he is head of the household.

* Num. 31:1. The Lord spoke to Moses: “Avenge the Israelite people on the Midianites, then you shall be gathered to your kin.”

What did God mean by “avenge”? God wants retribution for the Midianites seducing Israel into worshiping Baal-peor while the Israelites want revenge for the devastating plague that followed that worship.

This repeated invocation of “gathered to your kin” indicates that ties of blood are important in the Torah world view.

* Was Balaam a good guy or a bad guy? Num. 31:8 says the Jews slew Balaam. Yet we use his words in the Jewish prayer book.

* Dennis Prager: “What did God command [about Midian]? Retribution. There is no other specific command from God. It is all from Moses. Moses does all the commanding of killing. Did Moses do exactly what God wanted?”