Much of this double parasha, Mattot-Mas'ei deals with promises and vows. Chapter 31 opens with God’s words which include a command and a promise to Moshe both of which will be fulfilled. In chapter 32, two and one-half tribes will be granted permission to remain on the eastern side of the Jordan River if they fulfill their promise to send shock troops across the Jordan to help the other tribes secure their inheritances. When B’nei Yisrael are told to go to war, it’s obvious from this parasha there are not only rules of engagement but also rules of disengagement. Soldiers must remain outside the camp for 7 days and clean themselves, their clothing, and the objects that accompanied them to battle before rejoining the community.
Mas'ei, as its name suggests (Mas’ei comes from the Hebrew root nun-samekh-ayin, travel), summarizes the forty year trek in the desert. Rambam explains that the list of stops in the desert underscores the miraculous nature of the forty years’ journey. The Israelites were not encamping on the edge of fertile fields where food and water abounded, but were in the wilderness and survived only with the help of God. The parasha ends with the distribution of land--another promise fulfilled-- and the establishment of the cities of refuge for those who accidentally kill someone. And who reappears in the conclusion of the parasha?—the daughters of Tzelofhad who marry within their tribe to keep their father’s portion within the tribe.
Find the food connection...
אִישׁ כִּי-יִדֹּר נֶדֶר
If a man makes a vow...
--Numbers 30:3a
Promise fulfilling salad!
The Side Dish
The beginning of this reading reminds me of the Yom Kippur prayer, Kol Nidre the legal formula annulling all our vows. Numbers 30:2-3 doesn’t offer any out for a man who makes a vow and later regrets his action. On the other hand, if a woman’s father or husband objects to her vow, it’s annulled. A widow’s or divorced woman’s vow is binding. Some may chafe at the inequality of men and women in this parasha, but in the Ancient Near East where women were often considered chattel, the Torah does at least make a provision for women to utter a vow. I’m interested in the solemnity of the vow for both men and women.
How many times do you hear someone say “I swear” or “I promise” in the course of a day? If you’re living in an orthodox enclave or in Israel, you might hear the opposite. An Israeli dry cleaner might tell you your pants will be ready on Thursday b’le neder (without a vow). Why does Judaism take words, especially promises so seriously?
With each keystroke or syllable uttered, we humans create with letters and words just as God created the world by speaking it into being. When we use hateful language, it’s clear how easily we can destroy a person or a relationship. The Torah and our focus on vows can help us guard our speech in a world where talk is not only cheap, but non-stop. I’m not vowing to avoid vows, but I’d like to concentrate on the last prayer of the Amidah: Elohai, n’tzor l’shoni mi-ra (God, keep my tongue from evil). Maybe that needs an addition and my fingers from texting hatred.