Petition of the Two and a Half Tribes/1/en
Petition of the Two and a Half Tribes
Introduction
A Problematic Request
Bemidbar 32 revolves around the request of Reuven and Gad to settle the lands east of the Jordan. Moshe's initial response is negative. He chastises them both for leaving the burden of fighting to the rest of the tribes and for dissuading the nation from crossing into Israel:
(ו) וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה לִבְנֵי גָד וְלִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ פֹה. (ז) וְלָמָּה [תְנִיאוּן] (תנואון) אֶת לֵב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲבֹר אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם י"י. (ח) כֹּה עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם בְּשׇׁלְחִי אֹתָם מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָאָרֶץ.
(6) And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben: 'Shall your brethren go to the war, and shall ye sit here? (7) And wherefore will ye turn away the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them? (8) Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land.
Immediately afterwards, however, Reuven and Gad express their willingness not just to fight, but even to lead the nation in battle. Moshe changes his mind and acquiesce to their original demands.
How are we to evaluate both the original request and Moshe's reaction? Did the tribes really mean to forsake the Promised Land, abandon their brothers, and leave them to embark on the Conquest alone? If so, why are they so quick to change their minds and offer to head the campaign? Similarly, if settling the eastern bank of the Jordan was problematic, and the tribes' request so troubling to Moshe that he compares their actions to the sin of the spies, why, in the end, does he allow it?
Secondary Questions:
1) What is the status of the eastern part of the Jordan-was it intended to be part of Israel?
2) After the detailed negotiation and agreement with Reuven and Gad (R&G) we note the sudden appearance of half the tribe of Menashe as joining them in Eiver Hayarden. How do we explain their surprise appearance on the scene?
3) How is the account of the return of the R&G Expedition Force in Yehoshua related?
