Petition of the Two and a Half Tribes/2
Petition of the Two and a Half Tribes
Exegetical Approaches
Moshe Had it Right!
The two Tribes’ original request had two components: one explicit, to receive their portion on the eastern side of the Jordan and one implied, that they would not be participating in the conquest. According to several sources, Moshe correctly inferred that R&G did not intend to join the campaign and saw this as an immediate threat to the success of the Conquest. By comparing their request to the Spies, Moshe is expressing his indignation that they would prefer to settle outside the borders that G-d had chosen for them. Therefore, his harsh response was justified.
- Moshe's indignant exclamation ,1האחיכם יבאו למלחמה ואתם תשבו פה and his comparison to the Spies, implies and warns of the damaging psychological effect upon the other tribes, seeing their brothers already settled safe and sound while they yet faced long and dangerous struggles. This is elaborated by Philo . Following Bemidbar Rabbah, that likens R&G to the rebellious Korach2, commentaries, such as, Rashi, and the Malbim, note that this situation, would weaken their morale and create jealousy and divisiveness3.
- The Netziv points out that given how the lands of Sichon and Og had been conquered by the united effort of all the tribes, for two of the tribes to now claim for themselves the fruits of that combined effort and to leave to the others, alone, the burden of conquering Canaan was presumptuous and immoral.
- By their preference for land outside the boundaries of Canaan, Tzeror HaMor and Akeidat Yitzchak accuse R&G of being guilty of ,וימאסו בארץ חמדה4 that will further demoralize the rest of the Tribes.The promise of the Land is a central element of every revelation by G-d to all the Avot and is a component of the Birkat Avraham that accompanies and guides the Bnei Ysrael through their bondage and exodus from Egypt, and their wandering through the Wilderness. All the references to the Land, beginning with the promises to the Avot, speak of “the land of Canaan” which in the days of Moshe had a particular geographic referent. While its north-south borders were never considered definitive ,מנהר מצרים עד הנהר הגדל נהר פרת"5, the natural borders of the Mediteranean Sea and Jordan River , determined its east-west limits. It did not include the lands east of the Jordan. For those situated on the east side of the Jordan, it was always, “when you will cross the Jordan”. And so, G-d said to Moshe while he was on the east side of the Jordan, והיה ביום אשר תעברו את הירדן אל הארץ אשר ה' אלקיך נתן לך"6,that is, the Land that G-d gives you as an inheritance is on the west side.7
- Moshe fears that settlement of R&G outside of Canaan would be considered by G-d as a grievous sin, resulting in some sort of collective punishment just as it was in the case of the Spies ,or perhaps as the Netziv suggests, an extension of the Spies' punishment of wandering the desert.
- Bemidbar Rabbah followed by Rashi, Tzeror HaMor , and the Akeidat Yitzchak , interpret the emphasis by the text of the abundance of cattle owned by R&G as a demonstration of their wrongly placed greater value on their material wealth than the spiritual importance of living in the sanctity and under the special providence of Eretz Yisrael. Bemidbar Rabbah condemns their misplaced priorities and see that as the reason they were first to be exiled8.
- The Tribes' wealth and military victories over Sichon , Og and Midian may have had generated a sense of over confidence. The fact that this generation were not newly liberated slaves, but rather , had attained a certain degree of independence and self-sufficiency during their stay in the wilderness, may have further strengthened their self confidence. According to Akeidat Yitzchak, this situation might have lead to a sense of "כחי ועצם ידי" and a lack of trust in G-d. This might explain their willingness to live alone in territories that were exposed to incursions that lacked the natural defenses of Canaan9.
- In response to Moshe’s outrage, R&G now propose to send a military force, "נחלץ חשים" to serve as a vanguard to help the tribes conquer Canaan, and not to return to their families until each of the tribes have received their portion in Canaan, "עד אשר הביאנם...עד התנחל בני ישראל איש נחלתו"10.Seforno and Spero11 suggest, that while strict authoritarianism would require that Moshe stick to the Divine plan and insist that the R&G settle in Canaan, Moshe had to weigh the possibility of popular rebellion, as was the case of Korach12 and the Ma’apilim13 , if he refuses their request. As a sort of “lame duck” leader at this time, it would have been much more difficult to assert his authority. The immediate, positive gain of R&G’s willingness to send their men as a vanguard force, outweighed the possible negative .
- In regard to the question of: Did Moshe consult with G-d before he accepted their proposal? From the words," את אשר דבר ה '14 it would appear that Moshe did receive Divine sanction for the agreement , affirmed by Moshe in Arvot Moav15, ה' אלקיכם נתן לכם את הארץ הזאת לרשתה and later by Yehoshua, " וישבו וילכו בני ראובן ובני גד שבט המנשה מאת בני ישראל משלה אשר בארץ כנען ללכת אל ארץ הגלעד אל ארץ אחזתם אשר נאחזו בה על פי ה' ביד משה".16
- Moshe’s critical, yet calculated response is an example of crisis management and damage control aimed to educate and ensure for smooth implementation of the agreement under Yehoshua, as described by Philo, Akeidat Yitzchak, Malbim and Samet17. These commentaries explain how only after Moshe's passionate and critical reaction, do the two Tribes take council with each other, modify their request with a generous counter proposal and the tension is diffused . Here, Moshe demonstrated seasoned leadership and good judgment.
- In order to further strengthen the legality of the agreement, Moshe spells out the terms of the condition: If you will do this thing…..and if you will not do so….. This is referred to in the Talmudic literature as "תנאי בני גד ובני ראובן"18 , which is the prototype for a condition to have legal standing. According to Chanina ben Gamliel19, the double condition is necessary to clarifiy that the Tribes' will not loose their right to a portion in Canaan, in the situation that they do not keep their side of the bargain .
- It would appear that the agreement was solemnized by the Tribes taking an oath, as it says, והייתם נקים מה' ומישראל20. Moshe then, brings the agreement before Elazar HaCohen , Yehoshua and the heads of the Matot, the same judicial bodies that will supervise the Conquest and portioning of the land in Canaan. The successful completion of the Tribe's mission and the fulfillment of the agreement will take place 14 years later, as described in Yehoshua 22 .
- According to this approach, that the very request of R&G was offensive and which triggered Moshe’s harsh response, how do we understand what seems to be Moshe’s unsolicited offer to settle clans from Menashe in Eiver Hayarden? In addition, assuming that מכיר, does not refer to the family of or descendants of מכיר, as the Ramban 21explains, then, based on the chronology of the Tribe of Menashe22, Machir, the grandson of Yosef, was probably not alive when the Bnei Yisrael were about to enter Canaan! A commentary on Chronicles, attributed to a student of Saadia Gaon , claims that the son's of Menashe had temporarily conquered some territories on Eiver Hayarden much earlier, while their father, Yosef ,was still a vizier in Egypt. Now that these lands had been “liberated” , Moshe honored their claims to the land and their right to settle there.23
- ומקנה היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד עצום מאוד ויראוו את ארץ יעזר, ואת ארץ גלעד והנה "המקום מקום מקנה24 -The introductory words of the chapter that begin with the subject (and not a verb),already set the tone and direct the reader’s attention to the Tribes’ accumulated wealth . Samet 25points out that the root קנ"ה that is mentioned twice in the introduction and twice in the Tribes’ first conversation26 -focuses on the quality of possession/aquisition. Moshe avoids that subject-except when he uses a substitute word צנאכם27 .
- "עטרות ודיבן ויעזר ונמרה וחשבון"-Rosenson28 suggests that the unconventional manner that R&G present their request by listing the names of the cities without providing their general context, and the hesitant, hinting manner of verses 4,5-as if “beating around the bush", suggests that they themselves sense that their request is problematic.
- "הארץ אשר הכה ה"–Akeidat Yitzchak contends that the only mention of G-d by R&G in their initial request was perhaps an attempt to neutralize any accusation that they were acting immorally by taking for themselves, land conquered by a joint effort of all Bnei Yisrael. Their implicit argument is that these lands were primarily conquered through the help of G-d..and so, too, will Canaan be conquered with Divine intervention.
- The repetition of the word ויאמרו while in the middle of an uninterrupted conversation, that began in verse 2, is a textual phenomenon that might indicate a break in the continuity of the conversation that will have an impact on the 2nd half of the conversation. Samet29 suggests how Moshe’s lack of a response- his “deafening silence” (symbolized by the פרשה סתומה) is the break that will cause the Tribes to present their request in a straightforward way,יתן את הארץ הזאת לעבדיך לאחזה אל תעברנו את הירדן30."
- להניע-להניא-להניח31 - Samet32 shows how Moshe’s play on verbs further connects the two Tribes’ and the Spies’ respective sins and punishments with each other.33
- "ויראו את ארץ"- refers to R&G’s laying eyes on Eiver Hayarden, reminds us of Moshe’s instructions to the Spies וראיתם את הארץ34. People see the same scene through different lens’. R&G saw Eiver Hayarden through the lens of self-interest, while the Spies were told by Moshe to see it in all its promising possibilities.
- אל הארץ אשר נתן להם ה and ...את האדמה אשר נשבעתי לאברהם ליצחק וליעקב-By referring to Canaan as the Promised land, three times in his first response, Moshe is insinuating that the Tribes’ preference for Eiver Hayarden is misplaced.
- לבני ראובן ולבני גד...בני גד ובני ראובן.." According to Chizkuni , Ibn Ezra and Ramban, because of their greater wealth and military prowess,the tribe of Gad, were the initiators of the plan and therefore, are listed first throughout the chapter, except for the introductory verse-out of respect for Reuven, the biological Bechor. The Netziv supports this claim from the text that describes Reuven's holdings as רב, whereas, Gad's were עצום מאד.
- כי בא נחלתנו אלינו-According to Rash (as understood by the Ramban), this sounds somewhat arrogant, as if to say that it was a “done deal”, before the negotiation was over.
- ויגשו אליו- Akeidat Yitzchak and the Malbim understand that Moshe’s harsh response, surprised R&G . They now drew closer to Moshe, and primarily to him, offered their modified proposal ,perhaps out of a sense of embarrassment ( symbolized by the פרשה סתומה) .
- עבדיך...אדני...עבדיך...אדני- The multiple expressions of humility reflect their attempt to ease the tension.
- דרת צאן נבנה למקננו פה וערים לטפנו -In their revised version , R&G suggest that they will settle the Eastern Jordan, where they will build fences for their livestock and then, cities for their children , to which Bemidbar Rabbah comments, שעשו את העיקר טפל ואת הטפל עיקר. Following the midrash, Rashi points out that Moshe’s 2nd response will correct their faulty order of priorities,בנו לכם ערים לטפכם וגדרת לצנאכם . By their third response, R&G will integrate this lesson, טפנו נשינו מקננו וכל בהמתנו יהיו שם בערי הגלעד.
- לפני הי- In contrast to R&Gs’ counter proposal which did not mention G-d, Moshe invokes G-d’s name 7 times in his response to their counter proposal (20-23). The Akeidat Yitzchak point outs that Moshe is using this opportunity to educate the Tribes, that their actions be לשם שמים, that is, that they are fighting not only in the name of G-d, but by doing so they may be assured of the help of G-d.
- והייתם נקים...ואם לא תעשון כן הנה חטאתם לה. From these words we can infer that the Tribes took a solemn oath before G-d to keep their promise35.
- לבני גד ולבני ראובן ולחצי שבט מנשה בן יוסף-Menashe’s lineage is mentioned here t o legitimize their claim to lands in Eiver Hayarden, which according to the Book of Chronicles, took place during the life of Yosef36.
Moshe Misjudges
According to this approach , R&G had every intention of participating with all Bnei Yisrael in the Conquest. The only meaning of "אל תעברנו את הירדן" 37,”do not move us across the Jordan”, was in regard to settlement and inheritance. However, fueled by memories of the traumatic episode of the Spies, and all the damaging effects that it had on the morale of the Bnei Yisrael , Moshe concluded that they are refusing to participate in the Conquest, as he exclaims, האחיכם יבאו למלחמה ואתם תשבו פה.Only after they are given the opportunity to clarify their original proposal, does Moshe reconsider and acquiesce . According to this view, the central problem of this chapter is with Moshe’s hasty, over reaction which leads to his misunderstanding the Tribes' request which may indicate a flaw in his leadership .
These wider concerns of R&G can be seen in the way they order the aspects of their clarified proposal. They first specify their intentions 1) to build fences for their livestock and cities for their children,2) to go first into battle as an expeditionary force and 3) to remain in Canaan until the land is apportioned among all the Tribes. As Josephus , Yosef Bekhor Shor and Chizkuni point out, this can be seen as an argument that their ability to fight effectively and remain in Canaan for an indefinite period, will be enhanced by their knowledge that their families and livestock are safely settled.
It may also be that Moshe was concerned about the possible dangers of the growing alienation between the tribes of the east and west of the Jordan. By positioning certain clans of the tribe of Menashe on Eiver Hayarden , this would enlist family and tribal ties that would connect the two communities separated by the Jordan48. The fact that their portion in Canaan was contiguous with their portion on the other side of the Jordan, would make them a good candidate for this task. The Moshav Zekeinim suggests that Moshe saw that the land in Eiver Hayarden was too vast for only Reuven and Gad to settle, and so for security reasons, offered a few clans from Menashe to join them. The Netziv points out that the tribe of Menashe was knowledgeable in the Torah tradition and would make them a valuable asset to the isolated communities in Eiver Hayarden. According to this approach, conquests by Machir son of Menashe in Gilead, Bamidbar 32:39, took place as described, after being invited by Moshe to join R&G in Eiver Hayarden. However, the text in Devarim 3:12-14 seems to imply that the conquests by the Machir clans of portions of Gilead took place during the campaign of Sichon and Og. The Ramban suggests that the Menashe clans had hesitated to make any requests for settlement.however, once the tribes of Reuven and Gad took that bold step, the clans of Machir followed suit.
- ומקנה רב היה לבני ראובן ולבני גד מאוד ויראו את ארץ יעזר...והנה המקום מקום מקנה ומקנה רב לבני ראובן ולבני גד..ויבאו בני גד ובני ראובן - The Or HaChayyim understands that this introductory verse with its focus on the word "מקנה" , presents the facts and the context, in a very matter of fact way, and not meant as a value judgement . The Tribes’ accumulated wealth, was a function of the military prowess of Reuven and especially Gad, whose reputation –accounts for his name listed first, in most of the chapter.
- עטרות ודיבון ויעזר ונמרה וחשבון ואלעלה ושבם ונבו ובען - Convention would have dictated first to give the general context before listing the names of cities. Samet49 points out that the verse’s strange sequence and the listing of all the cities, brings to focus the potential danger of many uninhabited cities on the border of Canaan50.
- הארץ אשר הכה ה-The Abarbanel and Or HaChayyim claim that by referring to G-d’s help in the conquest of the lands of Sichon and Og, R&G are claiming that these lands of Eiver Hayarden have a special status- that they are looked upon favorably by G-d and are extension of the Promised Land.
- ויאמרו אל משה...ויאמרו אם מצאנו חן-The repetition of the word " ויאמרו"while in the middle of an uninterrupted conversation that began in verse 2, is a textual phenomenon that might indicate a break in the continuity of the conversation that will have an impact on the 2nd half of the conversation. Abarbanel suggests that Moshe’s lack of a response- his “deafening silence”-(symbolized by the פרשה סתומה) is the break that will cause the Tribes to present their request in a straightforward way, יתן את הארץ הזאת לעבדיך לאחזה אל תעברנו את הירדן51 .
- ויגשו אליו- The Abarbanel describes how they came closer to Moshe, as if to whisper in his ear, "במחילות כבודו”, as if to say, “pardon me, sir, but we have a misunderstanding let’s clarify “ – as does Yehuda to Paro52.
- כי באה נחלתנו אלינו - The Ramban implies that this is manner of speaking and not meant to be haughty.
- גדרות צאן נבנה למקננו פה וערים לטפנו....טפנו נשינו מקננוו וכל בהמתנו יהיו שם-The difference in the order of activities need not be a reflection of the Tribes’ misplaced priorities, but rather they represent different settlement strategies- According to the Kli Yakar53, to first build fences for the animals on the frontier, as a buffer ,while according to the Chizkuni, to first secure the families.
- לבני גד ולבני ראובן ולחצי שבט מנשה בן יוסף-Not being the sons of Yaakov, their tribal affiliation goes back to Yosef.