Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Mattot/0/he

נושאים לשולחן שבת – פרשת מטות

Leadership Imperfections?

עקדת יצחקבמדבר פירוש ל"באודות ר' יצחק עראמה and אברבנאלבמדבר ל"באודות ר' יצחק אברבנאל have conflicting views regarding Moshe's handling of the petition of the two and half tribes.  While Akeidat Yitzchak justifies Moshe's angry reaction as the appropriate response to a problematic request, Abarbanel posits that Moshe overreacted and misunderstood the tribes' true intentions.

• With whom do you agree? Set up a debate at your Shabbat table, using the sources found in בקשת בני ראובן, גד, וחצי שבט מנשה to aid in the discussion.
• Regardless of which side of the debate you take, what can our story teach us about negotiating tactics?
• Is it problematic to criticize Moshe and suggest that he might not have had perfect leadership skills?  Interestingly, despite his position here, elsewhere, Abarbanel harshly criticizes those who find fault with Moshe.¹ See his debate with Ralbag in האם משה היה זקוק לעצת יתרו?.

The Handicap of the Omniscient Reader

When speaking of the tribes that negotiated settling the eastern bank of the Jordan, many refer to the group as the "two and a half tribes," not distinguishing between Reuven, Gad, and the half of Menashe. Since readers know that half of Menashe settled in the East, they often do not notice that throughout the discussion with Moshe, it is only Reuven and Gad who play a role, while Menashe is conspicuously absent. 

• Was the tribe of Menashe part of the original petition?  If so, why are they not mentioned?  If not, why ultimately do they too inherit on the eastern side of the Jordan? For elaboration, see חצי שבט מנשה מצטרף לבקשת בני ראובן וגד.
• There are many other instances where knowledge of the conclusion of the story might hamper one's reading of its opening stages.  Here are some cases to consider:
• Did Yaakov's sons know that they were all to be chosen?  If not how might that help explain the behavior of both Yosef and his brothers?  See התנהגות יוסף כלפי משפחתו.
• Did the nation know in advance that Yericho was to be destroyed via miracle?  How might that affect your understanding of the מטרת שליחת המרגלים של יהושע?
• Was Yerushalayim the only option for the "place that God will choose"? When and why was it chosen?  See בחירת ירושלים.

Reconciling Peshat and Derash

במדבר ל"א describes the war against Midyan and the laws dealing with the purification of the spoils from battle.  It is not clear, however, why these spoils needed purification. While the context of the unit and the similarity between these laws and those in במדבר י"ט would support the possibility that the laws relate to purification from corpse contamination, most exegetes follow the Rabbinic position that suggests that the verses speak of impurity from the cooking of non-Kosher food.

• Can you bring support for the Rabbinic position?  Does it match the simple sense of the verses?  See טיהור שלל מדין – ממה?
• In general, when peshat and derash appear to conflict, what methods can be employed to reconcile them? 
• For discussion of two of the most well-known examples where the rabbinic interpretation of a law appears to be at odds with the simple reading of the verses, see "עין תחת עין" and "ממחרת השבת".

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For more, see: Parashat Mattot Topics.

¹ He writes, "Many have already spoken much about this matter, against the master of prophets, suggesting that he was lacking in civic leadership… And this is a lie, for the perfection of his ways demonstrates his knowledge of them."