Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 31/0
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Biblical Parallels Index – Bemidbar 31
The Request of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe
Moshe explicitly compares the tribes' request to stay on the other side of the Jordan to the sin of the spies, but the story also contains elements of other narratives, such as the stories of Lot and Esav, in which members of the nation distance themselves from the community and opt out of being part of Israel and its covenantal relationship with Hashem.
Articles
- See "Shall your Brothers Go Into Battle While You Remain Here?": An Analysis of Numbers 32, by Rabbi Nathaniel Helfgot, which compares the story of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe to the narratives of Lot and Esav. He notes that all three stories revolve around abundance of livestock which prompts one to distance themselves from sharing in the destiny of Israel. One must question, however, whether this was in fact the tribes' intention, or only Moshe's perception thereof.
- For analysis of the request itself and whether it was appropriate, see Petition of the Two and a Half Tribes.
