Shalom Friends;
This week, our Parshat HaShevua, Matos-Masei is being sponsored by Yosef Moshe and Chana Rosenberg of Ramat Beit Shemesh dedicated in honor of Yosef Moshe’s Bar Mitzvah Parshiyot, for the health and wellbeing of their children and family and dedicated for the safety of the Chayalim and the liberation of all remaining hostages, as well as for the good health and security of kol Am Yisrael. To the Rosenberg family, many thanks for your sponsorship and your continued kindnesses.
You can celebrate a Simcha — a birth, a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, a Chassuna or other Simcha event in your life, or commemorate a Yahrtzeit of a loved one, or for whatever other reason by sponsoring a Parshat HaShevua.
Please forward to your relatives and friends and encourage them to sponsor a Parshat HaShevua. And please be in contact with me with any questions, or for further details.
Best Regards,
Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
Subscribe to the Israel and the Sin of Expulsion blog, to ask questions or to sponsor a Parsha Vort at: olehchadash@yahoo.com
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This year’s vort for Parshiyot HaShavua Matos-Masei is being compiled on day 626 of the War of Simchat Torah and in the hours and days immediately following a momentous time for Am Yisrael and for world history as the United States Air Force B-2 Stealth Bombers dropped six — 30,000 lb Bunker Buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow Nuclear site decimating it,. At the same time, United States Navy submarines launched missiles demolishing both the the Natanz and Esfahan nuclear sites.
Two weeks ago, Erev Shabbos Parshat Balak, Israel’s Air Force and Mossad, who were implanted in Iran probably for years and risking their lives daily, began B’Yad Hashem miraculously, bravely and heroically attacking Iran, such that they have, and continue to target and eliminate much, if not all of Iran’s Military High Command, while neutralizing much of Iran’s nuclear works, as well as degrading much of Iran’s ICBM (Ballistic Missile) capabilities as of this writing.
In addition, it is reported 22 June, 2025 that the remains of 3 hostages captured by Hamas, with assistance of an UNWRA worker, on October 7, 2023, were recovered by the ISA and the IDF during the previous Shabbos.
In reality, it’s about the survival of Am Yisrael, our sovereignty in Our Land, Eretz Yisrael and how Hashem is the Ultimate Ruler of the World who can change and totally reverse things “on the dime” — through the millenniums of our history, as if in a literal blink of an eye.
Early in our Parsha Matos, Torah relates:
“Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, ‘Take vengeance for the B’nei Yisrael against the Midianites; afterward you will be gathered unto your people.’ Moshe spoke to the people, saying, ‘Arm men from among yourselves for the legion that they may be against Midian to inflict Hashem’s vengeance against Midian.'” (Sefer Bamidbar Perek 31, posukim 1 – 3 rendered to English in The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash)
The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash cites a Midrash regarding Perek 31, posukim 2 : “Take vengeance for the B’nei Yisrael” (page 903) :
Hashem spoke of avenging the harm that had been done to Israel, but in the next posuk, when Moshe conveyed the commandment to the Jews, he spoke only of avenging the slight to Hashem’s honor.
Rabbi David Feinstein, z”l provides a more explicit commentary on Perek 31, posuk 2 in light of posuk 3 (pages 245 – 246) :
When Moshe passes Hashem’s instructions on to the Jews, he speaks of Hashem’s vengeance against Midian. …Since Moshe used a different expression, the Torah does not say that Moshe was quoting Hashem’s words; it says that “Moshe spoke to the people, saying,” which implies that his words were his own rephrasing of the Divine command. Why did Moshe paraphrase Hashem’s words and what right did he have to do so?
Rashi says that whenever someone stands up against Israel, it is as if he stood against Hashem. Thus Moshe was merely restating Hashem’s words in a way that would be more compelling to the people. If Moshe had ordered the Jews to extract vengeance for the transgressions against them, they might have been willing to forgive any wrongs done them and forgo any vengeance. However, they had no right to forgive offenses against Hashem.. Therefore, once Moshe said that Hashem’s honor was involved, the people had no choice but to follow his orders.
Rabbi Feinstein’s commentary on Sefer Bamidbar Perek 31, posukim 2 – 3 provides important lessons for our times.
We have, in fact, been in a protracted war with Iran and their various terror proxies for some forty-six years. With the Oslo and Wye agreements, 80% of Hevron and large swarths of Yehudah and the Shomron came under control of the so-called “palestinian authority” under Arafat, and then Abbas, basically proxies of Iran.
Ehud Barak’s abandonment of South Lebanon, left a void filled by Iranian proxy Hezbollah and Sharon’s hitnatkut — the expulsion of our fellow Jews from Gush Katif left Gaza totally controlled by Hamas. Both of these fiascos served to accelerate this war. What followed was an evolution of the IDF high command echelons and successive governments to the point of indecisiveness, forgetting how to — or losing the will to win and lacking the understanding that the war against the terror proxies of Iran is, in fact for the Honor of HaKadosh Borchu.
The incompetence and failure to understand the significance on the part of both the high command echelons and successive governments led us to successive conflicts in Gaza and with Hezbollah culminating in the days and hours leading up to the mass barbaric terror invasion by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the so-called “innocent Gazan civilians” on 7 October — the War of Simchat Torah.
And so, Torah relates:
“The B’nei Yisrael took captive the women of Midian and their young children; and all of their cattle and flocks and all their wealth they took as spoils…. They took all the booty and all the captives of people and animals. They brought to Moshe, to Elazar the Kohen, and to the assembly of B’nei Yisrael the captives, the animals, and the booty to the camp…. Moshe was angry with the commanders of the army, the officers of the thousands and the officers of the hundreds, who came from the legion of battle.”
“Moshe said to them, “Did you let every female live? Behold — they caused the B’nei Yisrael, by the word of Bila’am, to commit a betrayal of Hashem regarding the matter of Pe’or, and the plague occurred in the assembly of Hashem.” (Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 31, posukim 9, 11 – 12, 14 -16)
The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash provides commentary (page 905) :
“With the commanders of the army.” It was their responsibility to order that appropriate actions be taken, it was to the officers that Moshe directed his anger. This teaches that when leaders of the generation have the power to reproach [verb – used with an object: to find fault with (a person, group, etc.); blame; censure], they are responsible for the failures of the nation. (The Artscroll Stone Edition Chumash citing Rashi)
To Moshe… it was clear that there was no excuse for permitting known harlots to survive. He also ordered that the surviving young males be put to death as part of the national vengeance.
As this author understands, there is also a lesson here for our times; that those Gazan civilians, as well as those UNWRA employees and Gazan doctors who conspired with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, to invade Israel, slaughter hundreds of Jews and hold hundreds of Jews and others hostage deserve the same fate as Moshe ruled for the Midianite females and young males.
Parsha Masei teaches us that “Hashem spoke to Moshe… by the Jordan, at Yericho” telling him to speak to the B’nei Yisrael and tell them (Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 33, p’sukim 51-56, pages 922-923);
“When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all of the inhabitants of the Land before you; and you shall destroy all their prostration stones; all of their molten images…. You shall possess the Land as an inheritance by lot to your families…. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land before you, those of them whom you leave shall be pins in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will harass you upon the Land in which you dwell. And it shall be that what I had meant to do to them, I shall do to you.” (Rendered to English in the Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 33, p’sukim 51-56, pages 922-923)
Rabbi Artscroll (Artscroll Stone Chumash, page 923) then cites the Rashbam and follows with it’s own commentary;
… If they fail to do so, they will suffer the fate Hashem had intended to impose upon the Canaanites, and be driven out.
Only in the perspective of Hashem’s wisdom can this passage be understood. No human ruler has the right to decree that an entire population is to be… exiled, but Hashem revealed that the Canaanite presence was incompatible with both the Land’s holiness and Israel’s mission on earth. History is the most conclusive proof of this, for the fact was that the Jews could not bring themselves to eliminate all of the Canaanites, with the result that the Jews were drawn to idolatry, debauchery, and were in turn periodically oppressed and finally exiled.
R’ Shimson Rafael Hirsch z”l provides additional enlightenment on the abovementioned posukim the new Hirsch Chumash (published by Feldheim in 2005 and translated to English by Rabbi Daniel Haberman) which hold important lessons not heeded by contemporary Israeli governance, institutions and political entities (New Hirsch Chumash Sefer Bamidbar, Perek 33, p’sukim 51-56, pages 666-667):
On posuk 53: You must first make the Land fit to be your yerusha [inheritance] by removing all traces of polytheism, and only then will you be able to settle in it.You are not inheriting the Land by your own power and might; rather, Hashem’s will and Hashem’s power are giving you the Land. So, too, the division of the Land shall not be done according to arbitrary norms, but according to Hashem’s instruction and decision. Hence, you will not be able to avoid fulfilling the first basic condition on which Hashem makes the [this] gift of the Land dependent.
On posuk 55: …Apparently, …the meaning here: If you allow the pagan inhabitants to remain in the Land, they will become a hedge [a guard, a protection] around their pagan practices; the nature of these practices will be concealed from your perception and insight, and you will not find fault with them. Tolerance toward the pagan inhabitants will beget tolerance toward paganism. If you tolerate paganism and find justification for it within Hashem’s Land, you will cease to belong to Hashem alone, and… you will be deprived of your right to exist in the Land, and you will not be worthy of protection…. When Hashem removes His protection of you…, those toward whom you have been so tolerant will become your enemies and will oppress you in your own land.
On posuk 56: In the end, you will not be worthy of Hashem’s Land, and Hashem will expel you… as He had intended to expel the nations through you.
These posukim literally scream out from our Torah to this very generation and specifically to the multi-front war of Simchat Torah in which we find ourselves embroiled (adjective: complicated; confused).
Israel’s fresh victory-oriented strategies in Gaza exemplify positive changes resulting from the appointments of a new defense minister, foreign minister and military chief of staff who seem to be signaling a more zealous, diligent command structure and strategy based on valid understandings of their adversary’s intentions and concern for Israel’s sovereignty and security. The pre-emptive and ongoing actions against Iran are nothing short of miraculous, B’Yad Hashem. May we see our government and military become Totally self-sufficient as to manufacture of military equipment and aircraft, weaponry, munitions — heavy munitions, as well as showing independence of actions responding to any threat, regardless of so-called “super powers.” And may see, from here on, that border guard personnel at all points of possible danger are listened to and treated with respect and dignity. May these words come to fruition B’Esrat Hashem.
Not withstanding the previous horrendous “ceasefires” and drips and drabs of hostages in exchange for thousands of bloody-handed terrorists, may it be that our Chayalim, regardless of the machinations of malfeasance and nonfeasance by their previous high command to date, but now under command of both a new defense minister and chief of staff, emerge totally victorious — eradicating from the face of the earth Hamas, Islamic Jihad, their other terrorist buddies, UNWRA and the so-called “innocent civilians” of Gaza who joined with Hamas in their murderous deeds. May our Chayalim, on multiple fronts, return home whole — physically, mentally and spiritually and that the Chayalim Liberate and bring home all remaining hostages B’Yad Hashem. May we see a Final and Decisive victory by our Chayalim, mandated by a government secure in it’s foremost service of and emunah in HaKadosh Borchu, B’Ezrat Hashem! And may we see the restoration of true unity within Am Yisrael.
May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif e permanently re-settled in Gush Katif, once the IDF, by the Yad Hashem, destructs and eradicates the wild beasts of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, all other terror entities, and if necessary Iran, and that our brethren be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them, that the thrice expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes and the oft-destroyed Yeshiva buildings in Homesh be rebuilt, as well as the buildings of Yishuv Elchanan, all at total government expense. May our Chayalim return from battle unharmed — physically, mentally and spiritually and may all of the remaining hostages brutally taken by the wild beasts of Hamas be liberated and brought home to their families. Baruch Hashem that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard is now in his fifth year at home in Eretz Yisrael and continues in a new chapter in his life. May Esther Yocheved bat Yechiel Avraham have an aliyah in Shemayim and may her spirit and memory continue to lift Jonathan to at least 120 years. May the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem — as with the return in April, 2019, via Russia, of the remains of Zachariah Baumel, the recent recovery of the remains of Tzvi Feldman as well as the recovery of the remains of Oron Shaul as should the remains of the other chayal from the Gaza War of ten years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we see, in 5785, the REAL Jews from the Ukraine and Russia as well as the US and Canada, the real Jews via matrilineal descent, make Aliyah enmass — via thorough review by Misrad HaPanim. And may we soon and finally see the total end to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Lab corona virus pandemic and all like viruses and variants. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nei Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!
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Moshe Burt, an Oleh, is a commentator on news and events in Israel and Founder and Director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network. He lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh.
Moshe is available for editing of English language documents, articles, manuscripts and more. Please be in contact with him at olehchadash@yahoo.com for your English language needs.
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