B”H
Parshat Mattot / Massay
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Overview
Bemidbar (Numbers) 30:2-36:13
Haphtorah: Yeremiyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1-2:28,3:4,4:1-2
Mattot
Vows
Sacredness of vows: "He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth."
A woman’s vow can be annulled by husband or father, otherwise it is binding.
War on Midian
Army: one thousand men of war from each tribe
Pinchas ben Elazar sent with the army
Slew the males and the kings, as well as Balaam ben Beor
Captured the females and children and took booty.
Moshe commanded the death of women who were not virgins, but that the virgins could be kept.
Army encamped outside for seven days; those exposed to the dead purified on third day. Garments also purified from exposure to death by sprinkling; any object that could endure fire purified by flame.
Captured beasts and booty divided among the army, people, and the Levites.
Tribes remaining on east side of Jordan
Reuven and Gad want land of Gilead for their cattle
Moshe first reacts remembering the sin of the spies discouraging the people from crossing in Eretz Yisrael.
Reuven and Gad vow to leave their families in built cities and help the other tribes secure their inheritance.
Moshe agrees to that condition and gives the land to Reuven, Gad, and half-tribe Manasseh.
East side secured and claimed by Reuven, Gad, and half-tribe Manasseh.
Massay
Itinerary from Egypt to Jordan
Nissan 15: left Rameses
From Rameses to Sukkot
From Sukkot to Etham
From Etham to Pi-hahiroth, pitched at Migdol
From Pene-Hahiroth in to wilderness of Etham to Marah
From Marah to Elim
From Elim and pitched by the Red Sea
From the Red Sea to wilderness of Sin
From wilderness of Sin to Dophkah
From Dophkah to Alush
From Alush to Rephidim
From Rephidim to wilderness of Sinai
From wilderness of Sinai to Kibroth-hattaavah
From Kibroth-hattaavah to Hazeroth
From Hazeroth to Rithmah
From Rithmah to Rimmon-perez
From Rimmon-perez to Libnah
From Libnah to Rissah
From Rissah to Kehelah
From Kehelah to Mount Shepher
From Mount Shepher to Haradah
From Haradah to Makheloth
From Makheloth to Tahath
From Tahath to Terah
From Terah to Mithkah
From Mithkah to Hashmonah
From Hashmonah to Moseroth
From Moseroth to Bene-Jaakan
From Bene-Jaakan to Hor-haggidgad
From Hor-haggidgad to Jotbah
From Jotbah to Abronah
From Abronah to Ezion-geber
From Ezion-geber to wilderness of Zin – Kadesh
From Kadesh to Mount Hor, at edge of Edom, on which Aharon died (Av 1, 40th year from exodus)
~ Aharon was 123 years old
From Mount Hor to Zalmonah
From Zalmonah to Punon
From Punon to Oboth
From Oboth to Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab
From Ijim to Dibon-gad
From Dibon-gad to Almon-diblathaim
From Almon-diblathaim to mountains of Abarim, in front of Nebo
From mountains of Abarim to plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho,
pitched by Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab
Commands concerning settling the Land
Drive out and dispossess the inhabitants and destroy their idols and places of idolatry
Divide the land by lots according to families
If you do not drive out the inhabitants they will be thorns in your eyes and pricks in your sides, and their fate will become yours.
Boundaries of the Land
South side: from wilderness of Zin, close to Edom, beginning at the Salt Sea eastward; southward of the ascent of Akrabbim and pass along to Zin; southward of Kadesh-barnea to Hazar-addar along to Azmon to the Brook of Egypt to the Sea.
West side: the Great Sea
North side: from the Great Sea unto Mount Hor, from Mount Hor to entrace to Hamath, to Zedad to Ziphron to Hazar-enan.
East side: from Hazar-enan to Shepham to Riblah, east side of Ain, down to strike the slope of the Chinnereth eastward, down the Jordan, out the Salt Sea.
Yehoshua and Elazar the priest named to be the conquerors of the Land
Princes of the Tribes
Yehudah: Calev ben Yephunneh
Shimon: Shemuel ben Ammihud
Benjamin: Elidad ben Chislon
Dan: Bukki ben Yosli
Manasseh: Hanniel be Ephod
Ephraim: Kemuel ben Shiphtan
Zevulun: Elizaphan ben Parnach
Yissachar: Paltiel ben Azzan
Asher: Ahihud ben Shelomi
Naphtali: Pedahel ben Ammihud
These are they whom the Lrd commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Levitical cities and cities of refuge
Levites given 48 cities with open land around them
Six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee – three on east side of Jordan and three in the Land
Cities of refuge only for accidental slaying, not for murderers
Murder and manslaughter
If a man killed intentionally, with hatred or enmity, he was liable to death penalty.
The avenger had the right to kill the murderer.
If a man killed someone without enmity, the congregation shall judge between manslayer and avenger, saving the manslayer from the avenger.
Manslayer sent to city of refuge and had to stay until the death of the high priest.
If the manslayer wandered out of the city of refuge and was killed by the avenger, the avenger was not guilty.
A murderer had to be convicted by more than one witness for a death penalty.
No ransom could be given for a murderer to avoid the death penalty or for a manslayer to avoid the city of refuge.
Laws of heiresses
Heiresses must marry within the tribe so that the tribal lands would not diminish.
No inheritance from one tribe may move to another.
Zelophehad’s married their father’s brothers’ sons.
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