Parashat Matot-Masei / פרשת מטות־מסעי
- Fri, 13 July 2018 = 1st of Av, 5778
- א׳ בְּאָב תשע״ח
Rosh Chodesh Av / ראש חודש אב
Numbers 34:16-35:8 (22 p'sukim)
Numbers 34:16-35:8 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
16 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who will allot the land to you: Eleazar the kohen and Joshua son of Nun. 18 Also you are to select one prince from each tribe to allot the land. 19 These are their names: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunneh. 20 From the tribe of the sons of Simeon, Shemuel son of Ammihud. 21 From the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad son of Chislon. 22 From the tribe of the sons of Dan, the prince is Bukki son of Jogli. 23 From the sons of Joseph, from the tribe of the sons of Manasseh, the prince is to be Hanniel son of Ephod. 24 The prince from the tribe of the sons of Ephraim is to be Kemuel son of Shiphtan.
25 “The prince from the tribe of the sons of Zebulun is Elizaphan son of Parnach. 26 The prince from the tribe of the sons of Issachar is Paltiel son of Azzan. 27 The prince from the tribe of the sons of Asher is Ahihud son of Shelomi. 28 The prince from the tribe of the sons of Naphtali is Pedahel son of Ammihud.” 29 These were those Adonai commanded to apportion to Bnei-Yisrael the land of Canaan.
Cities for the Levites
35 Adonai spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho saying, 2 “Command Bnei-Yisrael to give to the Levites from the inheritance of their possessions cities in which to live. They are also to give the Levites pasturelands around the cities. 3 Thus they will have cities to live in and pastures for their cattle, flocks and all their livestock. 4 The pastures you give the Levites will extend out from the walls around the cities for 1,000 cubits. 5 You are to measure outside the cities 2,000 cubits on the east side, 2,000 cubits on the south side, on the west side 2,000 cubits, and on the north side 2,000 cubits. These are to be pasturelands for the cities.
6 “Six of the cities you give the Levites are to be cities of refuge, to which anyone who kills anyone may flee. Besides these, you are to give the Levites 42 more cities. 7 In all, you are to give the Levites 48 cities with their pastures. 8 The cities that you are to give to the Levites from the possession of Bnei-Yisrael should be proportionate to the inheritance of each tribe—give many from the one who has many and few from the one who has few.”
16 וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃
17 אֵ֚לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים אֲשֶׁר־יִנְחֲל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֶלְעָזָר֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וִיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ בִּן־נֽוּן׃
18 וְנָשִׂ֥יא אֶחָ֛ד נָשִׂ֥יא אֶחָ֖ד מִמַּטֶּ֑ה תִּקְח֖וּ לִנְחֹ֥ל אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
19 וְאֵ֖לֶּה שְׁמ֣וֹת הָאֲנָשִׁ֑ים לְמַטֵּ֣ה יְהוּדָ֔ה כָּלֵ֖ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּֽה׃
20 וּלְמַטֵּה֙ בְּנֵ֣י שִׁמְע֔וֹן שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד׃
21 לְמַטֵּ֣ה בִנְיָמִ֔ן אֱלִידָ֖ד בֶּן־כִּסְלֽוֹן׃
22 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵי־דָ֖ן נָשִׂ֑יא בֻּקִּ֖י בֶּן־יָגְלִֽי׃
23 לִבְנֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה נָשִׂ֑יא חַנִּיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־אֵפֹֽד׃
24 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־אֶפְרַ֖יִם נָשִׂ֑יא קְמוּאֵ֖ל בֶּן־שִׁפְטָֽן׃
25 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־זְבוּלֻ֖ן נָשִׂ֑יא אֱלִיצָפָ֖ן בֶּן־פַּרְנָֽךְ׃
26 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־יִשָׂשכָ֖ר נָשִׂ֑יא פַּלְטִיאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עַזָּֽן׃
27 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵי־אָשֵׁ֖ר נָשִׂ֑יא אֲחִיה֖וּד בֶּן־שְׁלֹמִֽי׃
28 וּלְמַטֵּ֥ה בְנֵֽי־נַפְתָּלִ֖י נָשִׂ֑יא פְּדַהְאֵ֖ל בֶּן־עַמִּיהֽוּד׃
29 אֵ֕לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה לְנַחֵ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃ פ
35 וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּעַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֑ב עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵח֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃
2 צַו֮ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵל֒ וְנָתְנ֣וּ לַלְוִיִּ֗ם מִֽנַּחֲלַ֛ת אֲחֻזָּתָ֖ם עָרִ֣ים לָשָׁ֑בֶת וּמִגְרָ֗שׁ לֶֽעָרִים֙ סְבִיבֹ֣תֵיהֶ֔ם תִּתְּנ֖וּ לַלְוִיִּֽם׃
3 וְהָי֧וּ הֶֽעָרִ֛ים לָהֶ֖ם לָשָׁ֑בֶת וּמִגְרְשֵׁיהֶ֗ם יִהְי֤וּ לִבְהֶמְתָּם֙ וְלִרְכֻשָׁ֔ם וּלְכֹ֖ל חַיָּתָֽם׃
4 וּמִגְרְשֵׁי֙ הֶֽעָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּתְּנ֖וּ לַלְוִיִּ֑ם מִקִּ֤יר הָעִיר֙ וָח֔וּצָה אֶ֥לֶף אַמָּ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃
5 וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם מִח֣וּץ לָעִ֗יר אֶת־פְּאַת־קֵ֣דְמָה אַלְפַּ֪יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֟ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־נֶגֶב֩ אַלְפַּ֨יִם בָּאַמָּ֜ה וְאֶת־פְּאַת־יָ֣ם׀ אַלְפַּ֣יִם בָּֽאַמָּ֗ה וְאֵ֨ת פְּאַ֥ת צָפ֛וֹן אַלְפַּ֥יִם בָּאַמָּ֖ה וְהָעִ֣יר בַּתָּ֑וֶךְ זֶ֚ה יִהְיֶ֣ה לָהֶ֔ם מִגְרְשֵׁ֖י הֶעָרִֽים׃
6 וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם אֵ֚ת שֵׁשׁ־עָרֵ֣י הַמִּקְלָ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּתְּנ֔וּ לָנֻ֥ס שָׁ֖מָּה הָרֹצֵ֑חַ וַעֲלֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתְּנ֔וּ אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁתַּ֖יִם עִֽיר׃
7 כָּל־הֶעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ לַלְוִיִּ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּשְׁמֹנֶ֖ה עִ֑יר אֶתְהֶ֖ן וְאֶת־מִגְרְשֵׁיהֶֽן׃
8 וְהֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר תִּתְּנוּ֙ מֵאֲחֻזַּ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאֵ֤ת הָרַב֙ תַּרְבּ֔וּ וּמֵאֵ֥ת הַמְעַ֖ט תַּמְעִ֑יטוּ אִ֗ישׁ כְּפִ֤י נַחֲלָתוֹ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִנְחָ֔לוּ יִתֵּ֥ן מֵעָרָ֖יו לַלְוִיִּֽם׃ פ
Chodesh Tov! Today's pesukim are also very interesting. At first glance it may seem uneventful, but if you dig down from the surface a little there is a big lesson to be learned; namely about how spiritual leadership should be established in Klal Yisrael (Congregation), and in the Malkut Hashamayim (Kingdom of Heaven).
There are several different types of systems of ecclesiastical government:
- Episcopal polity (run by "Apostles" or "Bishops"/Rabbis)
- Hierarchical polity (family run or Presidents/Overseers)
- Connexional polity (leadership from the bottom up using "circuits" of small groups)
- Presbyterian polity (hierarchy of councils, courts or "elders" elected by the congregation)
- Congregational polity (autonomous congregations elect their own leaders, both clergy and laity, ordains their own clergy, and remains a "self-governed voluntary institution")
But which of these is the most Biblical or a combination thereof?
We find some examples here of God's permissive will in one case compared to the results of another system of established leadership, "Divine Appointment". God allows Israel to choose their own leaders in the first case (to go spy out the Land)- and the result of that was utter disaster. In the second example, God Himself makes the appointment - (the reader can discern for him/herself which method is more successful)...
In pesukim 16-29, we see that Israel is about to inherit and the Land and God gives the names of the leaders from each of the 10 tribes (save Reuben & Gad); who were responsible to DISTRIBUTE the portions to each tribe on behalf of Moshe. As Rashi explains:
Rashi says, "who shall inherit the land of your behalf: Heb. לָכֶם, on your behalf. Each chieftain was an administrator for his tribe, to divide the tribal inheritance among families and individuals. He chose a suitable portion for each one, and whatever they did was binding, as if they had been designated as agents [by the members of the tribes]. It is not possible to render this word לָכֶם as every לָכֶם in Scripture, [meaning“to you,”] for in that case, it should have written יַנְחִילוּ לָכֶם, [in the hiph’il, the causative conjugation, they shall give it to you to inherit], but the word יִנְחֲלוּ [in the kal, simple conjugation] means that they shall inherit for you, on your behalf and in your stead, as in, “The Lord will wage war for you לָכֶם” (Exod. 14:14)."
So we realize that this is the end for Moshe, and God tells him who to select (so it is really Divine Appointment); as explained by Delitzsch:
According to Delitzsch, "List of the Men Appointed to Distribute the Land. - In addition to Eleazar and Joshua, the former of whom was to stand at the head as high priest, in accordance with the divine appointment in Numbers 27:21,
Numbers 27:21 - He is to present himself to El'azar the cohen, who is to find out by means of the urim what ADONAI's will is for Y'hoshua's decisions. Then, at his word they will go out, and at his word they will come in, both he and all the people of Isra'el with him, the whole community."
and the latter to occupy the second place as commander of the army, a prince was selected from each of the ten tribes who were interested in the distribution, as Reuben and Gad had nothing to do with it. Of these princes, namely heads of fathers' houses of the tribes (Joshua 14:1)...
Joshua 14:1 - These are the inheritances which the people of Isra'el took in the land of Kena'an, which El'azar the cohen, Y'hoshua the son of Nun and the heads of the ancestral clans of the tribes of the people of Isra'el distributed to them
not heads of tribes (see at Numbers 13:2),
Numbers 13:2 - "Send men on your behalf to reconnoiter the land of Kena'an, which I am giving to the people of Isra'el. From each ancestral tribe send someone who is a leader in his tribe."
Caleb, who is well known from Num 13, is the only one whose name is known. The others are not mentioned anywhere else."
In summary, these leaders that are selected by God through the "Urim" (i.e. Breastplate of the High Priest that would light up miraculously by each of the stones giving the Divine selection via lot), these leaders were NOT the same as the ones who were "elected" by the congregation to go and spy out the land 40 years before (except for Caleb).
Each of these two very different cases are two separate examples of methods of spiritual leadership selection processes. There is just no substitute for the move of the Ruach Elohim (Spirit of God) among the believers who are sensitive and Spirit-filled who can recognize the prophetic word of God, and who can establish spiritual leadership today, based on Divine selection:
So how is this done in Messianic Jewish circles?
Acts 1:15 In those days, Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters (the number of names all together was about a hundred and twenty) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Ruach ha-Kodesh foretold by the mouth of David, concerning Judah—who became a guide to those who seized Yeshua. 17 For he was counted among us and received his share of this office.” 18 (Now this man Judah bought a field with the reward of his wickedness. Falling headfirst, he burst open in the middle and his intestines splattered out. 19 And it became known to all those living in Jerusalem, so in their own language that field was called Akeldama—that is, ‘Field of Blood.’) 20 For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
‘Let his dwelling place become desolate,
and let there be no one living in it’
and ‘Let another take his position.’
21 “Therefore one of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Yeshua went in and out among us— 22 beginning with His immersion by John until the day He was taken up from us—must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”
23 So they nominated two—Joseph, called Barsabbas (also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who knows the hearts of all men, show us which of these two You have chosen 25 to take the position in this office as emissary, from which Judah turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was added to the eleven emissaries.
Of this process, Dr. David Stern explains, "They drew lots. This was a recognized way of ascertaining God's will. Proverbs 16:33 says, "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole decision is from Adonai," which means that what is attributed to chance, fate, luck or coincidence is determined by God. As Albert Einstein put it in objecting to quantum theory's use of probability mathematics, "God does not play dice with the universe." This second Mattityahu (the first we encounter at Mt 9:9), was added to the eleven emissaries, not Sha'ul (Paul), as some Christians suppose. Sha'ul was indeed an emissary (see the first verse in most of his letters), but not one of the Twelve because he did not meet the requirements (vv. 21-22)."
There is just no substitute for receiving confirmations of the Holy Spirit. The best and surest way to know for certain that the right leaders for the congregation are chosen, is to trust in Divine Appointment, and receive the spiritual confirmations, and then release that man or woman into their service.
Have a good Rosh Chodesh today, preparing for Shabbat.
R' Eric
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