Parashat Matot- Choosing Right From Right
Parashat Matot tells of the request brought by the tribes of Reuben and Gad, who wanted to settle permanently in Eber Ha’yarden – the region east of the Jordan River. These tribes were blessed with large herds of cattle, and therefore preferred settling in the lush, fertile areas of Eber Ha’yarden, rather than proceed with the rest of the tribes into the Land of Israel.
It has been explained that the people of Reuben and Gad were sincerely motivated in making this request. They were understandably concerned that their large herds would graze in other people’s fields. If they would settle together with the other tribes in Eretz Yisrael, where available pasture was limited, the shepherds might be unable to control the flocks and stop them from grazing on fields belonging to other tribes. Reuben and Gad thus preferred settling away from the other tribes, in Eber Ha’yarden, where there was plenty of pasture and thus no concern of theft.
Yet, despite Reuben and Gad’s noble intentions, the Midrash claims that they were punished for settling in Eber Ha’yarden instead of in the Land of Israel. Reuben and Gad were driven into exile eight years before the other tribes. Since they did not settle along with the other tribes in Eretz Yisrael, they were forced to leave into exile eight years earlier.
The obvious question arises, why were Reuben and Gad punished, if their decision to live in Eber Ha’yarden were motivated by the sincere desire to avoid theft?
The answer is that Reuben and Gad overlooked a far more basic concern – the importance of living in Eretz Yisrael. The Bet Hamikdash can be built only in Israel, not in Eber Ha’yarden; several Misvot, such as Bikkurim (first fruits) and the Korban Ha’omer (grain offering brought on Pesah), do not apply in Eber Ha’yarden. No place is as sacred as Eretz Yisrael. The tribes of Reuben and Gad overlooked all this out of concern for how to deal with their cattle. Had they prioritized properly, they would have preferred foregoing on their flocks in order to enter the Land of Israel.
Reuben and Gad also overlooked the concern for their environment. In Eretz Yisrael, they would be surrounded by the other ten tribes of Israel. In Eber Ha’yarden, their neighbors were nations such as Moab and Amon. They were concerned about keeping their flocks away from other people’s property, but they were not concerned about the environment in which their children would be raised. Although they were motivated by sincere and legitimate concerns, they overlooked more basic concerns which should have led them to act differently.
It often happens that we get so caught up in a legitimate cause that we lose sight of far more basic and important matters. Thank God, most people in our community know how to choose right from wrong; often, however, we have difficulty choosing right from right, determining which of several worthwhile concerns deserves priority.
The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, 1135-1204) writes that communities must make their synagogues beautiful, and that the synagogue should be more beautiful than the homes in the town. Today, Baruch Hashem, communities generally spare no efforts or funds in ensuring the beauty and grandeur of synagogues. Unfortunately, however, some communities lose sight of the fact that the synagogue’s purpose is to serve as a place of prayer, and the quality of the synagogue’s structure sometimes exceeds that of the prayers recited inside it. Beautifying the structure is an important religious value – but praying diligently and with concentration is far more important, and deserves priority.
I once saw a man purchase a $1200 menorah for Hanukah in a Judaica store. This is certainly admirable; using an ornate menorah fulfills the Misva of "Hiddur Misva" – glorifying the Misvot. However, along with the Menora, he purchased wax candles, rather than oil and wicks. He lost sight of the fact that the external appearance of the menora is far less important than the Misva itself, which should preferably be performed with oil.
The same problem occurs very often in preparing a Bar Misva. Parents are prepared to spend exorbitant sums for the catering and flower arrangements, but skimp when it comes time for purchase the boy’s Tefillin. There is certainly nothing wrong with hosting an elaborate affair to celebrate a Bar Misva. But we must keep our priorities in check, and understand which aspects of the celebration deserve more attention and emphasis than others. Affording greater importance to the peripheral aspects is like ordering a salami sandwich with mustard at a restaurant and receiving a thin slice of salami with a plateful of mustard. We confuse the essence of the Misva with the "accoutrements," and lose sight of what’s most important.
We must exercise sound judgment in our Torah observance to ensure that we give priority to the areas of religious life that deserve priority. It’s one thing to choose good from bad. The hard part, which is one of our great challenges as observant Jews, is to be able to choose right from right – to know how to prioritize when faced with several legitimate and worthwhile religious concerns.
