Welcome to the Mussar HaTorah Podcast for parshas Mattos Masei where we learn to be the best version of ourselves through the Mussar we can find in the weekly Parsha.
In this week's parsha the Sevatim of Gad and Reuven ask Moshe if they can have their inheritance on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The Shevatim were always going to help the rest of Beni Yisroel take over Eretz Yisroel. They volunteered to be on the front lines to fight the most serious battles for their brothers.
All Beni Gad and Beni Reuven wanted was to settle their families and cattle in these lands and then join the rest of the nation in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel.
Even though this seems like a reasonable request, Shlomo HaMelech looked at it in a different way. He writes in Mishlei (20:21) "An estate acquired in haste at the outset
Will not be blessed in the end." Rashi understands this pasuk to mean just like Beni Gad and Reuven since they were exiled (prior to the first Bais HaMikdash) before everyone else was exiled. This was a direct result of their taking their land first. In a way, you can say it was midda keneged midda.
Rav Henoch Leibowitz (z"l) asks: what was the problem with the request Beni Gad and Reuven made? In fact, the rest of Beni Yisroel would have everything to gain by having a fighting force that did not have their wives and children to worry about since they would be on the other side of the river. Why would in matter if they received their inheritance now or later?
The answer is that we, as human beings, are created in Hashem's image and we are expected to develop feelings for other's needs even if they don't mind or don't care. Even if someone gains by you taking your portion first (such as Beni Yisroel did) you should not because your sensitivities should let you know that shouldn't benefit in this situation. Beni Gad and Reuven should have thought "How can I enjoy my land while there are fellow Jews who can't enjoy theirs?". As we earlier saw from Rashi, the punishment for this was being exiled before the rest of their brethren.
This small insensitivity also put their priorities out of whack. When Beni Gad and Reuven made their request to Moshe Rabbenu, they said "גִּדְרֹ֥ת צֹ֛אן נִבְנֶ֥ה לְמִקְנֵ֖נוּ פֹּ֑ה וְעָרִ֖ים לְטַפֵּֽנוּ - We will build enclosures for our flocks here and cities for our children". They put their animals before their families showing they cared more for their possessions. A person's speech is a window into their character.
Right now we are in the middle of the "Three Weeks" and in a few days we are going to start a more intense mourning with the "Nine Days". All of this is because we are mourning the destruction of the Bais Hamikdash (may it be rebuilt speedily in our days). One of the reasons the Bais Hamikdash was destroyed was because of senseless hatred and that continues to deprive us of a close relationship with Hashem.
Our sensitivity for others should go beyond just not hurting them with words or other means. We need to take it to a higher level and be concerned that they should benefit as much as we do. If we can do this then our speech will reflect that and only show warmth and affection in every word we speak.
Have a good Shabbos.
