Parashiyot Mattot-Masei 5784

A D’var Torah for Parshiyot Mattot-Masei
By Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR ’15)

Transitions. Life is full of them. We leave behind the past and embrace the future, and all the while, try to continue to live in the present. We see transitions play out every day, and as I write this, the United States is reacting to the news that President Biden has decided to not seek reelection, fully and wholeheartedly (as far as I can tell) endorsing and lifting up Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Israelites in the wilderness, camped at the steppes of Moab, are facing a similar transition as we end the book of Bamidbar, “In the Wilderness” with the combined parshiyot of Mattot and Masei. These two readings show the shift in the Torah’s focus from the needs, concerns and activities of the wandering Israelites to the needs of the community once they’ve settled in Eretz Yisrael.

We begin by reading about the importance of vows; that once they’re made, they need to be fulfilled. Moses is then commanded by God to “wreak vengeance” upon the Midianites, who improperly joined Moab in a war against the Israelites by getting involved in a dispute they had no part in. Following that, God says to Moses, tei-asaif el amekha, “you will be gathered to your people” (Num. 31:2)

I imagine that most of us, myself included, might take our time getting this campaign together and eking out as much more time as possible before the inevitable end, but Moses doesn’t delay. Nor does he argue with God; there is still work to do before his time is done, and the Holy Blessed One still has faith in Moses’ ability to follow instructions and continue to lead the people. Moses rushes to fulfill this mitzvah, sending 12,000 troops into battle.

The battle is won, spoils collected, a portion set aside for God, and yes, some additional bloodshed in an attempt to keep the people from again falling into idol worship.

Parashat Masei starts out with a list of the places the Israelites had traveled over the past 40 years, along with a few notable things that happened along the way. In my mind, it’s the first ever “how I spent my summer vacation” essay. It’s now time for the people to prepare to enter the land, and for Moses to prepare his farewell address, to complete his work and then to step aside.

Every so often when I prepare a D’var Torah, the universe gives me a gift, and the news that the president would not seek reelection was just that gift. While the president is no Moshe Rabbeinu, there are parallels in both of their stories and much to learn.

Both men spent a good part of their lives in public service, working for the greater good, and both have their shortcomings. No one is perfect. Both had to overcome speech difficulties, and everything they did was in the public arena and under public scrutiny.

Congregational rabbis and heads of organizations have plenty to deal with; dissent in the ranks, an insistence that things be done “the way they always were,” and arguing over whether you stand or sit for the Shema, to name just a few. I can only begin to imagine how difficult it must be to be a leader of a nation like the US, or of the wandering Israelites.

Moses had no choice but to pass the baton to Joshua as he did in last week’s Torah reading, Pinhas (Num. 27:23). The decision of whether or not to continue to serve was taken out of his hands. President Biden had to make what I suspect must have been an excruciating decision to drop out of the race. Both leaders, however, still had work to do before their time “in office” was up. As Richard Carlson said, “Remind yourself that when you die, your ‘in basket’ won’t be empty.”[1] We don’t know how much time we have left, in our lives, in our careers, and to do the things we want to accomplish. But as long as we’re here and able, there’s hopefully plenty to do.

As the Israelites transitioned from their wanderings to preparations for settling down, as President Biden begins his transition from a life of public service to his next chapter, so we, too, can use what we’ve learned from these parshiyot to help us through life’s transitions.

May we be blessed to face these transitions with courage and grace.

[1] Carlson, Richard. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff… and It’s All Small Stuff. United States, Fine Communications, 1997.

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Rabbi Susan Elkodsi (AJR ’15) is the spiritual leader of the Malverne Jewish Center in NY and is immediate past president of the Long Island Board of Rabbis. Her writing has appeared on JewishSacredAging.com, and she has presented workshops for Limmud, NY, for AJR and in the community, and her book, Midrash HaZaK: Torah Wisdom by 70 Over 70 (but who’s counting), an anthology of divrei torah for older adults, will soon IY”H be published. Susan is passionate about helping Baby Boomers and older adults to find meaning and purpose in their lives within the context of Jewish tradition and teachings, and as part of a Jewish community. You can find her work on her website, www.babyboomerrabbi.com. In addition, she loves to knit, spin and weave, and she and her husband David recently added kittens Tiggr and Midnight to their family.