Parsha Matot — Keeping our word
Matot can be translated to Tribes. In the development of society — tribes, clans, and communities leading to villages, cities, and nation-states have been key to ongoing civilization and human development and progress. One of the key basis of cooperation is trust and I believe that it is for this reason that Parsha immediately goes into keeping promises and one’s word.
Numbers 30:3
איש כי־ידר נדר ליהוה או־השבע שבעה לאסר אסר על־נפשו לא יחל דברו ככל־היצא מפיו יעשה׃
If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Abiding by promises, laws, and agreements are the fundamentals of just societies.
Let’s backtrack to the development of the concept of tribes. These could be families and the gathering together of people who together through cooperation provide food, shelter, and clothing by exchange of goods and services. These tribes built villages and often these villages who are attacked by other tribes because of their economic success. These tribes then needed the protection of war chiefs, kings, and other national states leading to the ongoing conflicts, wars, colonialism, and monopolies of our day and age.
What we are seeing today in our globally connected world is a backlash to the excesses of Nationalism with the scapegoat being little Israel and the Jews who are not deserving or worthy of their own state.
Going back to the original reason source of tribal wars — jealousy and the desire to take over the economic and social success could be a prime motivations.
But there is something deeper here. Despite, Israel’s society being less than perfect, what is about the world that they are so paranoid and obsessive about Israel?
I believe that it is the call for higher moral and social justice in the Torah. This is highlighted in this week’s Parsha — in keeping your word.
If only we got rid of the Jews, and their higher calls of a moral code then we — man will be free of the God conscience.
If only we got rid of Israel, we would have world peace.
Lies, and hypocrisy continues to be used in the so-called two-state Solution, History is ignored. Promises broken. Laws broken.
This article — Jordan is Palestine provides a clear account of this,
Starting from the San Remo Conference 1920
“Yes, Jordan is Palestine.
The Arab propaganda machine aided and abetted by the UN, EU, US, and the mainstream media, which is just about everybody, would have you believe otherwise.”
.https://www.israelunwired.com/jordan-is-palestine-a-legal-analysis/?utm_source=Jeeng
So, during the three weeks leading up to the remembrance and fast of the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, we need to reflect. Reflect on the words — From Zion shall go out the Torah, and from Jerusalem God’s word.