Matot D'var Torah - collective unity

I want to begin with an odd scene. Picture a ball of bees. When winter rolls around, bees understand that they need to protect their queen, so they swarm her. Creating a giant ball around her, their collective bodies give off heat saving all but the most peripheral bees. Only those bees that remain on the outside, freeze and fall off.

While an odd picture, this natural phenomenon describes a scene that is taking place in this week’s Torah portion, Matot. There, two tribes, Rueben and Gad approach Moses and ask to remain outside of the promised land because the land there is better for their cattle. Moses agrees, provided the men of the tribes first act as shock troops in the conquest of Caanan. After winning the war for the promised land they can return to the east side of the Jordan river with their families and begin life outside of the land.

The rabbis come down hard on these two tribes for their decision to remain outside of the Caanan. Therefore the rabbis paint their motives as flawed. Numbers Rabbah tells us that the tribes asked to remain outside of the land because they loved money more than people. When the tribes first approach Moses about staying behind they explain, “Let us stay here and we will build fenced-in enclosures for our cattle and cities for our young children.' (Numbers 32:16). Moses hears this plea and is appalled. In listing the rationale for staying behind, the tribes have privileged their livestock over their families. When they finally attain permission from Moses, the leader reminds them of what is really important, putting their children foremost on the list of tasks, first “Build cities for your young children” and only then “fenced-in enclosures for your cattle.” (Numbers 32:24).

Ironically, in their quest for wealth these tribes failed to put people first and consequently, they left themselves exposed. As a result of this oversight, they were the first tribes to be conquered and to go into exile. In our beginning example, the bees on the outside of the ball have no choice. In this natural process some need to freeze to protect the queen. But these tribes could have entered the promised land and stayed close to the body politic. If they had remained one unit, together with the rest of Israel, they may not have been taken captive by King Mesha of Moab in the 9th century.

Throughout time, Jewish law and ethics have privileged collective responsibility and unity. We are commanded in the Torah, “lo titgodedu” which the rabbis understood to mean, “do not make factions.” Factions create discord. Factions are weaker. It’s cold out there alone on the outside.

So I leave you with a final image, one from our tradition and very fitting for a Temple so close to the water. The rabbis liken the Jewish people to two barges. When these barges are tied together, God builds God’s palace across their bows and anything is possible. But when they are untied and drift toward their own selfish pursuits as did the tribes of Rueben and Gad, God’s palace has no platform tumbles into the space between the boats, sinking to the bottom of the sea.

May you stand firm in your collective resolve and sense God’s palace all around you. Shabbat Shalom