Matot -- 5775

After all this time and so many miles, their destination is in sight.  The Israelites amass on Eastern bank of the Jordan River, ready to cross into the Land.  So too do we readers amass this week at the conclusion of the Book of Numbers, about to cross into Deuteronomy, the fifth and final book of the Torah.  The end is about to begin.

But the tribes are not unified.  Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh want to remain in the East.  Moses is outraged as his vision of a unified people in a unified land dissolves before his eyes, and he excoriates them.  Then the eminence grise changes tack, and listens to his fellows.  The Eastern shore is more favorable for our herds, they explain.  Moses pushes back:  “Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here?” (Numbers 32:6).  We need you, he tells them, and you need to have skin in the game.  The tribesmen, for their part, demure:  we will fight alongside you, but want to settle here afterwards.  Moses listens and, satisfied, agrees.  They are all in this together.

This third week of July, 2015 begins a pivotal time for the Land and People of Israel, and indeed the entire Middle East:  the P5 +1 announced a deal on Iran.  Instantly, the experts erupted, more like volcanoes than pundits:  The deal is horrible!  The deal is the solution!  Doom!  Hope!  Negotiation works!  Military option?

As Congress debates the treaty for the next sixty days and beyond, we’ll hear voices from every side of this profoundly complex situation.  We’ll be encouraged to speak out, to contact our Senators and Representatives – and we should.  The outcome is uncertain, but this I know:  we’ll disagree with each other and we’ll upset each other.  That’s what happens when the stakes are high and the matter complicated.

And at the same time, let us remember to listen to each other civilly -- even those with whom we disagree.  We are, in fact, all on the same side.  We will disagree about approach, but when it comes to Iran, we Jews share the same goal.  No one’s loyalty is in question.

And let us further remember that whether we are in the Land of Israel or in Diaspora, we all have skin in this game.  We don’t all have the same exposure, but we are exposed just the same.  Israel’s safety is essential for our families, for our culture, and for our people.  Like twelve tribes comprising one nation, we are all in this together.