Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L

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The Children of Reuven and Gad

The children of Reuven and Gad had a lot of livestock and they recognized that the land of Yaer and Gilad was fit for livestock.

They approached Moshe and Elazar and said that this land which G-d had them conquer from Sichon and Og (which included Atarot, Dibon, Yazer, Nimrah, Cheshbon, Elaleh, Sebam, Nebo and Beon) is fit for livestock. They asked Moshe and Elazar if that land be given to them as an inheritance rather than have their inheritance be in the land of Israel across the Jordan.

Moshe exclaimed, "So your brothers will go into battle and you will settle here?! The rest of the nation will think that you are too scared to cross the river and this will discourage them from crossing as well." Moshe brings up the incident with the spies which also took place at Kadesh Barnea* where they were now as well saying that this is the same thing which the spies did when they told the Israelites not to enter the land.

*Side note, there is another Kadesh Barnea located in the Land of Israel (see Bamidbar 34:4)

Moshe reminds them how G-d's anger burned at that time and made the nation wander about for 40 years in the desert as a result and promised to kill off anyone aged twenty or older before they reached the land, with the exception of Calev the son of Yefuneh the Kenizzite*

*Side note: After Calev's father Yefuneh died, his mother married Kenaz and had another son named Othniel (featured in Shoftim 3:9). This is why Calev is called the Kenizzite as he was raised in his stepfather's home.

Moshe warns them that if they turn away from G-d again, he will once again make them die in the desert and thus they will have destroyed the entire nation.

The children of Reuven and Gad reply that they will build dwellings for their flock and livestock and property for their children*.

*Side note: Moshe rebuked them here, saying that they should have mentioned the children before the animals and the fact that they did not showed that their priorities were more focused on their property than their children.

They went on to say that they will go ahead of the rest of the nation and fight on their behalf, while their children stay behind in the cities. These two tribes were mighty - see Devarim 33:20 where it says about Gad that "He will tear off arm as well as head". They will not return to their cities until all of the other Israelites will have inherited their Land.