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Parsha_Push Matot-Masei

Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg

As in our turbulent lives right now, in the Torah portion of Matot we also discover a “division of labor” between the warriors sent from each tribe to fight against Midian, and the camp that remains behind. The Torah determines that the spoils taken from the war should be divided between the fighters (a thousand from each tribe) and the rest of the people.
Why, in fact, should the spoils be divided? After all, only part of the nation actually fought?
Several answers have been given to this. Some say that the entire nation was supposed to fight, but in practice only a part went to war (to magnify the miracle or for other reasons). Some say that the war was of the entire people (“vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites” as per God’s command), and therefore the spoils belong to the entire people. Some say that the war was God’s (“God’s vengeance on Midian,” as Moses said), and the spoils were divided among all His people, with special portions given to His representatives – the priests and Levites.
In fact, in many wars in the Torah and Prophets, we find a division of labor between the actual fighters and those guarding the camp or staying with the equipment. Sometimes they go to war to retrieve property and captives, as in Abraham’s war against the four kings and David’s war against the Amalekite troop. In this case, the lives and property “return home.” God willing, we will merit this in the current war as well.
In many wars, it’s about spoils of war that never belonged to the fighters. In today’s Western world, it’s less common to take spoils (and also to win wars), but it seems that the division of spoils in biblical wars is an expression of the nation’s partnership in the war. Not everyone can go out to fight. Sometimes we’ll need a great many soldiers called to arms, and sometimes we’ll prefer a small, smart army, as in the wars against Midian, both here in our parsha and in Gideon’s story.
The division of spoils in this story (along with the request for food support in Gideon’s story) are expressions of everyone being part of one big story. The fighters and the home front are in this together, and it’s impossible to fight without the engagement of both. Indeed, the Torah gives more spoils to the fighters (which also ultimately supports their families), and uncounted spoils like jewelry remain in their possession. Because in the end, the fighters do more: they represent the cause on the front line, they work harder and they have greater risks. Together with a feeling of partnership, we make sure to give credit where it is due. This way both values are upheld – partnership and appreciation.

Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg

Rabbanit Dr. Adina Sternberg

was in the first cohort of the Matan Kitvuni Fellowship program and her book is in the publication process. She has a B.A. in Bible from Hebrew University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Talmud from Bar Ilan University. Adina studied in Midreshet Lindenbaum, Migdal Oz, Havruta and the Advanced Talmud Institute in Matan. She currently teaches Bible and Talmud at Matan, and at Efrata and Orot colleges. Adina lives in Adam (Geva Binyamin) with her family.