Mattos-Masei Torah Thoughts!

Mattos-Masei

July 5 & 6, 2013    Tammuz 27 & 28, 5773

Numbers 30:2 36:13

Questions and comments are always welcome and definitely create, what I hope is an educated discussion and sparks some great interest. I got a few question last week and the week before, and I’ll paraphrase; ‘I understand the message of your D’var Torah/ Sermon, Rabbi Barry, but what does the portion ‘actually’ say?……’  This puts a huge smile on my face, and a bigger one in my heart and my soul! VERY IMPACTFUL! A curious mind that asks questions belongs to a person who is open to learning and absorbing.  Extremely intelligent!   I can most definitely and am able to share the actually words, BUT one’s mind and soul learn from studying and will absorb when they perform the actual and awesome act of reading The Tanakh.  I would welcome, be it a one on one, or in a group read along and discuss each week’s Parsha/Portion.

In this week’s parsha/portion, Mattos-Massei, we learn a valuable lesson, that of keeping one’s word and how we should be a ‘Mensch’, an honorable, respectful, and reverent man/person (referred to a man, for example, “My son who helped the elderly lady with her groceries is such a ‘mensch’! It is taught by the rabbis, we should NOT take hard line and extremely difficult vows and make promises about things that are out of our control, as NOT everything can be in OUR own control; a real mensch keeps his word and carefully and tactfully watches his word. 

As mentioned, one underlying theme is how to be a mensch.  All of us should most definitely strive to be a MENSCH!  Oh, and there are times, we aren’t so ‘menschy’, as we as humans error, but through true belief, and a mind open to learning from our mishaps, G-D gives us chances so we may learn and educate and become……A Mensch!

In this parsha, we learn about the journey from Egypt to Israel, and all 42 stops along the way.  WE, as people do not walk in a straight line, although it is the shortest distance that joins them. As humans, we take a step progressively forward, and at times, backwards.  We should never be discouraged, and we should continue our path of spiritual and emotional walking, just as our forefathers fled from Egypt and took a few steps back here and there; they prevailed!  We see in this parsha even when Israel is within reach, it is not a state of perfection.  That’s okay, as there is a plan; Keep doing what you do, even when you scrape your knee, and strive to always be open to learning, and walk like that of a mensch!  We ALL fall short and must realize that as long as we keep trying with honest intent; our walk to honorability is present.  G-d sees how we walk, and always has a watchful eye.

I am reminded of an old story about a head ranch hand wearing a baseball cap, instead of his cowboy hat.   A new person is visiting the ranch, and asks, “Why a baseball cap, and not your Cowboy hat?”  His reply, “Because I don’t want people to think I am JUST any ranch hand!”   It is NOT the way you dress, it is not what you say, but it is what you strive for and become that defines us! It is how we walk!  MAY WE ALL STRIVE TO BECOME MENSCHEN!

-Amen-