Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, we learn about the request of the Bnei Reuven and Bnei Gad, who possessed immense herds of cattle. Recognizing that the fertile lands of Yazer and Gilad on the eastern side of the Yarden were perfectly suited for livestock, they approached Moshe Rabbeinu, Elazar HaKohen, and the leaders of the community with a request to receive this territory as their permanent inheritance instead of crossing over the Yarden.
Moshe Rabbeinu immediately objects to their request with great warmth and concern for the rest of Klal Yisrael. He rebukes them, asking if their brothers should go to war while they remain behind in comfort, and warns them that their reluctance could demoralize the nation, comparing their actions to the tragic sin of the Meraglim at Kadesh-barnea.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
וּמִקְנֶהAnd livestockרַבabundantהָיָהthere wasלִבְנֵיto the children ofרְאוּבֵןReuvenוְלִבְנֵיand to the children ofגָדGadעָצוּםvastמְאֹדveryוַיִּרְאוּand they sawאֶת—אֶרֶץthe land ofיַעְזֵרYazerוְאֶתand —אֶרֶץthe land ofגִּלְעָדGileadוְהִנֵּהand beholdהַמָּקוֹםthe placeמְקוֹםwas a place ofמִקְנֶה׃livestock
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וַיָּבֹאוּAnd they cameבְנֵיthe children ofגָדGadוּבְנֵיand the children ofרְאוּבֵןReuvenוַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidאֶלtoמֹשֶׁהMosheוְאֶלand toאֶלְעָזָרElazarהַכֹּהֵןthe Kohenוְאֶלand toנְשִׂיאֵיthe princes ofהָעֵדָהthe congregationלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
עֲטָרוֹתAtarosוְדִיבֹןand Divonוְיַעְזֵרand Yazerוְנִמְרָהand Nimrahוְחֶשְׁבּוֹןand Cheshbonוְאֶלְעָלֵהand Elalehוּשְׂבָםand Sevamוּנְבוֹand Nevoוּבְעֹן׃and Beon
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
הָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatהִכָּהsmoteיְהוָהHashemלִפְנֵיbeforeעֲדַתthe congregation ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelאֶרֶץa land ofמִקְנֶהlivestockהִואit isוְלַעֲבָדֶיךָand to your servantsמִקְנֶה׃there is livestock
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וַיֹּאמְרוּAnd they saidאִםifמָצָאנוּwe have foundחֵןfavorבְּעֵינֶיךָin your eyesיֻתַּןlet be givenאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landהַזֹּאתthisלַעֲבָדֶיךָto your servantsלַאֲחֻזָּהfor a possessionאַלdo notתַּעֲבִרֵנוּbring us acrossאֶת—הַיַּרְדֵּן׃the Jordan
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
וַיֹּאמֶרAnd saidמֹשֶׁהMosheלִבְנֵיto the children ofגָדGadוְלִבְנֵיand to the children ofרְאוּבֵןReuvenהַאַחֵיכֶםshall your brothersיָבֹאוּgoלַמִּלְחָמָהto the warוְאַתֶּםand youתֵּשְׁבוּwill dwellפֹה׃here
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וְלָמָּהand whyתנואוןwill you turnתְנִיאוּןwill you turnאֶת—לֵבthe heart ofבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelמֵעֲבֹרfrom crossingאֶלtoהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatנָתַןgaveלָהֶםto themיְהוָה׃Hashem
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
כֹּהThusעָשׂוּdidאֲבֹתֵיכֶםyour fathersבְּשָׁלְחִיwhen I sentאֹתָםthemמִקָּדֵשׁfrom KadeshבַּרְנֵעַBarneaלִרְאוֹתto seeאֶת—הָאָרֶץ׃the land
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
וַיַּעֲלוּAnd they went upעַדuntilנַחַלthe valley ofאֶשְׁכּוֹלEshcolוַיִּרְאוּand they sawאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landוַיָּנִיאוּand they turnedאֶת—לֵבthe heart ofבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelלְבִלְתִּיnotבֹאto enterאֶלintoהָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַןgaveלָהֶםto themיְהוָה׃Hashem
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וַיִּחַרAnd was incensedאַףthe anger ofיְהוָהHashemבַּיּוֹםon the dayהַהוּאthatוַיִּשָּׁבַעand He sworeלֵאמֹר׃saying
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
אִםIfיִרְאוּthey shall seeהָאֲנָשִׁיםthe menהָעֹלִיםwho came upמִמִּצְרַיִםfrom Mitzrayimמִבֶּןfrom a son ofעֶשְׂרִיםtwentyשָׁנָהyearsוָמַעְלָהand upwardאֵת—הָאֲדָמָהthe landאֲשֶׁרthatנִשְׁבַּעְתִּיI sworeלְאַבְרָהָםto Avrahamלְיִצְחָקto Yitzchakוּלְיַעֲקֹבand to Yaakovכִּיbecauseלֹאnotמִלְאוּthey followed fullyאַחֲרָי׃after Me
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
בִּלְתִּיexceptכָּלֵבCalevבֶּןson ofיְפֻנֶּהYefunehהַקְּנִזִּיthe Kenizziteוִיהוֹשֻׁעַand Yehoshuaבִּןson ofנוּןNunכִּיforמִלְאוּthey fulfilledאַחֲרֵיafterיְהוָה׃Hashem
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וַיִּחַרAnd was kindledאַףthe anger ofיְהוָהHashemבְּיִשְׂרָאֵלagainst Yisraelוַיְנִעֵםand He made them wanderבַּמִּדְבָּרin the wildernessאַרְבָּעִיםfortyשָׁנָהyearsעַדuntilתֹּםthe end ofכָּלallהַדּוֹרthe generationהָעֹשֶׂהthat didהָרַעthe evilבְּעֵינֵיin the eyes ofיְהוָה׃Hashem
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וְהִנֵּהand beholdקַמְתֶּםyou have arisenתַּחַתin place ofאֲבֹתֵיכֶםyour fathersתַּרְבּוּתa breed ofאֲנָשִׁיםmenחַטָּאִיםsinfulלִסְפּוֹתto addעוֹדstill moreעַלuponחֲרוֹןthe wrath ofאַףthe anger ofיְהוָהHashemאֶלtowardיִשְׂרָאֵל׃Yisrael
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
כִּיIfתְשׁוּבֻןyou turn backמֵאַחֲרָיוfrom after Himוְיָסַףand He will continueעוֹדagainלְהַנִּיחוֹto leave themבַּמִּדְבָּרin the wildernessוְשִׁחַתֶּםand you will destroyלְכָל· allהָעָםthe peopleהַזֶּה׃this
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
וַיִּגְּשׁוּAnd they approachedאֵלָיוhimוַיֹּאמְרוּand they saidגִּדְרֹתpens ofצֹאןflocksנִבְנֶהwe will buildלְמִקְנֵנוּfor our livestockפֹּהhereוְעָרִיםand citiesלְטַפֵּנוּ׃for our children
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וַאֲנַחְנוּand weנֵחָלֵץwill armחֻשִׁיםquicklyלִפְנֵיbeforeבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelעַדuntilאֲשֶׁרthatאִם·הֲבִיאֹנֻםwe have brought themאֶלtoמְקוֹמָםtheir placeוְיָשַׁבand shall dwellטַפֵּנוּour childrenבְּעָרֵיin the cities ofהַמִּבְצָרthe fortificationמִפְּנֵיbecause ofיֹשְׁבֵיthe inhabitants ofהָאָרֶץ׃the land
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
לֹאnotנָשׁוּבwe will returnאֶלtoבָּתֵּינוּour homesעַדuntilהִתְנַחֵלhave inheritedבְּנֵיthe children ofיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelאִישׁeach manנַחֲלָתוֹ׃his inheritance
פָּסוּק יט
Pasuk 19
כִּיforלֹאnotנִנְחַלwe will inheritאִתָּםwith themמֵעֵבֶרfrom the sideלַיַּרְדֵּןof the Jordanוָהָלְאָהand beyondכִּיforבָאָהhas comeנַחֲלָתֵנוּour inheritanceאֵלֵינוּto usמֵעֵבֶרfrom the sideהַיַּרְדֵּןof the Jordanמִזְרָחָה׃eastward
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
After Moshe Rabbeinu warns them that repeating the sins of their fathers would bring Hashem's wrath and cause the entire nation to perish in the wilderness, the Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven draw near to offer a compromise. They propose to build sheepfolds for their livestock and fortified cities for their young children, while they themselves will arm quickly and serve as the vanguard, leading the rest of Klal Yisrael into battle. They pledge not to return to their homes on the east side of the Yarden until every single Yid has successfully received his inheritance on the west side.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
Look at the order of priorities the Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuven present to Moshe Rabbeinu. They step forward and say, "We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks, and towns for our children." Rashi immediately points out their mistake: they put their money before their souls, caring more for their cattle than for their own sons and daughters. Moshe has to gently correct them, telling them to build "towns for your children" first, and only then "folds for your sheep."
It is so easy to fall into this exact same trap in our own lives. We get so caught up in the daily grind of making a living, securing our finances, and managing our physical assets that we accidentally put our "cattle" before our children. We spend our best energy on our businesses and careers, leaving only the leftovers for our families, our Torah learning, and our relationship with Hashem.
Today, take a honest look at your schedule and your focus. Make sure you are putting the main thing first. Before you invest your heart into your material assets, invest it into your home, your children's chinuch, and your own spiritual growth.