Mattot – Masei – Leah’s blog July 2025

Mattot – Masei – Leah’s blog July 2025

The story of Israel is an ever evolving one. The building up to its place of preeminence is the paradigm. The ideas and happenings that occurred at the beginning come back in a full circle now at this time. The story of Abraham is one of movement, of leaving your comfort zone and into a journey saying “hinieni- I am here” all the way. G-d could have chosen him in the place he was, given him an epiphany, having the story line begin and end in the same place, however that is not the course of the story of Israel. Abraham has to leave, travel, escape and reconquer the place that was planned from the day the world was created- the very center of the earth, connecting all countries and all nations, Eretz Yisrael.

 

The book of Berieshit is all about a pre-national state in which we see individuals dealing with danger, famine, thirst, and human flaws such as betrayal-(specifically focused in the Yosef story) which is a lead in into the next chapter of the story of our first exile in Egypt. We also meet angels and people who are so secure in their faith that what others see for bad they view as for good because it is all under the guiding hand of Providence. We learn about obedience in the face of trial. Those that challenge it fall away and dissipate, not part of the story anymore. The mantra of the story repeats itself, first through the stepping stones of our forefathers, their stamp and seal is imprinted on every place they walked and lived here. The implications of the origins echo memories as we later return as a nation.

Our story defies logic- no nation has lived so long and survived. Eretz Yisrael is a place we GO TO in order to plug in. It requires pro action.

There is “back to the start” programmed into the story, all nuances and lessons of deep esoteric meaning for us – how it originated and how it applies to this very day.

In these portions we learn in detail about Israel returning to and eventually entering the Promised Land. There are many theories that allude to the fact that parts of Transjordan which had been incorporated into the Greater Kingdom of Egypt during the rule of Yosef. (During the great famine) These conquests had been legally part and parceled to Menasseh and Efrayim by Yosef during that time, a time BEFORE “A new king took over Egypt who did not know Yosef.” In fact, later part of the territory on both sides of the holy Jordan River are bequeathed to the tribes of Yosef. The strong leadership of these tribes was able to overcome the fortified walled and gated cities of Sichon and Ogg easily perhaps because at an earlier time during the dominance of Yosef they had already been claimed; they knew the layout of the territory. This is why Moshe R’ perhaps declares zero issues with Menasseh settling half of their tribe here. They were simply reclaiming their heritage.

Yet another fascinating part of the parcel Efrayim and Menasseh come to inherit, is the area of Shechem and Dotan – there are two distinct stories that happened in these places. The original territory that Yosef had to pass when he was sold down to Egypt by his brothers. On a deeper look into this area, we also know that Yosef’s wife, Asnat was the daughter conceived by Dina, Yosef’s sister after having been raped by Shechem. Thus, the primordial hard stories of coping in the face of baseless hatred, as in the sale of Yosef, or as in Shechem Ben Hamor -a foreign beastly population that comes to kidnap and rape, prompting Efrayim and Menasseh to leave before the official time of the exodus taking a call to action in rectifying these evils by returning to those very same places. These places happen to be their inheritance that eventually become the territory generations later of an everlasting Land Covenant with Joshuah on Mount Grizim and Eval.

Every circle closes at its original point.

Now too we are struggling with similar issues as we come close to the time of the expulsion of Jews from Gaza and the northern Shomron at the hands of other Jews, when we have hostages STILL languishing in terror tunnels with hard evidence of rape and other atrocities happening to them -in our time – EXACTLY THE SAME THEME OF STORIES-  but there is always tikkun, managing and overcoming these extremely hard things- the prototypes are all read and re read every Shabbat for us to learn and live the ideal archetypical responses like those displayed by Efrayim and Menasseh.

The state of Israel is nothing less than a miracle. There were Jews that came prior to the time it legally became a country of its own. They helped in forming the foundational level of what it is today, draining out the swamps, providing the first desperate attempts at infrastructure, they are the first part of the story of Zionism because they felt the urgency to return.

With 71 Knesset members approving the resolution affirming Israel’s right to sovereignty in Judea and Samaria as part of our people’s historic spiritual homeland and everlasting Land Covenant we are on the way to the next phase of the final redemption. Looking back over our long history and reading these Torah portions only reminds us of the self -sacrifice and dedication it takes to be a part of it.

Shabbat shalom dear friends!

Blessings, Leah