Torah Portion of the Week

Matot מטות

Numbers 30:2–32:42

Parshat Matot opens with the laws of vows and oaths — a person's word is binding, though a father or husband may annul a woman's vow under specific conditions. God commands the Israelites to exact vengeance against Midian for the Peor debacle; a 12,000-man army led by Pinchas defeats the five Midianite kings and Balaam, and the spoils are meticulously divided between the soldiers, the community, the priests, and the Levites. The parsha culminates with the tribes of Reuben and Gad (later joined by half of Manasseh) requesting to settle the lush pastureland east of the Jordan; Moses initially rebukes them — fearing a repeat of the spies' demoralization — but ultimately agrees on the condition that their warriors lead the conquest of Canaan before returning to their Transjordanian inheritance.

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1 of 6

The Laws of Vows and Oaths

דיני נדרים ושבועות

Numbers 30:2–30:17

Moses speaks to the heads of the tribes regarding vows: when a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath imposing an obligation on himself, he shall not break his word — he must carry out all that has crossed his lips. If a woman makes a vow while in her father's house in her youth, her father may annul it on the day he hears it; if he remains silent, the vow stands. Similarly, a husband may annul his wife's vow on the day he hears it. If a woman is widowed or divorced, her vow stands on its own. These are the statutes God commanded Moses 'between a man and his wife, and between a father and his daughter.'

2 of 6

The War Against Midian

מלחמת מדין

Numbers 31:1–31:12

God tells Moses: 'Avenge the children of Israel against the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered to your people.' Moses mobilizes a thousand men from each tribe — 12,000 in all — and sends them to war alongside Pinchas son of Elazar, who carries the sacred vessels and the trumpets for sounding the alarm. They slay every male of Midian, including the five kings — Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba — and Balaam son of Beor is killed by the sword. The Israelites take the women and children captive and seize all their cattle, flocks, and goods, burning all their cities and encampments.

3 of 6

Moses' Anger and the Purification

כעס משה וטהרת השלל

Numbers 31:13–31:24

Moses, Elazar the priest, and the chieftains go out to meet the returning army. Moses is furious that the women were spared: 'These are the very ones who, at Balaam's bidding, induced the Israelites to trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, so that a plague struck the community of the Lord!' He commands that all males among the children and every woman who has known a man be killed. Those who touched a corpse must purify themselves on the third and seventh day. Elazar instructs the soldiers on the purification of metal utensils: gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, and lead must be passed through fire and then through waters of lustration.

4 of 6

Dividing the Spoils of War

חלוקת שלל המלחמה

Numbers 31:25–31:54

God commands Moses: 'Count the booty — people and animals — taken in the raid, and divide it equally between the warriors who went to battle and the rest of the community.' From the soldiers' half, one out of every five hundred persons, cattle, donkeys, and sheep is levied as tribute for the Lord, given to Elazar the priest. From the community's half, one out of every fifty is taken and given to the Levites who maintain the Tabernacle. The total booty: 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 women. The army officers then report to Moses: 'Your servants have made a count of the warriors under our command, and not one of us is missing.' In gratitude, they bring a voluntary offering of gold jewelry — armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and pendants — totaling 16,750 shekels.

5 of 6

Reuben and Gad Request the Transjordan

בקשת ראובן וגד לעבר הירדן

Numbers 32:1–32:19

The children of Reuben and Gad own vast herds of cattle and see that the lands of Jazer and Gilead are ideal for livestock. They approach Moses, Elazar, and the chieftains: 'If it pleases you, let this land be given to your servants as a holding; do not move us across the Jordan.' Moses rebukes them sharply: 'Are your brothers to go to war while you stay here? Why do you dishearten the children of Israel from crossing into the land the Lord has given them?' He compares them to the spies who discouraged the nation at Kadesh-barnea, provoking God's wrath and the forty-year sentence. Reuben and Gad respond: 'We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and towns for our children, but we ourselves will go armed as shock-troops before the children of Israel until we have brought them to their place.'

6 of 6

The Agreement and Settlement of the East Bank

ההסכם והתנחלות עבר הירדן

Numbers 32:20–32:42

Moses accepts their terms: 'If you do this — if you arm yourselves before the Lord for war, and every armed man crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has dispossessed His enemies — then this land shall be your holding before the Lord.' But he warns: 'If you do not do so, you will have sinned against the Lord; and know that your sin will find you out.' Moses instructs Joshua and Elazar to enforce this agreement. The Gadites and Reubenites pledge: 'As the Lord has spoken to your servants, so we will do.' Moses gives them — and half the tribe of Manasseh son of Joseph — the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan. The Gadites rebuild Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer, and other fortified cities; the Reubenites rebuild Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim, and more; and the Manassites conquer Gilead and Bashan.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

Jeremiah 1:1–2:3

ירמיהו

Jeremiah's call to prophecy opens with themes of divine authority and vows — connecting to the parsha's laws of oaths and vows. The first of the 'Three of Rebuke' haftarot before Tisha B'Av.

Full Text

Parshat Matot

Numbers 30:2–32:42 · 112 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןNumbers 30:2–30:17

Chapter 30

פרק 30

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2 וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָֽה

3 אִישׁ כִּֽי יִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַֽיהֹוָה אֽוֹ הִשָּׁבַע שְׁבֻעָה לֶאְסֹר אִסָּר עַל נַפְשׁוֹ לֹא יַחֵל דְּבָרוֹ כְּכׇל הַיֹּצֵא מִפִּיו יַעֲשֶֽׂה

4 וְאִשָּׁה כִּֽי תִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַיהֹוָה וְאָסְרָה אִסָּר בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ בִּנְעֻרֶֽיהָ

5 וְשָׁמַע אָבִיהָ אֶת נִדְרָהּ וֶֽאֱסָרָהּ אֲשֶׁר אָֽסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ אָבִיהָ וְקָמוּ כׇּל נְדָרֶיהָ וְכׇל אִסָּר אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקֽוּם

6 וְאִם הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם שׇׁמְעוֹ כׇּל נְדָרֶיהָ וֶֽאֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ לֹא יָקוּם וַֽיהֹוָה יִֽסְלַח לָהּ כִּי הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָֽהּ

7 וְאִם הָיוֹ תִֽהְיֶה לְאִישׁ וּנְדָרֶיהָ עָלֶיהָ אוֹ מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָֽׁהּ

8 וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ בְּיוֹם שׇׁמְעוֹ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ וְקָמוּ נְדָרֶיהָ וֶֽאֱסָרֶהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקֻֽמוּ

9 וְאִם בְּיוֹם שְׁמֹעַ אִישָׁהּ יָנִיא אוֹתָהּ וְהֵפֵר אֶת נִדְרָהּ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ וְאֵת מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וַיהֹוָה יִֽסְלַֽח לָֽהּ

10 וְנֵדֶר אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה כֹּל אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקוּם עָלֶֽיהָ

11 וְאִם בֵּית אִישָׁהּ נָדָרָה אֽוֹ אָסְרָה אִסָּר עַל נַפְשָׁהּ בִּשְׁבֻעָֽה

12 וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ וְהֶחֱרִשׁ לָהּ לֹא הֵנִיא אֹתָהּ וְקָמוּ כׇּל נְדָרֶיהָ וְכׇל אִסָּר אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקֽוּם

13 וְאִם הָפֵר יָפֵר אֹתָם אִישָׁהּ בְּיוֹם שׇׁמְעוֹ כׇּל מוֹצָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ לִנְדָרֶיהָ וּלְאִסַּר נַפְשָׁהּ לֹא יָקוּם אִישָׁהּ הֲפֵרָם וַיהֹוָה יִֽסְלַֽח לָֽהּ

14 כׇּל נֵדֶר וְכׇל שְׁבֻעַת אִסָּר לְעַנֹּת נָפֶשׁ אִישָׁהּ יְקִימֶנּוּ וְאִישָׁהּ יְפֵרֶֽנּוּ

15 וְאִם הַחֲרֵשׁ יַחֲרִישׁ לָהּ אִישָׁהּ מִיּוֹם אֶל יוֹם וְהֵקִים אֶת כׇּל נְדָרֶיהָ אוֹ אֶת כׇּל אֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ הֵקִים אֹתָם כִּי הֶחֱרִשׁ לָהּ בְּיוֹם שׇׁמְעֽוֹ

16 וְאִם הָפֵר יָפֵר אֹתָם אַחֲרֵי שׇׁמְעוֹ וְנָשָׂא אֶת עֲוֺנָֽהּ

17 אֵלֶּה הַֽחֻקִּים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהֹוָה אֶת מֹשֶׁה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ בֵּֽין אָב לְבִתּוֹ בִּנְעֻרֶיהָ בֵּית אָבִֽיהָ

2 Moses spoke to the heads of the Israelite tribes, saying: This is what GOD has commanded:

3 If anyone makes a vow to GOD or takes an oath imposing an obligation on themselves, they shall not break their pledge; they must carry out all that has crossed their lips.

4 If a woman makes a vow to GOD or assumes an obligation while still in her father’s household by reason of her youth,

5 And her father learns of her vow or her self-imposed obligation and offers no objection, all her vows shall stand and every self-imposed obligation shall stand.

6 But if her father restrains her on the day he finds out, none of her vows or self-imposed obligations shall stand; and GOD will forgive her, since her father restrained her.

7 If she should become someone’s [wife] while her vow or the commitment to which she bound herself is still in force,

8 And her husband learns of it and offers no objection on the day he finds out, her vows shall stand and her self-imposed obligations shall stand.

9 But if her husband restrains her on the day that he learns of it, he thereby annuls her vow that was in force or the commitment to which she bound herself; and GOD will forgive her.—

10 The vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, however, whatever she has imposed on herself, shall be binding upon her.—

11 So, too, if, while in her husband’s household, she makes a vow or imposes an obligation on herself by oath,

12 And her husband learns of it, yet offers no objection—thus failing to restrain her—all her vows shall stand and all her self-imposed obligations shall stand.

13 But if her husband does annul them on the day he finds out, then nothing that has crossed her lips shall stand, whether vows or self-imposed obligations. Her husband has annulled them, and GOD will forgive her.

14 Every vow and every sworn obligation of self-denial may be upheld by her husband or annulled by her husband.

15 If her husband offers no objection from that day to the next, he has upheld all the vows or obligations she has assumed: he has upheld them by offering no objection on the day he found out.

16 But if he annuls them after [the day] he finds out, he shall bear her guilt.

17 Those are the laws that GOD enjoined upon Moses between a husband and his wife, and as between a father and his daughter while in her father’s household by reason of her youth.