Parshat Mattos

The tribes of Reuven and Gad came with a request,
They didn't want to settle in Israel like all the rest,
Moshe couldn't believe what he did hear,
A repeat of the story of the spies he did fear.

The spies were sent to Israel 40 years before,
The land of Israel they were meant to explore,
With a negative report they did return,
To continue living a spiritual life they did yearn.

Yes, the Manna, clouds and well were great,
But their mission was the physical world to elevate,
For their mistake they had to pay,
For 40 years in the desert the Jews had to stay.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad made it clear,
That it wasn't the physical world that they did fear.
Reuven and Gad were different than the spies,
The importance of making a home for Hashem, they did realize.

They volunteered to fight at the forefront of the battle,
After the war was won they would return to their families and cattle,
Why would they give up their inheritance so grand,
For some good pastureland?

Before they would go to battle,
They said they would build pens for their cattle,
Then they would build for their children cities,
Was there something wrong with their priorities?

Chassidic philosophy does illuminate,
They did have their priorities straight,
There are three reasons that we can find,
For why they wanted to stay behind.

Firstly, to create a home for Hashem in the holy land would be great,
To build a home outside of Israel, was a challenge they wanted to take,
They spoke about the animals first because they were sure,
That the things that seem lower have a higher nature.

To what we see with our eyes there is more,
The lower something seems the higher is its spiritual core,
Just like bricks that make up a wall,
The higher the bricks are the farther they can fall.

Secondly, if they would be shepherds, they knew,
While watching the sheep and cattle they could learn Torah too,
Hashem's home is incomplete without light,
Which is accomplished through Torah study day and night.

The tribes of Reuven and Gad had a third reason,
For their desire to settle on the East of the Jordan,
In the land where Moshe would pass away,
Is where Reuven and Gad wanted to stay.

The land of milk and honey they were ready to sacrifice,
To stay with their leader they didn't think twice,
Because they knew that even after Moshe would pass away,
He would be with them even more in a spiritual way!

Souvenir: lego brick keychain