Mattot-Masai
Can we offer kindness to the very stage of the journey that we are at right now?
Reflection on parashat Mattot-Masai by Gilad Shavit, graduate of Or HaLev’s Tiferet Teacher Training
"In this week’s parashah, we are told that Moshe opens the Book of Devarim `after he had defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og, king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and Edrei.` After everything Moshe did, why does the Torah emphasize these two wars in particular?
The Sefat Emet sees an inner meaning in these battles. Sihon and Og are not only external kings; they also hint at forces that exist within us. Sihon, king of Heshbon, represents the world of thought: distractions (sihon hints at hasahat da’at, distraction), calculations (heshbon = calculation), and thoughts that distance us from what truly matters. Og, king of Bashan, represents the world of action: the behaviors (edrei is also Aramaic for forearm, representing action) and habits that can take hold of us and draw us away from where we want to be.
According to the Sefat Emet, opposite these two forces stands the power of tefillin: the tefillin of the head correspond to thought, and the tefillin of the arm correspond to action. The cure for misdirected thought and action is connection and commitment.
That is why only after Moshe reckoned with Sihon and Og was he able to speak to the Jewish people in a way that his words could enter their hearts. First, the blockages of thought and action must be worked with; only then can we truly hear.
May we too be able to face our distractions and misdirections, and live with connection, presence, and an open heart.
Shabbat shalom!"