Parashat Matot-Masei
„For the removal of oneself from the holiness of the collective of Israel is itself what constitutes the fundamental heresy, because the holiness of the faith of the Torah and the commandments is bound up and endures in its grasp upon the collective of Israel.”From Olat Re'iyah, Erev Rosh Hashanah
In Parashat Matot-Masei, the children of Gad and the children of Reuben ask to remain in Transjordan. Moses' response is not technical or territorial but moral-national: 'Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?' Rav Kook identifies the root of the problem: the removal of oneself from the holiness of the collective. The moment a person chooses to withdraw, to sever himself from the mutual responsibility and accountability toward our people, he harms not only others but the foundational values of our people. The Torah and the commandments are not a private affair; they are a living and essential part of our people and of its ability to act and to sanctify the Name of Heaven in the land. In these days, when parts of the people fight with valor and other parts choose to sit aside, the call of Moses must resound within all of us.
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From the community archive of Mishpetei HaRav Kook — studying Rav Kook's teachings since 2011.