Parashat: Matot-Masei

Parashat: Matot-Masei
Torah Reading: Numbers 30:2-36:13

“Why will you turn the mind of the Israelites from crossing into the land that God has given them?”

~Numbers 32:7

Though I know the years keep rolling on, somehow we’ve made it to the end of yet another book. Parashat Matot-Masei concludes Numbers and reminds us to turn our vows into verbs, to be thoughtful when we enter into wars, and how to allocate land once we actually enter it.

When we are facing a momentous or major life change—say, moving up to a new promotion, hitting that fitness goal we’ve been working towards, mastering that skills that’s eluded us—it’s not so abnormal for self-sabotage to appear. Self-sabotage occurs when we work either consciously or unconsciously to undermine our own goals or progress—because we’re afraid of what might happen if we succeed.

Here, on the precipice of entering our Promised Land, Moses warns the doubters in our midst to pipe down—the negativity that might stop us from progressing forward into our destiny. If, those who complain aren’t willing to join the fight or the work in getting us to our goals, then they also shouldn’t detract or derail us from our dreams. Moses’ warning helps us in a modern setting as well: we don’t need anyone else’s voices to take us off track: we can be our own worst critics or our best cheerleaders and self-advocates. If this is your moment: which will you pick? Remember: every step forward, no matter how small, is still progress.

~Rabbi Amanda K. Weiss