Matot-Masei 5785: Beyond the Jordan

What defines Jewish belonging—land, Torah, or loyalty?

In this episode, Parshat Matot-Masei sparks a rich conversation between Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbanit Nechama Goldman Barash about the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe who ask to settle east of the Jordan River. They explore Moshe’s sharp challenge to their request, the shifting language from “ahuzah” (holding) to “nachalah” (inheritance), and what it means to belong to the Jewish people. The discussion expands to contemporary dilemmas of collective responsibility—from Israel-Diaspora relations to the burden of reserve duty in today’s IDF.