Misidentification | Rabbi Ari Kahn | July 24th 2025

Thursday July 24th which I really hope that's today learning is found in memory of the second year site of Rose Freriedman from Ptoria London and Jerusalem raisel bat aer by her children who miss her every day. So let's hope that so this week we have two parachute mat also Shabbat will be rosheshodes a which makes things a little bit more complicated and a little bit more interesting but all the various issues we will leave aside and instead I want to focus I I would say one thing but that one thing is really para mat mas although really more m than m and we'll we'll start just with the first acknowledgment that the word mate or mat is not one which is a usual term and it's used in the beginning of the parisha in a whole issue about vows and cancelling vows but then it also comes up in the in the next section when it talks about going off to four and it uses it almost I would say as something which is synonymous with the word. So if we look at source number one is you know right right there we want to pause for a moment although if you want me to get to the word mate you'll notice it coming up in we'll read. over here and again the next bas the word mate is used and I'm not going to engage regarding the word mate I'm just observing that it's not it's used multiple times in the portion and uh it certainly deserves more attention which it's not receiving from us now what's interesting is that it says and we know that the previous episode. If you look quickly in uh source number two and not only was their sexual impropriy, then they called them to worship their gods and they worshiped the gods and Israel had this unfortunate relationship then with Bal. Subsequently involved Len mo is and so on. So we have over here a combination of mo and midyan and for that matter we had a combination going all the way back to the beginning of parhat balak and there is confusion and there is intrigue. I mean just for example when we when we met Balak right Balak it's the para named after him and who is Balak before you answer when it begins we're told some things about him and then only afterwards it added in this thing which it should have said initially and it says that now that was a strange thing to say because it should have said it should have introduced him as Balak the king you don't introduce somebody and just you know say some other things he sees he responds and so on which leads some to say that it was actually the opposite which happened is that he was not king is that rather he was a again you can think 1930s now if you want he was able to use his anti-semitism in order to catapult him right create fear and create a whole agenda then to catapult him to a position of leadership but he was not leader before all of those things which are described in the first couple of uh verses not only that by the time we finish Today we're and when I said there's confusion, we're going to also try to get to a point again to unravel something. Was he himself a member of Moav, right? Or was he Austrian? No. Was he a member of uh of Moav or was he a member of Midian? So you could say, but how did he become the member of You're not going to use that, are you? That you that you can't use that. you have to behave a little bit that how if he's a member of Midian how does he become the king of Moab but that exactly may be what's a little bit more interesting over here but as I said there there is confusion so let's just place the confusion aside for a moment but when I look in parafe I have if anything the majority of what's taking place and I I'm just using I'm focusing on the Hebrew mo and that's plural and then when I go on and I find and that sounds like it's singular. So now when I think about so who do I need to go and take vengeance on? So I can say both or I can say primarily Moav. So the fact that over here we're told take vengeance against Midian that becomes a little bit more interesting but there's going to be a further complication which is so bad that it's almost impossible and you can enjoy yourselves any way you want to get out of it. But I'm just saying it's something which makes it almost impossible. As we continue over here, we're told that they sent people off to war. And so you want to keep your eyes on, right? Just keep the focus on as we move on and so on and they they got as well. So I guess that he's involved in all this as well and the and Israel captioned some of the women of Mosha go out and they survey what has happened. Moshe is upset with the military leadership. of him and so on. You left these women alive. So it's interesting here. If you want Bum's fingerprints on it as far as Moshe is concerned, they're the ones who were involved in the plot of Bums in order to cause this outrage against God. I'll devour par in order to get the Jews to be guilty of what it's called here in order to serve a different god or to serve par instead of God. So it's it's really interesting this verse what for for various reasons. one as Moshe is giving us his commentary of what's happened that he understands that the seduction which is described in source number two that that is done at the be at the instructions of bum secondly that was actually the plan so again I think a lot of us know the midrashic background but I don't know why we need a midashic background when you actually have the words over here in the humish midrash background is again bum sees perhaps matakov how beautiful are the Jewish camps and the Jewish homes and the so on you know the windows don't even look into one another which is certainly not many neighborhoods over here in including Harnof it's probably the main reason they don't need television there so okay >> yeah what can you do I've given up I've given up whatever you know I used to edit out all of these inappropriate things. I don't edit them out anymore. They're just uh they're there. Anyway, yeah, I think people who hear me when it's recorded and then they hear me live, they say, "Hold it. Is that the same person?" And the answer is yes. >> Excuse me. >> It makes it real. Um just to continue over here. And Bum sees the positive. So when he sees the positive, he discerns the negative. And he says, "Hold it. If this is why the Jews are blessed, let's unbless them. And how do you unbless them? You get them to act in the opposite way. So you get them to act in the opposite way. But now you realize that's a strategy. The real thing is to get them to worship idolatry and to get them to reject God. Because presumably if they reject God, then God rejects them. God rejects them. They become then susceptible to whatever will happen in terms of including going out to battle against them. So I'm saying that verse is really interesting and perhaps we'll look at it again which is the secondary point. So what's the what's the problem with all of this? I mean everything just now made sense. The problem is is that he's talking about Midyan and Midyan there was only one Hamidanit. If you're going to talk about the major problem that was Moab. So therefore, how and why does Moshe, again, first of all, now we're going backwards. Why are we told to go to war against Midyan when Moab was the problem or the combination was the problem? And if the combination is wrong, then go to war against both of them. Why is Moshe upset for keeping the Midianite women alive in his but the ones who went and did it? But they weren't the ones who went and did it other than perhaps one specific woman because all the others were coming from Moab. And I hope I said this is an impossible question to what? >> You finally understood the question. Oh, I thought you had the answer there. But uh but but no, I'm saying this this is this is a is a difficult problem in order again if you want to just say that median mo it's all the same but it's not. So what's the matter? The culture lifted maybe after so many years. >> Correct. That's an added factor. But still, but still. >> Andro unro. Fine. All of these are facts. They're they're irrelevant facts. All of them. But but but they're facts. >> Fine. They're relevant. These are very relevant facts. But but you but you're giving me more reason >> to go to war against Moab, >> which means Moab, this is great. Moab is guilty and let's go kill Midian. Again, there there there's something wrong over here. And by the way, that's your you could just ask this by the shabas table if it's appropriate. It won't be appropriate, but you could you could just ask this. And this is the problem. And uh as I said in getting to uh an answer again I'm going to offer you some things but it's uh >> you're not going to tell us the answer. >> You want an answer also? Have you always been told that a good question is far more valuable than a good answer? >> It's like a real mystery. >> So let's continue. Let's let's let's then continue in um in source number three which is really important. Source number three it's in Dvarim here we're told not to marry into the Moab family. If we were closer to the holiday of we'd probably have some interesting things to say about this and keep that in mind because that's important because if we don't have mo we don't have root we don't have root we don't have we don't have David there and there means that we will be fasting on okay so that mo and they're out by the way if you go back and look up the context it's even more interesting but we're not going there alvar. So this is also it's interesting we had didn't we have the same exact formulation inv source one and here it is because they did not bring you water and bread when you left Egypt. They should have been there for you and taking care of you. And this is unbelievable. This is really unbelievable because What kind of standard is this? And and the answer is actually quite simple. And not only that, you know what else they did? They hired and they hired Bum. By the way, look who we're talking about now. We're talking about Moab. And look who we blamed before before. By the way, we can make a distinction. What? >> There's two different people. Moab. But they end they end differently. >> So, so, so one second. One second. One second. One second. So, it says because they're guilty because they hired Bum to curse you. Now, if we just pause that for a second over here, we read about Bum. Bum advised Midian presumably regarding regarding Balpa. So, there it's the curse and here it's the Balpa. But to try to go into separate these really seems like a very surgical operation. But it's interesting because we're reading the this is not a commentary. Um unless you want to say that is Mosha's commentary. But then it continues and it says they hurried right to curse you and God would not not allow to be listened to and God turned his curses into blessings. Why? He because God loves you. By the way, that's the takeaway of all of this. And it's so sad because we read paradak every year and we forget the takeaway. What's the takeaway of the whole story? Say what is the most important conclusion of paral and the answer is that God loves you and you know what God does because he loves you God protects you. I'm just saying is that that's an unbelievable takeaway from this but we kind of miss it because then it's not there until Dvarum and it's the middle of par and kit I think has 57 different mitzvot in it and uh this kind of gets lost along the way because we have so many other good ones like uh like what likear which everyone wants to talk about and so we have further perspective and further confusion this median source Number four it says and now you learn that it was and by the way this is commentary back on par and it says that now you realize it was bum who gave the advice to put the zonot in order to lead to the balpa and bum's responsible and and I'm going to say it again that you have commentaries and you have and you have midrashim but in this case what you really needed to do was actually to read the sukim in the various places and just try to remember again aside from remembering who's Moab and who's Midyan but remembering what the Torah actually says in source number five which is the be beginning of of Pinas. It tells us again in the singulars. Remember I told you to keep your eyes on sore before. So why was I interested in S >> because this is because this is and it says so that's one way of describing what was another way that he is described as and that was back in source one and one of them was which means now we could have perhaps a uh a theory again right here already we're told. So perhaps the difference is that she is a princess and the other ones are commoners. So perhaps for commoners to act in a common way is one thing, but perhaps for a princess to act in a common way. You like my euphemisms? In a common way is a little bit different. And perhaps it's it's something which is a difference between quality versus quantity. By the way, by the way, that's my answer. That's my final answer. If you like the answer, then great. which means this is a far more strategic act that they will allow this uh this daughter of the ca of a king. Again, I don't know what the word king means in in this kind of context. I don't know how many followers any of these so-called kings have, but uh but it's obviously what >> king or president? >> I I I don't know. I don't know what it means. >> Yeah, but I I don't know. I don't know how many followers you need to have in this kind of context to be called a leader. I don't care what the term what the ter terminology is which means sometimes you know you have the king the war of the four kings against the five kings which is actually related. You have the king the war of the four kings against the five kings. How many followers did each of those kings have? So you could tell me I don't know and I'll say exactly and I'll say okay what's the minimum that you need to be called a king? Okay. In the modern Middle East, how many followers do you need to have to be called a sheh? >> I'm asking you, you're an expert. >> Don't know. >> Exactly. So, so again, that's the point is I I don't know how much it is, but it's some kind of of of a leadership position, but nonetheless, sending the princess out for such a such a job. And again, there are midrash that talk about this. and she goes and and and she's looking for Moshe and then she said, "Okay, again, but all that's going back to the point is that this is strategic attack using somebody who is uh theoretically of a little bit of a higher background. Let me put it again this way. To use people who are on the lowest strata of society to do this perhaps is different. Again, you can argue with me about all of this, but again, if you want me to offer you some kind of a distinction between Moab and Midian, I'll say that Moab, there was a bunch of girls out there who were then trying to lead them towards the Vodora. And uh and and on the on the other hand here, the princess is out there trying to do something else. And again, I again that's the medrush, but in order to Yes. But yes, >> one of the reasons not the reason for us to hear, but one of the reasons that can't marry. So question is how come at the end it says but it's actually but by the way but but what's but that's not what it said. >> No but it's >> no no okay slow slow I I didn't explain this enough. It says, it's actually very interesting that when the Gumari says, "Oh, what about Moav?" So, here's where it actually says is that girl said, "We never expected them to go out." What's actually the issue? The issue is that who is Moav? Moav is from Lot. And who is Lot? Lot learned in Abraham's even better than Abraham's. He learned in Abraham's tent. He saw the way that Abraham goes out and greets all of his guests. How does Abraham greet his guests? With water and food and by the way with tongue and with mustard and right and right and right and all kinds of things. Which means if you grow up in Araham's tent, you then have that kind of an education, that kind of a background, you therefore should have that kind of an obligation to behave. Certainly when it comes to Abraham's descendants which means again in this kind of case they're having that kind of a background causes an obligation. What Kazal then say is that the girls would normally not go out off into the fields or off into the desert or whatever it was in order to go greet the strangers and therefore they were not expected to go out but the men were and that's really what it says here. It doesn't say the other reasons. It says why is because they didn't go out and bring you food, which is a which is really a remarkable statement, but that's what the statement says in source. Okay, we're going to skip a little bit, but in source number eight, it said earlier in So here you have a really interesting combination and complexity. On the one hand, you can't marry into these people because of the way that they behaved or didn't behave. On the other hand, you uh can't take their land because that land was given to load. Now, keep that in mind. And what else do we need? A couple of more uh points. One is in source number five is where we had seen just before. That's where it's the Kosby Batni. Rashi here is commenting commenting here in Pakafe paracafe where it says to go to war and to take against Midyan here it says moashid let's say remarkable statement doesn't draw a moral distinction between the two it says we still need them around it's essentially God is saying listen you know I got a great book actually I have a trilogy right And uh and if you want to know how the whole thing is going to work out, there's a character that wasn't born yet that we're going to need and therefore we can't wipe them out yet. We can't write them off the script right now because we're going to need them down the line. That is absolutely an unbelievable comment over here by Rashi. But nonetheless, that's what it says and it's based on the tomorrow. You're intrigued. I want to make sure I follow. There's two reasons why we can't destroy Moab. The past and the future and midy. >> Yeah. >> There's no future. >> So, so one second. One second. So, so slow down. >> So, slow so slow down for one second. When it comes to Moab, we have to be careful in terms of the past that we're told in Dvarim. Right over here, Rashi is commenting. Oh, what's the distinction between the two of them is that we're going to need them. On the other hand, Rashi invarim is going to give two answers. So, it's interesting over here. Rashi only gave one, but when it comes to source number nine, which is Rashi on Pericvarim, he says, you know, go to don't go to war against them. But he does say you can instill fear in them, which means that's a good thing to do, right? Show them your show. Let let them know that you have guns pointed at them. Let them know that that you're ready to take them out. You can't do it, but don't let them know that you can't do it. So, uh there's also some interesting strategy being expressed over here. And therefore, Moab was terrified. Why are they terrified? Because we're pointing our guns at them. And it makes between mo of and that doesn't concern the all of that all that much. continue the Maharal in source number 10 he goes through the different interpretations and he says it is because of Abraham although he play and we're not going to read the whole thing you have it in front of you again if you don't know the Maharal the gorier this is the famous morahal this is a commentary on rashi so that rashi that explained what he said he knows the various rashi so he's tries to explain it So he says, "Oh well, because of the past, we can't go to war against them." But maybe when they went to war against us, maybe they then forfeited their status. And then he goes into different ways of understanding if one says, "No, they can't forfeit it because that's God's word." Or maybe there's a future that that we're concerned about again going into that exact tension. Is it the past or is it the future? And those are the two explanations that the Maharal goes into. So that's really what you intuited before. So that's all source number 10. Good. Good. You're happy now, right? Um >> perspective. >> Oh no. particular time they're threatening you that Moab is going to kill you and you can't fight them. How are they supposed to? >> Well, that's the good thing about Moshe being a prophet and God telling him what to do, which is why it's not so relevant today. >> So, in we're skipping Rashi in 11. This is the rashi that tells us that generally Moab and Midyan didn't get together, but they do get together now. Which by the way could also be part of the explanation is that there is this over what's the term? There is this um this bleeding between Moav and Midian and the and and and the lines between them are blurred somewhat. It's not as clear and but he does point out that they hated one another, but it's the Jews bring them together because the Jews bring world peace. We we we we bring people together. We make people love one another. We give people common goals. So I mean the whole collective state of Israel should get the Nobel Peace Prize because look how much we we unify people. So in source number 12, this orim is great. We're going to have to limit how much time we're going to go into it because we're going to very soon have a very dramatic turn. But is so good over here and uh he's the one who asked the problem. He he asked the question and and it really is amazing that asked what was the question? Why are we going to war against Midyan if Moab was the problem and why we can't touch Moab but because there's some future considerations or maybe there's some f but but yeah so just wipe out Midyan for Moab's crimes as well. So I'm saying the whole thing doesn't work that well. But he says that's the came and also she's also described there as and therefore the rest of the midyan girls were not guilty of this which is very strange because that's what Mosha's upset about. Why? I mean, they these women are weaponized is what Moshe says. And and the Torah gives you no indication that that's the case other than Mosha's saying that God would have said it initially. So again, he is the one who's spelling out this whole problem between the two. So, it's also interesting. It says Moav knew their girls would be easy. I don't know how to do this in a delicate way, but um you know when the Torah describes sexual sins, one term that it uses which is strange, it uses the word. So, the girls of Moab were right. They uh they perform and but then again think about the daughters of load think about where Moab comes from think about them which means that for them certain things seem to be negotiable so therefore for Moav this this was easy you know ladies come out they're all there but when it comes to mo to to midyan that's not at all right but when it sorry um Right. Right. The rest of didn't do this. [Music] our favorite theories and this is our theory the theory of conservation of characters and therefore that this person sur is actually the same fellow as Balak and by the way just in case you want to start up with me and the midrash and the say but they have two different names that doesn't concern me at all because very often when kings get appointed they take a new name so therefore he is the king and therefore that's his name but after the whole thing doesn't work out. >> He goes back to his old position. By the way, that's interesting because he originally is from Midyan. He is from Midyan. And then, right, remember we he's the or quoting a medish. So, he's actually from Midyan. He uses his fear-mongering in order to catapult him to become the king of Moab because look at this threat which is there. He then negotiates the agreement between Midian and Moab because he now is both somebody from Midian and Moab. But when the whole thing doesn't work out, he gets thrown out of Moab and he gets thrown back to Midian and then he eventually gets himself killed and so on. And uh and there's some other great turns of phrase that he has along the way. And here Sorry. What's the difference with her? this is him. It's the same guy, same anti-semite. We'll do anything to destroy the Jews. We'll send his own daughter out and and so on and so forth. So, as as I said, the orim it makes a lot of progress for us. And it's at this point I think that we can now have our dramatic shift. And what's our dramatic shift? So, we're done with them. War is over. We're done with them. That's perlammed olive. And now we move to which theoretically has nothing to do with anything except unless it does m and here we move over to the story of Benad as I said which should not have anything to do with anything that we've had before and Benu they come to Moshe and the Elazar and to all the leaders and they describe the places that were captured already, which by the way does have a lot to do with the background story in terms of Moad and Midion and and uh and and og and so on. By the way, note I want you to note the God quotient in all of this. That means there was an act of God over here. Not to take advantage of this would be practically slapping God in an anthropological face. You know the land that God struck and essentially gave us this land is a land for grazing. Now this is also an interesting shift. Yeah. God did this. But if this is okay with you. So they're not saying what does God have to say with this. They say what do you have to say? Mosha's in charge right? Which means again the relationship is Moshe you're in charge. We work for you and you get to make this decision. Can we have this land and stay? Now notice the word that he uses here is brothers. Your brothersto your brothers will go to war and you're going to stay here. Which everybody uses this verse as much as they want. By the way, the verse actually would apply today to those who refuse to come to Israel and to fight together with all the soldiers that are here. It's the ones who stay outside. I know I know there are issues with one who are inside as well. Believe me, I uh I have choice things to say about that as well. But I'm just saying is that's what's interesting is that you're going to stay that you have you have very nice land over here, which they're saying this is what God has g given us. And they say why do you want to frighten the people over here? Right. Hashem, it's the land which God gave us. Again, you want to talk about God, which is God's land. I mean, there is a God's land in all of this equation. And that just happens to be here. And then he accuses them of one of the worst things you can accuse them. He goes, you know, that's essentially what the spies did. And they try to put the fear in people's hearts. notice Moshe keeps coming back and saying the land which God gave us and God was upset at that time and so on they followed God and God was upset and why my point is that Mosha's speech over here is not just that he speaks about the moraglin Mosha's speech over here is full of what I would all god-driven destiny, God's instructions, God's chosen land. Essentially, do you remember the book of Besid? Do you remember the book of Schmote? There was there was like kind of a a theme over here. Have you lost the plot? Right? There was a place we're supposed to end up like what happened to you. When they come and they say, "No, no, we'll go and we'll fight." Just notice till they get to the till they get to their place. Note, right? To each person gets there. But so again, they they've done something which is really interesting. Um Moshe puts God back into this So again, just notice the God, right? We always do this, right? I'm very predictable. There are certain things I look for when I look at the Kish. You know what one of them is? >> God. Yeah. I I I hope that's okay. But it it is really telling within this uh discussion. They come back and they say we will do as you you know ask and then and they realize that they have to say this because that's what Moshe kept on saying. Yeah, we're going to go and fight and then [Music] so on and so forth. So I I hope you realize that uh so far what's taking place. Are we good? Are we good? Um so this is terrible. This is just terrible. As I said, lost the plot that uh and and the only time that they really really focused on God is, oh, God gave us this land. you don't want to, you know, you don't want to be so bad to God and not take the land that God gave you. But essentially, they're saying is that this is a great place for us to use for grazing. And just very quickly, parenthetically, there was another suggestion that could have come up and that we cross over and we live with everyone else and we're together with all 12 tribes in this side of the Jordan. But what about this other land over there? All this other land then will be used as a buffer zone and we'll use it in order to for our crops for our flocks to graze which means you don't need to live there for your flocks to be there which means there was another solution without you know insulting God and uh and so on and so forth but they could have chosen to come but they decided that this is uh better for them and that's quite unfortunate one of the things that is really I I I know that we all get but maybe we don't pay attention to enough and that is Mosha's initial response had one word which is really important and that is your brothers and that by the way is actually the core of the issue in modern Israel as well is to what extent there is a sense of brotherhood and when there is an extreme sense of brotherhood then different different decisions would be made when there's a lack of sense of brotherhood then other decisions are made and that's enough to say for right now. Um, but there's another background to all of this. Where exactly did Ben Ruven and God get all of their possessions? Where did all these flocks come from? So presumably the same way that the land came from, it came from these these conquests that are just taking place. Maybe even one of them would have been the battle that just now took place in the previous chapter. There was a whole bunch of things that were captured. So now they have these spoils of war and the land captured because of war. And if you want I can sound like a leftist now that war corrupts and law war corrupts right to capture other people it corrupts and so on and so forth. But there is something corruptive over here and that is that they decide that they are going to put these two things together. You know why bring all of these flocks over when we can keep them where they were? and uh and save on the shipping, right? This uh this seems to make a great deal of sense. So, I just want to point out now and what the path I'm about to take is one which elements of it I had heard that Rav Maidan had had spoken about although I didn't see it inside, I didn't hear it. I heard subsequently that professor Josh Joshua Burman had written about it. I didn't see that either and perhaps others as well. But you'll see very quickly I hope why the way that I'm thinking has brought me here as well. But it is possible that I heard of Maidan suggestion and then I try to work out some details myself. I don't remember. But let let's take a look back in Brachet. We have this situation which is actually going to be remarkably similar and then once you realize it far more connected to our story than we realized before and that is that Aram also achieves some wealth along the way. How does he achieve wealth? He went down to Egypt and what happened in Egypt? He has this unfortunate meeting with parro. And then we're told in source 15 and we continue and sorry in 14 first gets after Sarah was taken a gets all which is also interesting because a almost a sexual in appropriate behavior almost takes place and a is given all of these things and of course they're struck, which is a uh an early foreshadowing of the Egyptian experience. But then in source 15, Abraham goes and leaves. They chase him out and now has all of this stuff that he has with him and he travels and and Lo seems to have made a lot of money over here along the way as well. So I hope that for some of you the fact that we're talking about Lot should be interesting because we spent some time with Lot leading up to this point and then we're told something very unfortunate. We're told right that they couldn't stay together. Their shepherds could not get along. So the to me is therefore very interesting because here you have brothers but it's interesting sometimes brothers live together but sometimes brothers need to separate and aim over here in this case says that we need to live not together. Now that's interesting because especially when you then continue and you look you know which land he actually takes the land they actually takes is the descriptions are very very similar to what Ben Ruin and him got but you're going to say no it's actually not that far it's only stone okay fine it's only stone and they go one step further but in both cases the place that aim is supposed to be is in Eritz Cananan and where Lo chooses to go is all the way towards the east and he ends up by stone and the place where these people choose to go is on the other side of the Jordan and is to the east which means this or or your brothers going to go to war. So here clearly the conclusion should have been but we're brothers and therefore you need to come together and live with us and be with us and so on and so forth. And their conclusion seems to be well you know we can be a little bit more llike and you know just because people are brothers don't mean they live together. And and by the way, we do have Moab and Midian in the background of our story. And perhaps again, that's something that we should pay attention to. And just by the way, and Aram says, which is essentially a saying north and south and then Lot goes over and he looks over to the east. So Aram did not say let's go to different, you know, go to the other side. He actually says north and south and low chooses to go over to uh you know to to the karayard which is which is again quite similar to benet ruen benet do um subsequently there's going to be a war which again your brothers go to war is interesting there's going to be a war and that's the four kings against the five kings and what happens during that war who gets captured load gets captured and how does Abraham process this Aram is told that load is taken Aram heard that his brother was taken and Aam goes to war in order to protect his brother. So again this issue of brotherhood responsibility um what eventually will be Moab. It's not just that we're brothers. It's that Aram on top of everything else is there uh trying to protect him. And by the way, when Lot is saved, we know because we know the Kumish and Lo's daughters apparently did not go to Kedu, they did not go to Bacov because they don't know that Avaram is on the background praying for them and that's why Load is saved and that's the whole background of the story and they don't seem to uh to be aware of that. There's one more element that I want to throw into this and that is going back to Midyan, right? Because we missed Minyad in in all of this. So in source 17 those who don't remember I can't believe you don't remember because I only said it last week or two weeks ago and at the there in paris after all the interesting parts of we have these like lists of people being born and then takes another wife called Madan at Midian and one of the children of at that point is Midian. So those of us who don't remember Midyan is a son of Arabu. So as close as you want to say that Moab is to Ara, Midyun is even closer to Ara. And therefore, one can theorize as much as Moab should have had a responsibility in order of going out and taking care of the children of Ara, Midyun perhaps perhaps should have had more. But so as I said again, there is something really uh interesting over here in the fact that this is Midan. Um, again, one of the reasons I think one of the rashies that perhaps I skipped along the way was that Midyan had a lot less of a concern because geographically Midyan was not in the way. They were not going to go through Midyan. Midyun got involved in something which wasn't theirs. They're like the Hutin. They they're they're all far away, have nothing to do with the story, but said, "Oh, there's a war going on. Let's go join in. Let's uh why not? Let's be a part of this." And therefore, Midyun is attacked. By the way, this doesn't explain the verse that we had difficulty with, but it explains what's going on. Mid Moab sees that they're coming, but Midyan gets dragged into it, but they have nothing to do with any of this that they had no reason for fear because geographically they are off more to the side. Now, that actually may be important where they are geographically. And everything I'm going to say moving forward will not be necessarily precise geographically, historically because it doesn't interest me. What interests me much more is the various comments terries on the Kish and what they're going to tell us as we continue here. It gives us a list of other people that are born. And then it says is one person who inherits everything which is his and that's but has a bunch of other kids. I mean notably you know that there's but now you know that there's a bunch of other kids as well and he gives presents to the others. There's some discussion what those presents are including some strange statements in the Gan which Rashi quotes and he sends them away. He sends them know what does kadma mean and what does kadim mean? Sends them to the east. By the way, we like kadm. I have a grandson named kadm. So we we like we like actually like kadm a lot. But he sends them off kadm kadma and so on. So the rashbamites I mean first you have to know why. What does it sound like? It sounds like okay let's get these guys out of the way. These are the pretenders. So let's start with the rush and then you can see it's echoed by by a whole bunch of commentaries. Abraham had other financial interests. Actually Aram had his father's will. Aram had inherited other things if you want. Aram inherited other real estate. Ara had holdings. Ara may have had flock. A had all kinds of things that he left behind when he left his father behind. And that's what the Rashbam is saying on what's off to the east. You want he sent them to the east. Now, how do you get to over here? Well, if you want me to make it, well, I'll make it easier for you in a moment. And it says source 20 and he tells you to look at a that Aram had rights to. Which means essentially Aam walks away from all of this and then he has his own wealth which he feels is given by God and he doesn't want the inheritance from his father's old idolatry store. But then at the other hand there's other kids that now don't have anything. He goes, "Oh, you know, I there are things that you know absolutely you guys should be inheriting." And he sends them off to take what's theirs. In verse number 20, this is the puzz that was quoted. It's actually ironically who says it says it says it's not the first time we've seen this. Where does that say that? That one I would hope that you'd remember but you don't. It's fine. No judgment on my part. Source 24. Remember that's after the dream when he heads off to find Rael. How is it described? By the way, this should be pretty clenching for you for all of those who just now said, "Oh, no. This is back where of them come." Yeah, that that that that there's not really that much to say. So, could we try to put all of this together now? See, this is interesting. Where did we start with? We started this. We started with Moav and we started with Midian. And we don't know why we're going to war against Midian and whatever happened to Moab. And we're told that Moav there's some future considerations and there's also some past considerations. When it comes to Midian, we kind of ignore the past considerations and we're not all that concerned about the future considerations. Just by the way, um the Jerusalem claimed that they come from Midian. They claim they they claim that they come from which is also really interesting about uh our connection with the with with the Jerusalem. But we we we come back now and we say, "Okay, we're at this point where something really wrong has taken place." But let's start thinking about another thing. Okay, Ben Ru and Ben God. One of the things that we always want to do aside from look for God, what's the other thing you want to do? You want to follow the money. Like where did the money come from? So where does this where does the money come from? The money comes from the the wars that have been taking place. So therefore, we just now fought against Midian and we took all of their things. So now I'm going to ask you another question. And where does Midyan's wealth come from? And it's Abraham's inheritance. So now you realize something which is really interesting and that is and by the way this part which I'm saying I'm unaware of anybody saying this. So therefore, Midian has Aram's inheritance and you can stand and say, "No, we're taking what is really part of Aram's inheritance and therefore this is rightfully ours and therefore, you know, this is completely this is now glad kosher." On the other hand, this is not what Ara himself ever wanted. A gives everything which is his to Yitzk and he says to these others who are not part of I don't know how to say this now they're part of the A family but they're not they're not part of what will one day become Israel and Aam says oh yeah by the way I have these other you know interests I have these other claims that could be made I the way I said it before is perfect I have Terak's factory that he made idols I don't want that money. You guys can go take that money. That's fine. That's yours. So what ends up happening this tainted money it ends up happening is that we go and we and we take it and by the way that itself becomes really interesting. What do ben ruin binad say with this? Well we want to stay take this and we want to stay on the other side which is interesting because now the behavior that they're doing is very much lo behavior. That's again the whole battle with Moav. On the other hand, the possessions that they're taking is midyan possessions which then go back to terra which means and something which is really excluded from amrael. So therefore when lo separates from amiel or from lo separates from aam because you know what the story could have worked out differently if load stays with aam and therefore the araham family community is one a lot and children but that's not what happens and maybe that was never part of what was supposed to happen. So Lot separates and becomes something else. But where that's very much what Ben Ruin and God do. And maybe they're fooled by that language of brothers. Sometimes brothers separate, but sometimes brothers are brothers in a certain type of way where even though they're brothers, you know, Yakov and Asov are brothers, but there's a different type of brotherhood. And Aram still feels responsible. And and I'll say it again. We read that wonderful verse that Moab won't even bring water, right, and bread for you and Aram goes to war for you, which means the brotherhood over here seems to be a little bit unequal. So therefore, when we look at this section of Ben Ru and Benad, yeah, and I'm leaving out Manasha, that's mysterious how they get involved. When I'm looking at the story of Ben Ru Benad, one of the things that I'm doing is I'm saying, well, take a look. Their behavior is very much like the behavior of lot and yeah brothers can separate and that's really what they feel. The fact that they took God out of the whole narrative is the issue. It means they lost the plot. They don't understand where we're supposed to be. If you have God consciousness then this all becomes very simple and you're supposed to buy your apartment in Israel. I'm just saying because that that that that all becomes a really I did I did I did that that that all becomes a simple part of this. But when you take God out of this, then you can even do that wonderful demagoguery. Look, God gave this to us. The same way that I can say, "Oh, look, God quote unquote gave Midyan this wonderful inheritance." Aram gave the inheritance, but it's the inheritance of Terra and he sent them away from again brothers, red family, take the terra uh inheritance. And that's what's interesting because that perhaps is this other element. So benev end up inheriting from Moab and from Midyan. And as they're doing this, there is this unfortunate type of separation from uh Cla Israel. I'll just say one thing which is interesting about all of this and it has to do with Schmita because everything always comes back to Schmita and that is that there are always like every number of years we have Schmita and then someone will come and say oh soon most Jews in Israel will live in most Jews of the world will live in the land of Israel especially if this guy's elected mayor in New York but most of the most of the Jews most of the Jews in the world live in Israel and then Schmita becomes on a Torah level then he can't use the head to Makira oh that's not really crew of course because if you actually look at the rushi and it's the way the rashi and the way the Rambam and others understand it it's in order for Shmita to work yo has to work in order for yovil to work you need the majority of each of the 12 tribes in their land so until benu and benad are sitting majority are sitting in their landmita is not in a Torah law because connected to yo so therefore even if all of the Jews in the world come move to Israel. Shmita is still not on a Torah level until we can practice Yovo properly. But then again, if all the Jews in the world actually come here, just perhaps God will say, "Wow, they finally they finally got the plot and maybe it's time now to continue the way the story is supposed to end.