In Parashat Matot, as the Israelites prepare to enter the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben and Gad, blessed with abundant livestock, make a surprising request: to settle outside the Land of Israel, east of the Jordan. The Torah states:
וּמִקְנֶה רָב, הָיָה לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְלִבְנֵי גָּד–עָצוּם מְאֹד; וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת-אֶרֶץ יַעְזֵר וְאֶת-אֶרֶץ גִּלְעָד, וְהִנֵּה הַמָּקוֹם מְקוֹם מִקְנֶה…
וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אִם-מָצָאנוּ חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ–יֻתַּן אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לַעֲבָדֶיךָ לַאֲחֻזָּה; וְאַל-תַּעֲבִרֵנוּ אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן.
“Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and, behold, the place was a place for cattle… They said: ‘If we have found favor in your eyes, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not bring us across the Jordan.’”
(Numbers 32:1, 5)
Later in the chapter, the tribes declare their intention:
גְּדֵרֹת צֹאן נִבְנֶה לְמִקְנֵנוּ פֹּה, וְעָרִים לְטַפֵּנוּ.
“We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones.”
(Numbers 32:16)
Rashi, commenting on Numbers 32:16, quotes Midrash Tanchuma to offer a strong rebuke of Reuben and Gad’s priorities:
“וְהִנֵּה הַמָּקוֹם מְקוֹם מִקְנֶה” – חָשׁוּב לָהֶם נְכָסֵיהֶם יוֹתֵר מִן הַנְּפָשׁוֹת. הִקְדִּימוּ אֶת הַמִּקְנֶה לְטַפָּם. אָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה: לֹא כֵן עֲשִׂיתֶם. שִׂימוּ אֶת הָעִקָּר עִקָּר וְאֶת הַטָּפֵל טָפֵל. בָּנֵי הַבָּתִּים לָעֲרִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ גְּדֵרוֹת לַצֹּאן.
“Their possessions were more important to them than their children. They mentioned their flocks before their children. Moses said to them: ‘That is not right. Make the essential primary, and the secondary secondary. Build cities for your children and only afterward sheepfolds for your flocks.’”
(Rashi on Numbers 32:16, citing Midrash Tanchuma, Matot 7)
This sharp critique highlights a moral failing: they placed material wealth over the future of their families.
In contrast, Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehuda Berlin (the Netziv) offers a more generous reading in his Torah commentary Ha‘amek Davar. On the very same verse, he defends the tribes’ priorities:
“גְּדֵרוֹת צֹאן נִבְנֶה וגו’ – לפי שעה אין צורך לילדים בערים קבועות, די להם באהלים כמו עד עתה, רק המקנה שאין לו שמירה שלמה אלא אם כן מוקף גדר. לכן הקדימו לדבר זה.”
“‘We will build sheepfolds…’ – For the time being, there was no need for permanent cities for the children; tents, as until now, sufficed. But the livestock required proper enclosures for protection. Therefore, they mentioned that first.”
(Ha‘amek Davar on Numbers 32:16)
And earlier:
“וידברו אל משה וגו׳ – הוצרכו לבוא אל משה… שלא נחשדו לריקנים ח”ו, אלא אנשים בעלי מדות טובות… ולא מחזיקים טובה לעצמם אלא בעד הילדים והנשים.”
“They came to Moses… They should not be suspected of being worthless, God forbid, but were men of fine character… not seeking comfort for themselves, but for their children and families.”
(Ha‘amek Davar on Numbers 32:2)
The Netziv reframes the narrative: the tribes were responsible caretakers, ensuring material stability as a foundation for family life and future spiritual participation. The livestock concern was not greed, but logistical necessity.
This Torah episode speaks directly to a modern dilemma. We live in a time of material abundance, and yet the ordering of our priorities remains a central spiritual question.
Judaism does not shun wealth. The Torah acknowledges that material prosperity is a blessing:
וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל
“And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you strength to achieve wealth.”
(Deuteronomy 8:18)
But that blessing comes with a warning: wealth must not become our master. Reuben and Gad teach us that even justifiable concerns over livelihood can blur the line between what is essential and what is instrumental.
We must ask: are we building lives centered on accumulation, or on elevation? How do we use what we have—for our children, our communities, and our moral commitments?
Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks wrote:
“What we possess, we do not own. We are mere guardians of blessings we are called on to share.”
(Jonathan Sacks, The Dignity of Difference, p. 119)
The tribes of Reuben and Gad challenge us to examine our own values. Are we like those who build sheepfolds before cities? Or do we build responsibly, knowing that wealth is a tool, not a truth?
May we use our possessions as vessels of generosity, planning with care but always placing our children, faith, and ethical commitments first.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Bolton