Maatot- Maasei, Numbers 30:2-36:13
This double portion concludes the book of Numbers and brings the Children of Israel to the edge of the Promised Land. In fact in these portions the first permanent settlements of the Children of Israel are founded on the eastern side of the Jordan River. The tribes of Gad, Reuben and one half of the tribe of Manasseh is allowed to stay if their men continue on to help capture the rest of the Promised Land on the west side of the Jordan River.
The first portion Maatot describes the battle with the Midianites and their success in defeating them and then Maasei recounts the wanderings of the Children of Israel and outlines the future borders of the land of Israel.
But Maatot begins with a section on vows. Vows, solemn promises are something of great importance in Jewish tradition. A persons word and promise obliges the individual to fulfill that oath. The vow is sworn before God and God can hold one accountable for the non-fulfillment of a vow.
Interestingly, the portion continues in a section about womens vows. Since at this time in history, women were not independent, it would seem that they did not have the power to make their own vows. Women were attached generally to their fathers house if underage or not married or to their husbands home. But the Torah portion records that a woman can independently make a vow and still be obligated by the vow if her father or husband makes no objection when he finds out about the vow. Thus it gives her extraordinary power that in the biblical world was not often accorded women. So too for a divorced or widowed woman, her vow stands.
Further the text says that if her husband or father annuls the vow, God forgives her. She does not stand in trouble with God for violating her vow.
While today, our core religious and spiritual values call for womens complete equality in the world, we can see a unique window to the Jewish past in these verses that allow for some freedom for women to build their own unique relationship with God. While today we would only let a father abrogate a minor childs vow, a woman single, married, divorced or widowed after the age of majority is responsible for her own vows and for the consequences of fulfilling or not fulfilling them.
This equality in religious obligations is a core value of our Reform Judaism.
Posted by Lee at July 13, 2004 12:24 PM
