The Sedra Matos 5776

In this week’s Sedra, Parshat Matos, we find ourselves grappling with a profound and seemingly difficult contradiction in our holy Torah. We were previously commanded by the Almighty never to take revenge or even bear a grudge against our fellow people. The Rambam explains that we must rise above such vanity and emptiness to maintain a stable environment. However, in this week’s portion, God explicitly commands Moses to take revenge for the children of Israel against the Midianites. How can we reconcile the prohibition of vengeance with this divine decree for battle? As we explore the teachings of our sages, we learn that true peace and justice must sometimes coexist through strength. It is only by crushing the enemies of peace that a just world can truly be sustained for all of humanity. Please join me as we delve into this lesson. Shabbat Shalom.