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The tribes of Reuben and Gad, rich in livestock, ask to settle in the recently conquered land (see Numbers 21) along the east bank of the Jordan River instead of crossing over into the Land of Israel proper. Moses angrily accuses them of shirking their responsibility, concerned that the others will be demoralized and will believe that Reuben and Gad think it is impossible to conquer the rest of the Land of Israel and therefore want to cash in on their inheritance portions early. Reuben and Gad reassure Moses that they intend to be fully involved in the conquering of the remainder of the Land, and only when the war ends will they return to the east bank territory.
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| Thoughts to Consider and Discuss |
1. Why does Moses give an historical recapitulation (Numbers 32:8-12) of the story of the spies as part of his answer to Reuben and Gad?
2. Did Reuben and Gad plan all along to be involved in the rest of the conquest or is this a compromise position in response to Moses' attack?
3. See Joshua 4:12. Did Reuben and Gad keep their promise?
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"And so you find with the tribe of Gad and the tribe of Reuben that they were wealthy and had many flocks, and they loved their money and therefore settled outside of the Land of Israel. Therefore they were exiled first out of all the tribes, as it is said [Chronicles I, 5:26], 'He exiled the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Menasseh'. What caused this? [The fact] that they separated themselves from their brothers because of their possessions."
Bamidbar Rabbah 22:6
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 | | Points to Ponder | |
Do you consider Reuben and Gad's request to be necessarily negative? Why or why not?
Would you, in Moses' place, have acceded to their request?
What are the boundaries of responsibility that we should assume for other individuals, our families, and the community at large?
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