Matoth-Masei: Capital in the 23 century ( Hebrew calendar)

Matoth-Masei: Capital in the 23 century ( Hebrew calendar)

Karl Marx wrote DasKapital (1867), a book that shaped economic thinking for more than the century that followed; a book that continues as fundamental to an understanding of the organization of the world after the industrial revolution. Capital in the 21st Century was published in 2013 by Thomas Piketty.  The durability  of this book, which emphasizes the recent growth of  wealth inequalities and advocates a wealth tax that crosses national borders, remains to be determined; but its influence on the current Democratic party is obvious.  The end of Bamidbar, the double parsha this week, deals with the distribution of  wealth in Biblical times, the distribution ordained by Gd and Moshe. 

The parsha begins with a principle:  לֹ֥א יַחֵ֖ל דְּבָר֑וֹ כְּכָל־הַיֹּצֵ֥א מִפִּ֖יו יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃    he shall not break his pledge; he must carry out all that has crossed his lips. a person must keep his word.  This is the basis for all agreements.  The Torah involves Gd in this process as the penalizer of  the violator, the enforcer of the agreement.  Without reliance on  the fulfillment of oath,  there can be no planning, no organization for the future, no industry, no society. 

The remainder of the first  parsha (of the two), Matoth, deals with the disposition of the gains of conquest. The war against the Midianites yields a great treasure.  Who should own it? Those 12,000 warriors (1000 from each tribe) who risk their lives and did the actual battle? The nation as a whole, which felt compelled to prosecute the war and drafted the soldiers? The formula was a 50-50 split between the two with a 0.2% tax on the soldiers and a 2% tax on the nation. An early example of wealth redistribution. 

The parsha then deals with the Emorite lands, territory outside the borders of the Promised Land, much of it conquered under the leadership of Moshe and some liberated by elements of the tribe of Menashe (  the firstborn  of Joseph [to whom Jacob assigned the double portion], the relatives of the daughters of Zelophchod).  This is extra land...and the tribes of Reuben (the firstborn, who should have received a double portion ) and Gad (first son of Zilpah, handmaiden of Rachel [Jacob's chosen wife]) want it! What a deal! This extra land can satisfy these tribes with special ( if ambiguous) claims and leave 21% more land for the remaining 9 1/2 tribes. But the  weakening and disheartening effect of peeling off these tribes must be contravened.  Hence the  paradigm of contracts, the oath with consequences.  Reuben and Gad get this land if ,and only if , they join in the conquest of the Promised Land.  Agreed!

Masei, the second parsha, deals with the distribution of the Promised Land.  It lays down a principle: הִתְנַחַלְתֶּם֩ אֶת־הָאָ֨רֶץ בְּגוֹרָ֜ל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹֽתֵיכֶ֗ם לָרַ֞ב תַּרְבּ֤וּ אֶת־נַחֲלָתוֹ֙ וְלַמְעַט֙ תַּמְעִ֣יט אֶת־נַחֲלָת֔וֹ אֶל֩ אֲשֶׁר־יֵ֨צֵא ל֥וֹ שָׁ֛מָּה הַגּוֹרָ֖ל ל֣וֹ יִהְיֶ֑ה לְמַטּ֥וֹת אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם תִּתְנֶחָֽלוּ׃

You shall apportion the land among yourselves by lot, clan by clan: with larger groups increase the share, with smaller groups reduce the share. Wherever the lot falls for anyone, that shall be his. You shall have your portions according to your ancestral tribes. Each individual will receive an equivalent portion. Democracy in action

 The parsha ends with the complaint of Zelophchod's brothers about the decision to grant inheritance rights to women. They argue marriages with other tribes will lead to the reassignment of their  Menashe lands ( some of which they independently conquered) to other tribes.  It is possible that these men wanted the decision to allow women to inherit reversed ( which could have transferred the property  to them).  Instead a compromise is formulated, and the heroic daughters of Zelphchod are permitted to marry whomever they please... within their father's tribe.  They agree. Women's inheritance rights are preserved. 

Today is the first of Av.  The tradition is to avoid contracts until after the 10th of the month.  The 15th of Av was the day that the restriction on marriage outside the tribe was lifted by the Rabbis ( Bava Bathra 120a).  Not all rules are forever.