Shock Troops

At breakfast this morning my son and I were talking about this week's Torah portion, which is the double portion of Matot/Massei (Numbers 30:3-36:13).  This is the portion in which the tribes of Ruben and Gad decide that they really don't need to go to the promised land after all.  They've been doing a pretty good job of raiding and they think that their cattle would do just fine on the side of the Jordan that they were already on.  This does not go over well with Moses.  Actually, it makes him really really mad.  For 40 years they've been trying to attain this singular goal as a singular people and when they are almost there, these guys try to back out.  Moses totally thinks they are wimping out, that they don't want to fight the last battle (to displace the people who are living there, so they can "inherit" the promised land).

The tribes of Ruben and Gad start backpedaling as fast as they can.  No, no, no, no.... you totally misunderstand... we'll send in our best fighters as shock troops in the promised land and when you guys are all set, we'll cross back over to this side of the river and peacefully live out our days with our families and our booty.  This is agreeable to Moses and it's what they end up doing.

"Really?" my son asks, "Jewish shock troops"?  


"Really?" I responded.  "Think of your friends Aryeh and Nate.  They could easily be shock troops."  Which is true.  Not all Jews fight like Woody Allen.  Somewhere along the line we lost our tough guy image.
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