Show Notes
In this week's parsha, Matos, we learn about:
The significance of our words- we should be very careful not to make promises. If we do make them, they are binding.
The need for people to be treated equally - which is why those who fought in battle and those who remained behind were both given an equal share of the spoils.
That people cannot evade punishment- since Bilam gets his comeuppance in this week's parsha.
The laws of kashering- how to change an object to make it something one can use to eat or cook kosher food.
The importance of not separating ourselves from the community, as the tribes of Gad, Reuven and part of Menashe ultimately did.
More from Parsha for Kids
In the last parsha of the Torah, V'Zot HaBracha, Moshe dies. But what matters is not that he died- rather, the way he died. Moshe approached God alone. There were no adoring crowds. No family surrounding him. It was just the man and his Maker. And this is something that will happen to us all. We will all, ultimately, approach God. The question to be answered is simply this: have we lived a life that we are proud to show to God?
This week's parsha, Haazinu, is actually a song! Moshe wanted to make sure that the core ideas of Judaism would be accessible to everyone, whether or not they were able to read. In this song, we focus on some important ideas. These include: