On certain Shabbosos, we read two Torah portions together. This phenomenon arises because there are 53 Torah portions, while a lunar year has only about 50 weeks. To complete the annual Torah reading cycle, several portions must be paired.
However, the decision to combine specific portions is not arbitrary. In fact, only six portion-pairs are regularly combined. Why these six? The answer is that either they share a common theme — such as Tazria and Metzora — or they represent two seemingly opposite ideas that are, in fact, complementary.
Such is the case with Matos and Masei.
As explained in another essay, Matos — which means “staffs,” referring to the tribal leaders — represents firmness, strength, and unyielding resolve. A staff is rigid; it does not bend or waver. Masei, on the other hand, means “journeys,” symbolizing movement, flexibility, and change — the very opposite of a staff’s static nature.
These two portions conclude the Book of Bamidbar (Numbers), the final installment of what the Rebbe and others refer to as “the Four Books of Moses.” Why “four” and not five?
Because, according to tradition, the first four books of the Torah were conveyed by Moses as a transparent channel of Divine communication. Moses served as a pure transmitter, like a loudspeaker that broadcasts a message without altering it in any way.
The fifth book, Devarim (Deuteronomy), is fundamentally different. Devarim represents Moses’ restatement of the Torah. Here, G-d’s teachings are filtered through Moses’ own mind and language. While Devarim is still Divinely inspired, it is not merely a direct transmission from G-d; it reflects G-d’s teachings as they were absorbed and internalized by Moses.
The Rebbe explains the reason for this shift: If the Torah had been given exclusively in the unfiltered way of the first four books, it would have remained in a realm too lofty and abstract for ordinary people to grasp. To make the Torah accessible and resonant in the human mind and heart, Moses reframed and re-expressed the Divine message in a way that connects with us more personally.
“Everything Follows the Seal”
The fact that the first four books conclude with Matos and Masei suggests that these portions contain fundamental lessons. The Sages taught, “Hakol holech achar hachitum” — “Everything follows the seal.” The conclusion of a book encapsulates its major theme. Additionally, the seal serves to protect the contents. Without a seal, a package can unravel, and its contents can be lost.
So too, the paradoxical messages of Matos and Masei are pivotal to preserving the integrity of the Torah. When we internalize their lessons, we guard the Torah from distortion and ensure its vitality for generations.
Rigidity and Movement: The Twin Messages
How do Matos and Masei serve as seals for the Torah?
Matos teaches us about firmness and unyielding commitment to the Mitzvos. We must not compromise or dilute the Torah’s commandments. Yet Masei reminds us that Judaism is not static. We must continuously grow in our spiritual journey, deepening our understanding and increasing our devotion.
Jewish history demonstrates the consequences of neglecting either side of this paradox. Those who watered down Torah ideals eventually assimilated and disappeared into surrounding cultures—unless they did teshuvah and returned to the fold. On the other hand, those whose Judaism became stagnant and lifeless, devoid of growth and vitality, also failed to endure. They could not withstand the pressures of modernity.
True Judaism requires both unwavering commitment (Matos) and dynamic personal growth (Masei).
Why Are These Messages Encoded in Vows and Journeys?
At first glance, the themes of Matos and Masei seem unrelated to vows and journeys. Why do these twin lessons appear in these specific contexts?
Consider the laws of vows. When a person makes a vow, the Torah commands that they must fulfill it. Violating a vow is a grave transgression, no less serious than eating non-kosher food or violating Yom Kippur. Here, the Torah empowers a Jew to create personal stringencies beyond what the Torah itself requires.
Yet, surprisingly, the Oral Law introduces the concept of hataras nedarim—the annulment of vows. Based on a hint in Matos, the Talmud teaches that three rabbis can annul a vow. This is what we do at the onset of Yom Kippur in the Kol Nidrei prayer.
At first glance, this appears to contradict the Torah’s strict rule about keeping vows. However, the Torah itself authorized this exception, allowing for flexibility — but only under specific guidelines and through qualified spiritual leadership. This law is an exception to the general rule of Matos because it is an obligation that is generated by human endeavor. Thus, the Torah allows for it to be annulled under certain conditions.
We can now understand why the Torah emphasizes the message of Matos-rigidity in the context of the laws of vows. It is to impress upon us that although there is a situation which allows us the flexibility to reverse an obligation it should not be construed as a rule but rather a lone exception.
The Journeys of the Jewish People
Masei begins with the words: “These are the journeys of the children of Israel when they left the land of Egypt.” The commentators ask: Why use the plural “journeys” when there was only one departure from Egypt?
Chassidic literature explains that “Egypt” (Mitzrayim) symbolizes not just a physical place but any form of limitation or confinement. Leaving Egypt represents an ongoing process of spiritual growth and liberation—from both external pressures and internal struggles, such as addictions or emotional captivity.
The Chida (Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulai, 18th century) notes that the first four words of the parsha — Eileh masei bnei Yisrael — contain hints to the four exiles of Jewish history. Each initial letter corresponds to one of the four kingdoms that have oppressed the Jewish people: Aleph — Edom (Rome); Mem — Madai (Persia/Media); Beis — Bavel (Babylonia); Yud — Yavan (Greece).
Four Forms of Exile
The Bnei Yissaschar explains that each exile attacked a different aspect of the Jewish people:
Bavel targeted the nefesh (soul), destroying the First Temple and extinguishing spiritual vitality. Madai threatened the guf (body), as seen in Haman’s genocidal decree. Yavan attacked the seichel (intellect), attempting to contaminate Jewish thought and philosophy. Edom/Rome combined all three attacks, and perhaps also numbed the hergesh (feeling), desensitizing the Jewish people through the long, harsh exile.
Each of these “journeys” represents a stage in the Jewish mission to break free from layers of spiritual bondage.
The Final Journey
The last of the 42 journeys listed in Masei is Yarden-Yereicho. The word Yereicho is etymologically related to rei’ach (fragrance), symbolizing Moshiach, of whom it is said in the Talmud, based on (Isaiah 11), “He shall smell and judge.” Moshiach will have the power to perceive truth beyond surface appearances.
Moreover, Matos connects to Moshiach as well. The Psalmist describes Moshiach as a mateh — a staff of leadership and strength (Tehillim 110).
Conclusion
As we complete the fourth book of the Torah, which parallels the fourth and final exile, we are reminded to embrace both Matos and Masei — rigidity and movement, commitment and growth. By doing so, we prepare ourselves for the ultimate redemption, when the paradoxes of Jewish existence will be resolved and transformed into the harmonious unity of the Messianic era.