The narrative of the Shevatim of Reuvain and Gad seeking land east of the Jordan River is fascinating in its many nuances. Indeed, one of the most popular divrei Torah on this section comments on the subtle way Moshe corrected the petitioners’ emphasis on their sheep to remind them of the importance of placing the needs of their families first.
Reading through this narrative, it is interesting to note that, in responding to their request, Moshe refers – somewhat lengthily - directly to the actions of the scouts. In fact, he lays out the story in cold hard facts, making certain that they understand that this was the cause of the death of a generation and their extensive time in the wilderness. He concludes by challenging them: "And now you, a breed of sinful men, have replaced your fathers, to add still further wrath against Israel. If you turn away from Him and He abandons them once more in the wilderness, you will bring calamity upon all this people" (32:15).
Jewish tradition seems to have a strong ideology against holding one's familial background against them - a convert is not to be asked about their background, baalei teshuva should not be inconsiderately reminded of their past lives - so is not it unfair for Moshe to make such a seemingly strong accusation?
One could certainly get into psycho-analyzing Moshe’s reaction. He is old and knows he is about to be "gathered unto his fathers," so the idea of anything keeping the people out of the Promised Land creates a particularly strong reaction from him. Indeed, he might even have felt quietly resentful of the actions that seemed to have determined that his death would be in the wilderness (whereas 40 years earlier he would have led them into the Promised Land).
The Reubenites and the Gadites hear his message and immediately change the presentation of their request to one that attaches them to the Promised Land and their fellow tribes by including themselves in the upcoming war. It is also revised to place their families ahead of their flocks. The plan is modified to include half of Menasha, and it is approved.
This incident has many potential lessons. For those of us living in these times, perhaps the most poignant is to remember how each action we take is about more than just ourselves and our personal needs. We have to always remember how our actions, be they individual or group, might affect the entire People of Israel. Reuven and Gad wanted the land, they saw how they could use the expanse of grazing land for their cattle and sheep. Theirs was a legitimate, purposeful desire, but they neglected to stop and think about how their request might be understood by the rest of the nation. Every day, we go out into the world as individuals. We strive to make a living, to run our homes and families, to accomplish our goals, and so it is very easy to think only of how our actions might affect ourselves or those immediately around us. The truth, however, is that we must constantly be asking ourselves about the greater impact of our actions. Are we influencing someone else in a negative way? Are we making a Kiddush Hashem? Might we be doing something that will cause a negative reaction for Klal Yisrael as a whole? Moshe recounted the story of the spies to remind Reuvain and Gad how the wrong attitude of a few became contagious and hurt the people as a whole, and the while their intended actions may seem innocuous, they needed to make certain that their attitude was properly aligned. It is a lesson that is pertinent to every generation.
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