Matot - Masei (Numbers 30:2-32:42)

The portion is named , ma-tot, because it begins with a command passed on to the heads of the tribes (matot) of Israel.

In this week's portion, the Israelites are taught the laws relevant when women make vows: the right of the father or husband to cancel them and how the process must be done. Following the giving of these laws, Moses is commanded to lead the Israelites in a war against the Mideanites before his death, as revenge for their behavior when trying to seduce the Israelites into idolatry. The Israelites go to war and are victorious, and are taught the rules of purifying their booty in order to be allowed to use it.

At the end of the portion, the Reubenites and the Gadites, who were shepherds, request that their lot be given to them on the recently conquered fruitful east bank of the Jordan River. Their wish is granted under the condition that the men of the tribes shall participate in the fighting when the Israelites conquer the land of Canaan, and shall not return to their homes until the mission is completed.