Shalom Aleichem,
Beloved, and followers of this ministry, blessings and peace to you of and from the Tribes of Israel. This week, is also at the head of the month, and the meanings of Matot of Hebrew is “tribes”, and Massei is “journeys”. JR Tolkien would say “not all who wander are lost”, and we say, “there is also no such thing as ‘lost tribes’ of Israel”. Forgotten perhaps, but…if you are reading this, you are likely recalling, learning, or already know who you run with, and have travelled with for thousands of years. Have a messed up fractured and broken family? Don’t worry, you’re family among his blessed, is HUGE, and surround you one way or another. Alone and lonely lately? Delve into the Torah and find your family.
There is sooo much to cover this week, that as a ministry, we can’t cover it all. Heres what to know: The past journeys of our families had about 42 stops and encampments periods in the 40 years of wandering in the dessert. Even when coming into Israel, not all did at once in the regatherings. Even still, some tribes went outside of Israel. When you see maps of the tribes, the tribes have been very much like a moving target to nearly all over the planet. It’s a very deep, involved issue. So many of you, are of the tribes, and don’t even know it. You must delve into Torah to know from the spirit it is talking to you. One of this ministries founders is Carol D. Johnson, who passed away on 04/22/2025, and she had two favorite Torahs, one of is wooden covered, and from Jerusalem. She always knew, felt, sensed she was of the covenant people….yet, it wasn’t until delving into Torah so specifically in her last days and studious of family tree, and key marker points and boundary stones she found in about her life, and doing so alive did she fully mesh in. Below is her tribe map and Torah. So back in those days, the tribes of Reuban and Gad settled outside the land of Israel. Later many tribes went north into Europe, etc. Point is, many tribes, many journeys. Gatherings of Israel, may be in many locations, be it America, Israel, both and more…regatherings are occurring…over there, and more and more tribes may become Israel in the future when Israel eventually grows back to former greatness. The battles for true Judaism, between some of Judah, and other tribes….are great divides, yet, the rough edges are wearing off and people are learning more and more. It’s about tribes, not religion.
Matot…
The torah portions below;
Torah Matot Numbers 30:2-17
Torah Massei Numbers 33:1-49
Reuban and Gad are later joined by half the tribe of Mannesah. This sense of hard division lines between the tribes, and person being specifically one tribe or another tribe 100% clear cut, is simply not true in our opinion, and beyond human ability to so fully map out. Yet, very complex stuff.
Reduced, it’s an outline if you will of Moses dispensing the laws of annulment of vows to the tribal heads of Israel, a war against Midian. Torah giving account on war spoils among people, Levites and high priest. Reuban and Gad (with Manessah) asking the the lands east of Jordan as their hunk of promised land, and those choice pasturelands for the cattle.
When people say “But I’m Mannessah tribe”. You might be, but, you might also be Reuban and Gad. A great many of the cattle ranchers in the America’s have it in their genes….
Shabbat Rosh kodesh/Chodesh Av….Jeremiah 2:4-28, Jeremiah 4:1-2, Isaiah 66:23-24, Isaiah 66:23 is the further reads we ask you also enjoy. For the Christian readers, we ask that you get rid of your Christian beliefs, as your Yashua is not the founder of Christian beliefs and practices, and rather, make the Torah your lens and view of the Tribes to find yourself on the Tribal maps and journeys. Yashua did not create a strange new religion called Christianity, and it’s about the tribes, and a “lost house” of Israel, not a religion. Christians have a hard time understanding the roots of their faith and Tribes, until they read the Torah.
When you learn the tribes and who you are….you might also start seeing the map of “Greater Israel”, that is an Israel many times larger than what it currently is.
B’shalom
asst.rabbi/markhoward2012@gmail.com