By Hyla Kemeny

This week we read two parashot, Matot and Masei. Matot speaks of vows, when our promises and statements must be followed through, and when we can be let off the hook. There are many scenarios in the parsha that can be interpreted or learned from. The parsha discusses the conditions of when a man can break his vow, or how a young woman’s vow can be forgotten is in controlled by her father. I can only hope that we can take from a parsha on the keeping and breaking of vows, not the patriarchal understandings or tendencies, but that our vows, our words and our promises should be taken seriously. I believe we should question what really ‘lets us off the hook, and what are excuses that we use to remove responsibility from ourselves.

For the most part, machaneh around HDNA has just started again for the summer. All over the movement, our members have decided yet again to take the vow of being madrichim, or chanichim (or both!) and we should not take this statement, or this vow lightly. Accepting the responsibility that comes with being a madricha or a chanicha is no small task. We are agreeing to care for our kvutza mates, to engage in a meaningful, fun and accepting summer with our madrichim. We are stating that we are dedicating our summers (and beyond) to our chanichim. I hope that this summer we can all keep in mind how important the vows of movement members are, to trust and respect your kvutza, your madrichim and your chanichim so much that you choose the path of machaneh, and you choose the path of the movement, not just for the summer months, but that this vow remains with you, present in your thoughts, your choices and your actions.

The second parsha that we read this week is Masei, or “Journey.” The first two aliyot of this parsha discuss the detailed journey the Israelites take from the exodus from Egypt to the land of Canaan. Each step needs to beaccounted for, each little miracle that happened along the way is explained. In the parsha, during the journey to Canaan, Aaron passes away and Moses pauses to take stock. As his people near the promised land he sees the end of one generation (his generation) and the beginning signs and sparks of the new one.

The passages I read struck me as very timely and relevant. This summer I am the merkezet chinuch of MBI Kaf Bet, nine years after I was first on MBI, and nine years after I first journeyed to the land of Israel. This weekend, the first weekend of MBI I am in Sde Boker, with the new generation of HDNA. MBI Kaf Bet is just beginning our journey around the country, to see the beauty and the challenging complexities of the state of Israel today.

In Masei, the journey’s of the Israelites comes to an end after 40 years of walking, many miracles and countless struggles. This Shabbat a new generation of leadership enters Israel for the first time, and I wonder, what will they think of the country? What will their connection to the land be? How will they decide to take responsibility over this homeland? I hope that MBI Kaf Bet will understand the history, challenges and miracles of the generations before them; the Herzl’s, the chalutzim and the DBG’s, the MBI Yud Gimmel’s and even the MBI Kaf Alephs. I can only hope that they take this history as their history and they choose what kind of Israel they want to see and build for the coming generations.