In posuk 31:14, it says that Moshe Rabbeinu got angry at Klal Yisroel because they left the Midianite women alive when they fought the war with Midian. Right after that, it was necessary to teach the Yidden the halochos of kashering kelim. Who did the teaching? In posuk 31:21, it tells us that Elazar HaCohen taught the halochos. Rashi explains, because Moshe Rabbeinu had forgotten the halochos because he got angry. Just like he got angry and struck the rock instead of speaking to it. "One who comes to anger, comes to mistakes," says Rashi. We have to be more careful with anger than with any other bad midda because anger can destroy everything else. There is a story brought in the book "Peace of Mind" about a man who was very poor. It was Erev Succos and he had no money for an esrog. He saw a beautiful esrog in the shuk. He decided to sell his tefillin which were very valuable in order to buy the esrog. He figured that he did not need the tefillin until after Succos, and he needed the esrog right now. So he sold his tefillin. When he came home and told his wife what he did, she got very upset and threw the esrog on the floor and it became posul. He did not get upset, however. He figured, "I already lost my tefillin and my esrog. If I lose my temper now, then I will have nothing.

In posuk 31:2, it says that the Yidden should take revenge against the Midianim. Rashi says that the Moavites fought the Yidden because we wanted to enter their land. But we had no such desire to fight the Midianim. They, however, entered a fight that was not theirs, and therefore we were commanded to fight them and wipe them out. They fought us just because of "sinas chinam" (senseless hatred). That is the worst aveirah between man and his fellow man. That is what sent us into this 2000 year golus and is preventing the Moshiach from coming. The only way to beat "sinas chinam" is thru "ahavas Chinam". Loving a fellow Jew for no reason. Do good for him even though you feel he may not deserve it.

In posuk 32:16, the Bnei Reuven, Gad, and half of Sheivet Menash request from Moshe Rabbeinu that they be allowed to settle out of Eretz Yisroel on the east side of the Yarden. he reason they gave was because the land was good for grazing their cattle and also for building cities for their children. They mention their cattle (parnoso) before their children (ruchnius). Hashem got angry with them for this request. How can you put the gashmius before the ruchnius? In our lives we always have to remember what the priorities are: first the ruchnius, then the gashmius. The gemora in Yoma 35b says that poor, rich and wicked people came to din. They asked them why they weren't osek in Torah. The poor man said, "I was so poor, I was too busy making a living." they answered, you were no poorer than Hillel. The rich man said, "I was busy with my businesses." They answered, "you were no richer than Elazar Ben Horkinus." The wicked man said "I was too busy with my yetzer hora." They answered, "you were no better looking than Yosef HaTzaddik." Hillel obligated the poor, Elazar Ben Horkinus obligated the rich, and Yosef HaTzaddik obligated the wicked to learn Torah.

In posuk 32:22 it says "and you shall be clean from Hashem and from Yisroel." This is referring to the 2½ tribes that settled on the east bank -- they had to go and fight the wars of conquest of Eretz Yisroel first, along with the rest of the tribes before they could settle down. They had to be above suspicion that they wanted to settle outside of Eretz Yisroel only to get out of fighting. We learn from this that a Jew has to be above suspicion. The Mishna in Shekalim 3:2 says that someone who went in to the tsedaka chamber in the Beis Hamikdash could not wear any type of clothing that could hide money inside of it. He had to be above suspicion. How much more so in front of the gentiles, do we have to be perfect, so as not to cause chilul Hashem. Look in the gemora in Yoma 86a for the definition of chilul Hashem.

The beginning of parshas Mattos speaks about Nedarim. We must watch every word that comes out of our mouth. A Jew's word is holy. If we say we're going to do a mitzvah, then that is like a neder. The gemora in Gittin 45b (I just learned it today in Mir) says that Rebbe Nosson says, "One who makes a neder, it is as if he built an alter (to Avoda Zora,) and one who keeps the neder is as if he sacrificed on that altar." Our words are so powerful that we are warned very strongly not to use them. The gemora in Gittin 35a tells the story of a woman who was given a gold coin to watch. She lost track of it and accidentally baked it into a loaf of bread. The owner asked for his coin back and she could not find it. She took a neder that if she got any benefit from the coin, one of her sons should die. Not long after, one of her sons died. What benefit did she receive from the coin? It took up a small volume in the bread, and she had to put less dough in to the loaf. Even though she was not aware of the benefit, and the benefit was so small, her son still died. So we see the tremendous power of a neder. We also have the famous story of Rebbe Akiva (from the gemora in the fifth perek of Kesuvos who married the daughter of a very wealthy man - Kalba Savua. He was so upset that she married this poor shepherd that he took a neder that they should not benefit from him in any way. They were so poor that they had to sleep on straw. Rebbe Akiva went to learn for 24 years and became the Godol HaDor. He returned with 24,000 students. Kalba Savua regretted his neder and went to the Godol HaDor (he did not recognize Rebbe Akiva) to see if he could nullify it. Rebbe Akiva asked him, "Did you make the neder on the condition that your son-in-law would become Godol-Ha-Dor?" He said "No." Rebbe Akiva replied, "I am your son-in-law. Your neder is null and void."

In posuk 35:9 begins the commandment of Ir Miklat, refuge cities. One who murdered someone accidentally, would have to leave his home and family and go to live in one of these cities. In the days before telephones and fax machines (and yes - E-Mail!) this was a punishment that was almost unbearable. Even though it was an accidental killing, a person still must be responsible for a tragedy that came about via him. Leviim lived in these refuge cities. They were totally involved in learning and Avodas Hashem. The killer was sent to them in order that they should have a good influence on him and he should do tshuva. We see form this, the importance of keeping in the company of people who will have a good influence on you, and avoiding, if at all possible, the company of people who will cause you to sin.

Rav Moshe Feinstein says on the parsha of kashering kelim that the stronger the taste of treif goes into a keli, the stronger method of kashering we need to get it out. So too with our aveyras. The stronger we are habituated in them, the harder it is to do tshuva on them. But there is always hope. Never give up.