Midian

(2) (Bamidbar 31:2) "Afterwards you will be gathered unto your people": We are hereby apprised that Moses' death was contingent upon the defeat of Midian — in spite of which he entered into it with zeal, viz. (Ibid. 3) "And Moses spoke to the people, saying 'hechaltzu,'" connoting zeal, as in (Devarim 3:18) "Chalutzim shall you cross over." (Ibid.) "And let them be against Midian to execute the vengeance of the L-rd against Midian": He told them: You are not executing the vengeance of flesh and blood, but the vengeance of Him who spoke and brought the world into being, as it is written (Nachum 1:2) "the L-rd is a G-d of scorn and revenge."

(3) Another matter, “the Lord tests the righteous” – this refers to Abraham.4As opposed to righteous people in general. “It was after these matters, God tested Abraham.”
Rabbi Avun began: “Since governance is by the king’s word, and who can say to him: What are you doing?” (Ecclesiastes 8:4). Rabbi Avin said: This is analogous to a master who commands his disciple and says to him: “You shall not distort judgment” (Deuteronomy 16:19), but he himself distorts judgment; “you shall not show preference” (Deuteronomy 16:19), but he himself shows preference; “you shall not take a bribe” (Deuteronomy 16:19), but he himself takes a bribe; do not lend with usury, but he himself lends with usury. His disciple said to him: ‘My master, you say to me: Do not lend with usury, yet you lend with usury.5And similarly regarding the other apparent improprieties committed by the master. Is it permitted for you and prohibited for me?’ He said to him: ‘I am telling you: Do not lend with usury to an Israelite, but you may lend with usury to an idolater, as it is written: “To a stranger you may lend with interest but to your brother do not lend with interest”’ (Deuteronomy 23:21).6And similarly regarding the other actions of the master. In each case there was a logical explanation for his deeds. So, Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, You wrote in Your Torah: “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge” (Leviticus 19:18), yet You take revenge and You bear a grudge, as it is stated: “The Lord is vengeful and full of wrath; the Lord is vengeful to His foes, and bears a grudge against His enemies”’ (Nahum 1:2). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I wrote in the Torah: “You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people” (Leviticus 19:18), but I take revenge and I bear a grudge against idolaters: “Take the vengeance of the children of Israel [upon the Midyanites]” (Numbers 31:2). [Similarly, it is stated:] “You shall not test the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16) – yet “God tested Abraham.”

(4) “Moav said to the elders of Midyan: Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean the grass of the field. And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” (Numbers 22:4).
“Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – what is the nature of the presence of the elders of Midyan here?9In the land of Moav. It is because they were seeing Israel achieving victory in an unnatural way. They said: ‘Their leader achieved prominence in Midyan, we will ascertain from them what are his attributes.’ The elders of Midyan said to them: 'His power is only in his mouth.' They said to them: 'We, too, will come against them with a person whose power is in his mouth.'
“Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – but do you not find that the Midyanites waged war against the Moavites, as it is stated: “Who smote Midyan in the field of Moav” (Genesis 36:35), and the enmity between them is permanent. This is analogous to two dogs that were fighting with one another. A wolf came against one of them. The other said: ‘If I do not help it, today it will kill that one and the next day it will come against me.’ That is why Moav aligned with Midyan.
“Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean [the grass of the field]” – just as the ox, its might is in its mouth, so, too, these, their power is in their mouths. Just as the ox, in everything that it licks clean there will be no sign of blessing; these too, in every nation that they touch, there will be no sign of blessing. Just as an ox gores with its horns; these, too gore with their prayers, as it is stated: “And his horns are the horns of the wild ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17).
“And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” – was he not initially a prince, as it is stated: “[…the Midyanite chiefs,] Evi and Rekem [and Tzur...the princes of Sihon]”? (Joshua 13:21).10Tzur is identified as being Balak (Matnot Kehuna). In Bemidbar Rabba 20:25, the daughter of Tzur says that her father is Balak. It is, rather, that once Siḥon was killed, they crowned him in his place at that time, as the circumstances caused him [to be appointed].

(2) The Lord said to Moses, saying: (Numbers 31:1).
“Take the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites; then you will be gathered to your people” (Numbers 31:2).
“Take the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites; then you will be gathered to your people” – Rabbi Yehuda says: Had Moses sought to live several years, he could have lived, as the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Take vengeance…then you will be gathered.” The verse made his death contingent upon Midian. This is, rather, to inform you of Moses’ praiseworthiness. He said: Will the vengeance of Israel be delayed so that I will live? Immediately, “Moses spoke to the people, saying: Select from among you men for the army” (Numbers 31:3). “Men” – righteous, and elsewhere: “Choose men for us” (Exodus 17:9), and likewise, “when slumber falls upon men” (Job 4:13).1This verse is being interpreted as describing prophecy; thus the "men" mentioned in the verse are prophets.
“To wreak the Lord’s vengeance against Midian” (Numbers 31:3) – the Holy One blessed be He said: “The vengeance of the children of Israel,” but Moses said: “The Lord’s vengeance.” The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘It is nothing other than your justice, as they caused Me to harm you.’ Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, were we uncircumcised, idolaters, or deniers of mitzvot, they would not hate us. They persecute us only due to the Torah and mitzvot that You gave to us. Therefore, it is Your vengeance’ – “to wreak the Lord’s vengeance against Midian.”

(4) “Moses sent them, one thousand per tribe to the army, them and Pinḥas son of Elazar the priest to the army, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for sounding in his hand” (Numbers 31:6).
“Moses sent them” – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Take the vengeance” (Numbers 31:2) – you yourself; and he sends others? It is, rather, because he grew in Midian, he said: It is not right that I should cause anguish to one who treated me well. The parable says: Do not throw a stone into a well from which you have drunk.
Some say: This was not the Midian where Moses had grown, as this was alongside Moav and is in ruins until now. Why did he send Pinḥas? He said: The one who began with the mitzva, let him complete it. He caused His wrath to be withdrawn and smote the Midianite woman; let him complete his mitzva.4The mitzva that he started to do.
“With the holy [hakodesh] vessels” – this is the Ark, as it is stated: “Because the sacred [hakodesh] service [is upon them, they shall bear on the shoulder]” (Numbers 7:9). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: These are the priestly vestments, which include the Urim and the Tumim, just as it is stated: “And Aaron’s holy [hakodesh] vestments” (Exodus 29:29).
“They campaigned against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male” (Numbers 31:7).
“They killed the kings of Midian among those they slayed: Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Ḥur, and Reva, the five kings of Midian; and Bilam son of Beor they killed by sword” (Numbers 31:8).
“They campaigned against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male…[They killed] the kings of Midian…[and Bilam son of Beor] they killed by sword” – what did he seek there? It is, rather, that he went to collect his payment for the twenty-four thousand.5Bilam went to seek his payment for the advice he rendered Balak (see Sanhedrin 106a) that ultimately led to twenty-four thousand Israelites being killed in a plague (see Numbers 25:9). In his regard it is stated: “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will return onto him” (Proverbs 26:27).
“They took all the spoils and all the plunder of man and of animal” (Numbers 31:11).
“They brought to Moses, and to Elazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, the captives, the plunder, and the spoils, to the camp, to the plains of Moav, which are along the Jordan at Jericho” (Numbers 31:12).
“They took all the spoils and all the plunder.… They brought to Moses and to Elazar the priest” – to inform you of their praiseworthiness, that they did not take anything from the loot without permission; rather, they brought it before them and then they took.
“Moses, Elazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation came out to meet them” (Numbers 31:13) – to inform you of Moses’ humility and his praiseworthiness, as they were all the disciples of his disciples.

(5) Another matter: “Take the vengeance” (Numbers 31:2) – this is what the verse said: “He will not withdraw His eyes from the righteous, and kings upon the throne” (Job 36:7). What is, “He will not withdraw His eyes from the righteous”? The Holy One blessed be He will not withhold from the righteous one what he desires with his eyes. It is to teach you that Moses desired to see the vengeance against Midian before he died. He requested from the Holy One blessed be He that he see it with his eyes. In Moses’ regard it is stated: “The righteous one will rejoice in seeing vengeance” (Psalms 58:11) – the vengeance against Midian. “He will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked” (Psalms 58:11) – this is Bilam. Moses said to Pinḥas and to the men of the army: ‘I know that the wicked Bilam is there to collect his payment. If the wolf comes to the flock, spread a net for him. That wicked one, if you see that he is performing sorcery and flying in the air, show him the frontplate on which “sacred to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36) is written. He will fall; and kill him’: “They killed the kings of Midian among [al] those they slayed” (Numbers 31:8) – as they were performing sorcery with Bilam and flying. When they saw the frontplate, they6The Midianite kings. fell upon [al] their slain.

(6) Our Rabbis said: It is written in Joshua: “As I was with Moses I will be with you” (Joshua 1:5). Joshua should have lived one hundred and twenty years. Why were ten years deducted from his years? When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Take the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites; then you will be gathered to your people” (Numbers 31:2), even though he was given tidings of death, he did not postpone the matter, but rather, he acted with alacrity – “Moses sent them” (Numbers 31:6). But Joshua, when he came to wage war with the thirty-one kings, he said: If I kill them immediately, I will die immediately, just as Moses our teacher did. What did he do? He began delaying their war, as it is stated: “For many years, Joshua waged war with all those kings” (Joshua 11:18). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Since this is what you did, I will deduct ten years from your years.’ Solomon said: “Many are the thoughts in the heart of a man, but it is the counsel of the Lord that will stand” (Proverbs 19:21).