In commemoration of the 8th yahrzeit of our father and zaidie,
Cecil A. Labow, Zisse Alexander ben Yisrael Meir Halevi, Z”L, on the 3rd of Av
In Matot, the first parshah which we read today, we find a very interesting command, given to Moses contained in the first verse of Chapter 31.
“Va-Yidabair Hashem el Moshe Laimor” Nikom Nikmaat B’nai Yisrael Mayet Hamidyaneem Achar Taiasaif el Amecha”
“Take revenge for the Children of Israel from the Midianites, afterward you will be brought unto your people”
Yalkut Shimoni states that the word “Vayidabair” always refers to “tough talk”. Moses began by trying to appeal to
Hashem concerning his imminent death, but Hashem refused to be appeased. Moses said to Hashem “why should I die, having witnessed so many miracles, G-ds Greatness, Power, and Attributes of Mercy”. Hashem heard Moses, and was willing to meet him half-way saying “If you want to live on for a number of years, the Israelites will not live to see the
defeat of their enemies during those years, neither will Midian be conquered by them. After Moses had allowed G-d to convince him that it was better he should die now, Hashem in turn, found it difficult to issue orders, the fulfilment of which would cause the death of Moses.
We are also told by Yalkut Shimoni that another reason G-d had to use the harsh word “Vayidabair” instead of “VaYomer” was to tell Moshe to act with authority when recruiting soldiers for the campaign. The commandment to
punish the Midianites was to be treated with the same degree of seriousness as any of the 613 commandments which were given to the people for all times.
The word “Laimor” as usual, means to tell, referring to the Israelites. The Or Hachayeem, Rabbi Chaim ben Attar, “
questions, why, if the purpose of the word “Laimor” was for Moses to tell these instructions to the people, did the Torah not write the plural form, “Neekmoo Nikmatchem”, instead of “Nikom Nikmaat”? After all, would Moses not be right in assuming the task was given to him personally by Hashem, and exclusively for him?
The Alshech had an answer. He explains in his book Torat Moshe the strange use of the the two words “Nikom Nikmaat”, which is too simply translated as “take vengeance”. We learned that two types of sin took place at Sheeteem. The Moabites had seduced the common people, and the daughters of Midian had seduced Israel’s crème de la crème, by inducing them to worship Baal Peor in a manner which had made these “Elite Israelites” think they were actually
displaying disgust for that deity.
He says that there are two ways of killing people. One is to induce them to commit a moral sin, which will result in the sinners physical as well as spiritual death. The other is simply killing a person, when the Soul of such person remains unimpaired, capable of returning to its divine origin in a state of purity. Since Edom and Egypt had never aimed at more than the physical body of the Jewish Nation, as we ready everyday in “Shirat Hayam” , when the Egyptians say “Areek Charbi Toreshaimo Yadi”, I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them”, or in Bamidbar-Chukat Chapter 20, verse 18, when Edom says “Pen Bacherev eitzei Likratecha..”lest I go forth against you with the sword”. Hashem has
commanded us NOT to hate those nations. On the other hand, the men of nations which had striven to make Israel sin, such as Moab and Ammon were not to be accepted into the Jewish community. In the case of the Midianites, there was an express commandment to kill them. The Midianites knew Hashem did not tolerate harlotry and incest, and they were aware that HE hated idolatry. They tried to entice the Elite of the people of Israel into these two basic transgressions, hoping that the masses would follow their example.
Anyone fighting Midian could consider himself fighting a “milchemet mitzvah”, a “holy war”. When the Torah wrote
tzaror, Ki Tzoririm” it means that they caused a dual harassment, both physical and spiritual.
The Alshech also says that the reason why the campaign had to be conducted BEFORE the death of Moses’ was to prevent the Midianites from ever claiming that if Moses had still been alive, he would never had consented to such cruel treatment of the people amongst whom he had once found refuge, and one of whose daughters he had married.
Prepared by Devorah Batsheva Abenhaim and Martin S. Labow
