(Bamidbar 31:1-2) "And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Take the revenge of the children of Israel, etc.": This is in praise of the leaders of Israel. They do not depart from the world until they take Israel's revenge, which is the revenge of Him who spoke and brought the world into being. "from the Midianites": But were the Moavites not the initiators? As it is written (Bamidbar 22:4) "And Moav said to the elders of Midian, etc." and (Ibid. 7) "And the elders of Moav went and the elders of Midian, etc." They had never made peace with each other — except when it came to warring with Israel. An analogy: Two sheep dogs were always at odds with each other, until a wolf came to snatch a lamb from the flock, when one of them, standing up against it, the other said: If I don't help him now, he will kill the lamb and then will turn against me and kill me — whereupon they made peace with each other and took on the wolf. Likewise, Moav and Midian were never at peace with each other, viz. (Bereshit 36:35) "… who smote Midian in the field of Moav." But when they came to make war against Israel, they made peace with each other. Why, then, "from the Midianites"? For they "counseled" against Israel. "the Midianites" — they "inveighed" ("midaynin") against Israel. (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." (Bamidbar 31:4) "A thousand to a tribe, a thousand to a tribe": 24,000 all together, viz. (Ibid. 5) "And there were handed over … twelve thousand armed for the host, etc." R. Akiva says: "a thousand to a tribe, a thousand to a tribe." Why (add) "And there were handed over, etc." To exclude the tribe of Levi. "And there were handed over of the thousands of Israel": Scripture hereby apprises us that they were just and righteous men, who gave of themselves for the cause. R. Nathan says: Others handed them over: "This man is kasher — Let him go! This man is a tzaddik — Let him go!" R. Elazar Hamodai says: Come and see the love (of Israel for) the shepherd of Israel. So long as they had not heard that the death of Moses was attendant upon the war with Midian, what is written of them? (Shemot 17:4) "Just a little more and they will stone me." When they heard of it, they began hiding (to avoid conscription, so as not to be instrumental in his death) — notwithstanding which they were conscripted perforce, viz. "And there were handed over of the thousands of Israel, etc." (Bamidbar 31:6) "And Moses sent them, a thousand to a tribe to the host, them and Pinchas": We are hereby apprised that they were as "weighty" as Pinchas, and Pinchas was over and against all of them. Why did Pinchas go and not Elazar? Because Pinchas went to take revenge (of the Midianites) for his mother's father (Yithro, viz. Shemot 2:16), it being written (Bereshit 37:36) "And the Midianites sold him (Joseph) to Egypt." (Bamidbar, Ibid.) "and the holy articles … in his hand": This refers to the ark, viz. (Ibid. 4:20) "And they shall not see when the 'holy' is being covered, lest they die." (Ibid. 31:6) "in his hand": "his hand" is his domain, as in (Ibid. 21:26) "and he took all his land from his hand," and (Bereshit 24:10) "and all the good of his master in his hand." (Bamidbar 31:7) "And they warred against Midian": They surrounded it from four sides. R. Nathan says: They left a fourth side for them to flee from. (Ibid. 8) "the five kings of Midian": As they were all one in counsel, they were all one in death. "and Bilam the son of Beor they slew by the sword": Israel gave him his full reward and did not stint him. For he said to them: When you were six hundred thousand (in the days of Balak), you could not withstand them, and would you withstand them now? Whereupon they gave him his full "reward" (for his sound advice) and did not "stint" him. R. Nathan says: With the four judicial death penalties they slew him. As it is written (Joshua 13:22) "And Bilam the son of Beor the sorcerer the children of Israel slew by the sword together with their slain." (Bamidbar 31:10) "and all tirotham": This refers to their houses of idolatry. Variantly: the posts of their sentinels. (Ibid. 31) "And they took all of the spoil … and they brought it to Moses." Scripture here apprises us that they were just and upright and not suspect of theft, as opposed to (Joshua 7:1) "And the children of Israel embezzled the spoils," while here "And they took all of the spoil … and they brought it to Moses." (Bamidbar 31:13) "And Moses and Elazar the Cohein went out": Abba Channan says in the name of R. Eliezer: Because they saw the youth of Israel going out to snatch the spoils. (Ibid. 14) "And Moses was wroth with the commanders of the host": "the great ones bear the stigma." — whereupon Pinchas said to him: "Our teacher, we did as you commanded us." (Ibid. 15-16) "And Moses said to them: Have you let all the females live? These are the women who were (consigned as harlots) against the children of Israel by the word of Bilam." What was that word? He said to them (the Midianites): Even if you bring all the hordes in the world against them, you will not defeat them. Are you more numerous than the Egyptians, of whom it is written (Shemot 14:7) "And he took six hundred of his picked chariots, etc."? But come, I will counsel you as to what to do. The G-d of these detests lewdness. Consign your wives and daughters to them and steep them in lust and their G-d will war against them. For this is the rule: As long as Israel does His will, He wars for them, as it is written (Shemot 14:14) "the L-rd will war for you." And when they do not do His will, He wars against them, viz. (Isaiah 63:10) "… and He turned into their foe." And, what is more, the Merciful One becomes cruel to them, viz. (Eichah 2:5) "The L-rd has become like a foe; He has swallowed up Israel." (Bamidbar 31:17) "And every woman knowing a man for carnal relations, kill": Is Scripture speaking of a woman who is fit for intercourse or of one who has actually had intercourse? (Ibid. 31:18) "And all the little ones among the women who did not know carnal relations, keep alive for yourselves" makes it clear that the criterion is being fit for intercourse. (31:7) "kill": Why is this (second "kill") mentioned? (i.e., Why is the first "kill" not sufficient to include "and every woman knowing a man"?) (It is written) to conclude the subject (i.e., to be included with the preceding part of the verse.) For otherwise, I would not know whether (the reading is to kill the women together) "with every male among the little ones" or to keep (them) alive "with all the little ones among the women." It (the second "kill") is, therefore, written (to conclude the subject of the first verse.) "And all the little ones among the women who did not know carnal relations, keep alive for yourselves": From here R. Shimon b. Yochai ruled. A proselytess who was converted at less than three years and one day is fit for (marriage to) the priesthood. (Bamidbar 31:19) "And you, abide outside the camp seven days": What is the intent of this? From (Bamidbar 19:14) "A man if he die in a tent, all that enter the tent (while the body is still in it) … shall be unclean seven days," I would think, even straw and twigs, etc. (see Chukath #126). "you and your captives": Just as you are children of the covenant (and require sprinkling with the waters of the red heifer), so, your captives (i.e., Those girls less than three year and one day of age, who were proselytized and became unclean, require sprinkling.) (Bamidbar 31:20) "and every garment and every vessel of skin": What is the intent of this? From (Vayikra 11:32) "or skin or sack," I know only of sack. Whence do I derive (the same for) every work of goats? (From the above.) Would you say that? It follows a fortiori! (i.e., why do we need a verse?), viz.: If in dead-body tumah (our instance) the more stringent variety, every work of goats is likened to sack, then in the instance of sheretz (creeping thing) tumah, (that of Vayikra), the less stringent variety, how much more so should every work of goats be likened to sack! — Would you say that? Do we derive the less stringent from the more stringent to be more stringent with it? Rather, why is "garment" mentioned in respect to dead body tumah? It follows a fortiori, viz.: If in sheretz, the less stringent variety, garment was likened to sack, how much more so (should this obtain) in dead-body tumah! Why, then, is "garment" mentioned in dead-body tumah? It is "extra" for the purpose of formulating an identity (gezeirah shavah ), viz.: "Garment" is written here and "garment" is written elsewhere (Vayikra). Just as here, every work of goats is likened to sack, so, there. And just as there, (the articles must be) spun and woven, (sack being spun and woven), so, there, spun and woven. To include the band, the belt, and the saddle-band of an ass, which are spun and woven. To exclude cords or ropes, which are not spun and woven. (Bamidbar 31:21) "And Elazar the Cohein said to the men of the host who came to the war: This is the statute of the Torah which the L-rd commanded Moses": It had been forgotten by Moses, our teacher. Because he had succumbed to anger, he succumbed to forgetfulness. R. Elazar says: In three places he succumbed to anger and he succumbed to error: (Vayikra 10:16-17) "and he was wroth with Elazar and Ithamar, the remaining sons of Aaron, saying: Why did you not eat the sin-offering in the holy place?" (Bamidbar 20:10) "And he said to them: Listen, now, you fractious ones! Shall we bring forth water for you from this rock!" — followed by (11) "And Moses lifted his hand and smote the rock with his staff twice." Here, too, (Ibid. 31:14) "And Moses was wroth with the commanders of the host, the officers of the thousands and the officers of the hundreds, who came from the host of battle" — followed by "And Elazar the Cohein said to the men of the host who came to the war, etc." Moses, our teacher, because he had succumbed to anger, succumbed to forgetfulness. Others say: Moses authorized Elazar the Cohein to speak, so that when he died they would not say to Elazar: "In your teacher's lifetime you did not speak. Why are you speaking now?" "which the L-rd commanded Moses": He said the thing in the name of its sayer. And thus is it written (Esther 2:22) "And Esther said to the king in the name of Mordecai."
Sifrei Bamidbar 157
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