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By Rabbi Avraham
Fischer. A publication of the Orthodox Union in cooperation with the Seymour
J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
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Parshat
Matot-Mas’ei
July 6, 2002
In Moshe’s final days he is commanded to attack the Midianites.
This was the nation that had tempted the people of Israel to horrible sins of
immorality and idolatry, such that Hashem struck them with a plague which took
the lives of 24,000 Israelites.
And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, “Carry out the vengeance of the Children of
Israel against the Midianites; afterwards you shall be gathered to your
people.”
And Moshe spoke to the people, saying, “Detach men for the army
from you, and they shall be against Midian to bring Hashem’s vengeance against
Midian. A thousand from each tribe, for all the tribes of Israel shall you send
to the army.”
Then, out of the thousands of Israel, one thousand from each
tribe were handed over, twelve thousand men deployed for the army. And Moshe
sent them forth, a thousand from each tribe to the army, they and Pinchas the
son of Elazar the priest to the army, and the holy vessels and the trumpets for
blowing in his hand. And they warred against Midian as Hashem had commanded
Moshe and they killed every male (Bamidbar 31:1-7).
This war is both “the vengeance of the Children of Israel” and “Hashem’s
vengeance.” Clearly, Midian is to be punished for leading Israel to sin against
Hashem, and for arousing Hashem’s anger against His beloved people of Israel.
This order to Moshe had been mentioned earlier:
And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying, “Oppose the Midianites and attack them, for
they opposed you with their wiles with which they beguiled you in the matter of
Pe’or and in the matter of Cozbi, daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister,
who was slain on the day of the plague on account of Pe’or (Bamidbar 25:16-17).
However, specific instructions for the war are now given:
And they warred against Midian as Hashem had commanded Moshe (31:7).
What were these directives of war? Rambam, in the Laws of Kings and Their Wars
(6:7), says that Moshe was taught a law for all wars:
When they besiege a city to capture it they must not surround it from all four
sides, but from three sides, and they must leave a place for a deserter or
anyone who wishes to save his life, as it says: “And they warred against Midian
as Hashem had commanded Moshe.” Through the oral tradition the [Sages] learned
that it was in this [matter] that He commanded him.
Rambam’s source for this law is the Sifri (the Halachic Midrash on Bamidbar and
Devarim) Matot 157 (see also Yalkut Shimoni).
It is interesting to note that Rambam does not count this law as a separate
mitzvah in his Book of the Commandments.
Ramban, however, does list this as a mitzvah (Commentary on Rambam’s Book of the
Commandments, Commandments Which the Master Forgot, Positive Commandment # 5):
We are commanded that when we besiege a city we are to leave one
of the sides without siege, so that if they wish to escape there will be a way
for them to flee, because from this will [we] learn to behave with compassion
even towards our enemies in a time of war. There is another benefit, that we
will open an opening for them so that they will flee rather than strengthen
themselves against us.
Meshech Chochmah (R. Meir Simcha of Dvinsk 1843-1926), in his comments on our
verse, explains their argument: Ramban understands that the main motivation for
this mitzvah is “because from this will [we] learn to behave with compassion
even towards our enemies in a time of war.” This is to say that, just as we are
commanded to offer peace to our enemies (as we find in Positive Commandment #190
and in the Laws of Kings and Their Wars 6:1-5), so are we commanded to spare
them and leave them a way of escape. Thus, the Torah formulates another
commandment in the spirit of compassion.
Rambam, on the other hand, regards this law as a military tactic: If the enemy
is completely surrounded, they will be driven to fight to the last man rather
than fall into captivity, and their very desperation might lead them to prevail,
in the words of R. Meir Simcha, “As it is known throughout history, that
oftentimes from great despair there comes great triumph.” However, if the enemy
sees a chance to escape, he will not risk his life, and Israel will have a
better chance of a rapid (and, it should be added, less bloody) victory. Thus
the Torah, while obligating this type of tactic, does not formulate it as a
separate commandment.
Meshech Chochmah also cites the following verse from Melachim II (15:16):
Then Menachem from Tirtzah attacked Tifsach and all that were in it and all its
borders because he did not open, and he attacked; he split open all its pregnant
women.
Although he does not explain the connection, he seems to be
following not Rashi, but the commentary of Malbim (R. Meir Leib ben Yechiel
Michael, 1809-1877), that wicked King Menachem disobeyed the law that requires
Israel to leave open one side of a city under attack. Meshech Chochmah might
also imply that it was this “total warfare” that led the inhabitants of Tifsach
(a city on the Euphrates that had once been the frontier of King Shlomo’s
kingdom; see Melachim I 5:4) to fight ceaselessly until only the barbarous
mutilation of their pregnant women brought an end to the battle.
The war against Midian teaches that there is no forgiveness for those enemies of
Israel who drive a wedge between them and their Father in Heaven. It also
teaches Israel not to glory in war, but to prefer peace. And when Israel must
fight, it must pursue a course of war that will lead to the fewest casualties on
both sides.
War, however just, challenges us to affirm our commitment to the values of
Torah.
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