Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein
Avenge the Bnei Yisrael against the Midianites. Afterwards, you will be gathered unto your people.
Why are we told that Moshe’s death hinged on the military campaign against Midian? More importantly, why was Moshe told this in advance?
A midrash sees the battle against Midian as a kind of granting a last wish to Moshe. It is a rare treat to witness – in this world – Hashem evening the score against one of His enemies. Hashem wished to give Moshe the pleasure of witnessing it. We could explain differently. We might be looking at a principle that shows itself elsewhere.
As a consequence of Achan’s trespass, Yehoshua’s forces were initially rebuffed at Ai. After dealing with this tragic defeat, Yehoshua came to terms with HKBH, Who reassured him that victory was at hand in the next attempt against Ai. Nonetheless, Hashem instructed Yehoshua to set an ambush to the rear of the city. With Hashem guaranteeing victory, why would an ambush be necessary? G-d has no need for any of the tactics of conventional warfare. His Will that the Bnei Yisrael prevail should have been the necessary and sufficient condition for a resounding victory.
The point is that danger lurks in dangerous places – and any place in which people commit a grave sin becomes a dangerous location. Because the nation sinned at Ai, it would remain a place where individuals might succumb to harm, even if the nation as a whole was assured victory. The ambush was necessary to address that danger. Bnei Yisrael were instructed to wage their war with greater precautions and with the greater concern for the ordinary rules of engagement. They needed to pay just a bit more attention to what the world of teva demands, reacting in ways that would not be necessary if they could rely on Hashem’s miraculous intervention alone.
The impending war against Midian was precipitated by the failure of the Jewish people with Ba’al Pe’or. That aveirah would continue to be a thorn in their side, inviting retribution by Hashem’s attribute of Judgment. This made the war a much riskier affair than other wars. Even a Divine guarantee of victory would not eliminate the risk of death to individual soldiers. Something had to counter the elevated risk level.
That element was the personal merit of Moshe. This is the reason for linking the war with Moshe’s death. Moshe was told that the war could not wait. It had to be conducted in his lifetime, so that his davening and his merit would counter the riskiness of the enterprise.
Moshe takes a cue from Hashem, and finds his own ways to additionally link the upcoming battle with merits. He commands the putting together of an armed force “against Midian to inflict Hashem’s vengeance against Midian.” The repetition of the word “Midian” is striking, but easy to account for. Moshe wished to underscore the purpose of raising the army. He wanted every step on the road to war to focus on Hashem’s plan, i.e., to make it more lishmah. By doing so, he hoped to increase the zechus of the mitzvah.
Moshe continues: “A thousand from a shevet; a thousand from a shevet.” Every shevet has its own character, its own contribution – and its own zechus. By drawing soldiers from every shevet, Moshe hoped to multiply the merit in his army.
Finally, “Moshe sent them – a thousand from each shevet.” Sending them forth in his name made them all his agents. By associating himself with their mission, by turning each soldier into a surrogate for himself, he wished to send his own merits into the battle with them.
Based on Ha’mek Davar Bamidbar 31:2-6
