מַה תֵאֵמ לֵאָּׁרְׁ שִי יֵנְׁ ב תַמְׁקִנ םֹּקְׁנ... Avenge the children of Yisroel for the Midyanim, afterward you shall be gathered to your people.
The Ohr Hachaim deduces from the language of this possuk that the command to avenge Klal Yisroel’s dignity from the Midyanim was given directly to Moshe, as the end of the possuk tells us that he would pass away afterwards. Yet, we don’t find that Moshe participated in the war in any way; he sent Pinchas in his place.
Another issue the Ohr Hachaim brings up is the connection the possuk makes between Moshe’s passing and the war in Midyan. How are they connected? Why did Moshe have to take charge of this war prior to his passing?
The Ohr Hachaim explains that the word נְּקֹּם – avenge, can support two meanings. Firstly, it can mean strategizing a war and preparing for a successful campaign, including setting the parameters of success and organizing the fighting force for the best results. It can also mean the actual fighting of a revenge war, which is an act of revenge.
Moshe understood from Hashem’s command that he was not to fight the war but to strategize and prepare for it. Hashem did not tell him to fight; he told him to avenge. He deliberately used this language to hint that he should not be fighting but merely preparing.
Moshe had another way to prove that Hashem wished that this war would be carefully strategized. Klal Yisroel, that was commanded to fight this war, was the same Klal Yisroel that stumbled and fell into this great aveira with the daughters of Midyan. Some actually sinned with them, others merely thought about sinning, but too many of them were stained with this sin. Their revenge would be similarly tainted, and it was possible that, at the difficult time of war, the prosecuting angels would have the opportunity to hurt the soldiers because of their stain.
Of course, Hashem punished all of those who actually sinned with the daughters of Midyan and followed the idol worship of Pe’or. As the possuk (Devarim 4:3) says עֵינֵיכֶם הָּׁרֹּאוֹת אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָּׁשָּׁה ה' בְּבַעַל פְּעוֹר כִי כָּׁל הָּׁאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר הָּׁלַךְ אַחֲרֵי בַעַל פְּעוֹר הִשְּׁמִידוֹ ה' א -לֹהֶיךָ – your eyes have seen that which Hashem did with the Ba’al Pe’or, that every man who followed Ba’al Pe’or, Hashem destroyed from between you. Not one of them survived. However, this was only for those who actually sinned. This does not apply to those who merely considered sinning. Hashem does not normally punish for these things, but at a time of danger, things are different.
We find in the Torah that when Klal Yisroel sinned with the Golden Calf, all those who worshipped the Golden Calf were killed, either through their brothers or through a plague. Yet the Cohen Gadol may still not enter the Kodesh Kadashim with golden attire because the prosecuting powers of gold cannot serve as defense attorneys. Even though the plague seemingly erased sin, the stain persisted on the nation. The Medrash says that Mal’achim have wings to cover their legs, because angels’ legs are similar to calves’, and that could awaken the memory of the Golden Calf. The punishment does not scrub the final remnants of sin, and at a time of war, the judgement is quite severe.
When Klal Yisroel goes to war, the soldiers must be of impeccable character. If they have even sinned once with a Rabbinical sin, they cannot serve on the battlefield. The dangers are so great and the powers of the prosecuting force so strong, that the slightest hint of sin can cause mayhem. This can certainly prevent them from meriting a miracle. The slight attachment to the aveira of Ba’al Pe’or that the rest of Klal Yisroel had could be dangerous.
Moshe realized this, and he learned from Hashem’s command that he had to prepare carefully for this war, with wisdom and understanding.
Moshe himself, although there are reasons for it, did not prevent Klal Yisroel from sinning. Pinchas had to be the one to kill Zimri and Kazbi, allaying Hashem’s anger, avenging His honor, and defending Klal Yisroel. If Moshe were to die without organizing the revenge war, his life would be incomplete. He would not have completely repaired that which his life was ordained to prepare, he was missing the avengance of Hashem’s honor. He could only be gathered to his people when he had ended his life’s work, and revenge on the Midyanites was part of this.
