Selections from Baal haTurim

It depends who you are talking to

במדבר לא, כא: וַיֹאמֶר אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן

Baal HaTurim explains that Elazar taught them about the laws of hag'alas keilim (the kashering of vessels from the remnant of non-kosher food, the subject of verses 21-24), whereas in the previous parshah, Moshe taught them the laws of purification from tum'as meis (see Rashi pasuk 21). This is because when Moshe spoke, it was to the captains who brought back precious garments and the like (which needed to be purified); Elazar on the other hand, was speaking to the soldiers at large, who came back with household vessels which required hag'alah.

Tribes of Reuven and Gad

במדבר לב, א : אִם-יִרְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹלִים מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה אֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב כִּי לֹא-מִלְאוּ אַחֲרָי:

Baal HaTurim notes that in this incident bnei Gad and bnei Reuvein are mentioned eight times (seven times together and once each by themselves). This alludes to the fact that when the bnei Yisrael later went into exile the bnei Gad and bnei Reuvein were expelled eight years earlier than the rest. Baal HaTurim goes on to say that in Mishlei 20,21 the verse says, "Nachaloh m'vo(c)helles borishonoh vaacharisoh lo s'voroch." The word "m'vochelles" is written with a Ches, but is read with a Hei. With a Ches the meaning is, "An inheritance that is originally seized and its outcome will not be blessed." With a Hei it means, "An inheritance that is originally gotten impetuously and with haste and its outcome will not be blessed." It is written with a Ches (numerical value of eight) to again allude to the eight times they are mentioned in the Torah in this incident. The reading with a Hei means impetuously and with haste, and this is what happened to them, they were exiled earlier than all the other tribes.

When Moshe negotiated with them he asked for them to cross into Canaan and join in the war against the 31 kings and to not return until the land was vanquished. They counter-offered even better, that they would even stay on until the land was apportioned to each tribe. This extended their mission by seven years and Yehoshua praised them for keeping to all the terms of the agreement (Yehoshua 22:2,3). If so, why were they criticized in Mishlei and sent into exile eight years earlier? There was much give and take regarding when they would take actual ownership of their Trans-Jordanian lands, with them wanting to do so immediately, and Moshe insisting that it not take place until after Eretz Yisrael was vanquished. They did not let up and Moshe, to avoid ongoing arguments, gave in. Their insisting that they take immediate position was a slight to the sanctity and importance of having heritage land in Eretz Yisrael, and for this they were sent out earlier.

Soldiers’ preparations prior to battle

במדבר לב,כא : וְעָבַר לָכֶם כָּל-חָלוּץ אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן לִפְנֵי ה' עַד הוֹרִישׁוֹ אֶת-אֹיְבָיו מִפָּנָיו :

Baal HaTurim comments that the same word חלוץ appears in Parshas Ki Seitzei (25:10), in connection with the Mitzvah of Chalitzah "… beis chalutz ha'na'al", though there it means 'the house of the one whose shoe was removed'.

As is well-known, David ha'Melech's soldiers used to hand their wives a Get before going to war, in order to dispense with the need for his brother to make Yibum or Chalitzah, should he die in battle.

From here, says the Baal haTurim, we learn that Moshe Rabeinu's soldiers used to do the same thing, and that presumably, Dovid haMelech took his cue from Moshe Rabeinu.