Last week's Torah portion included the uncomfortable story of Pinchas being rewarded after killing an Israelite cheiftain and a Midianite woman.
(ו) וְהִנֵּ֡ה אִישׁ֩ מִבְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בָּ֗א וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית לְעֵינֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה בֹכִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ז) וַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ (ח) וַ֠יָּבֹ֠א אַחַ֨ר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּ֗ה וַיִּדְקֹר֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֚ת אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־קֳבָתָ֑הּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
(6) Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moses and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. (7) When Phinehas, son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand, (8) he followed the Israelite into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked.
(יד) וְשֵׁם֩ אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל הַמֻּכֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֻכָּה֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית זִמְרִ֖י בֶּן־סָל֑וּא נְשִׂ֥יא בֵֽית־אָ֖ב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִֽי׃ (טו) וְשֵׁ֨ם הָֽאִשָּׁ֧ה הַמֻּכָּ֛ה הַמִּדְיָנִ֖ית כׇּזְבִּ֣י בַת־צ֑וּר רֹ֣אשׁ אֻמּ֥וֹת בֵּֽית־אָ֛ב בְּמִדְיָ֖ן הֽוּא׃ {פ}
(טז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יז) צָר֖וֹר אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים וְהִכִּיתֶ֖ם אוֹתָֽם׃ (יח) כִּ֣י צֹרְרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לָכֶ֔ם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִכְּל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וְעַל־דְּבַ֞ר כׇּזְבִּ֨י בַת־נְשִׂ֤יא מִדְיָן֙ אֲחֹתָ֔ם הַמֻּכָּ֥ה בְיוֹם־הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֽוֹר׃
(טז) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (יז) צָר֖וֹר אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים וְהִכִּיתֶ֖ם אוֹתָֽם׃ (יח) כִּ֣י צֹרְרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לָכֶ֔ם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִכְּל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וְעַל־דְּבַ֞ר כׇּזְבִּ֨י בַת־נְשִׂ֤יא מִדְיָן֙ אֲחֹתָ֔ם הַמֻּכָּ֥ה בְיוֹם־הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֽוֹר׃
(14) The name of the Israelite who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house. (15) The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian. (16) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (17) “Assail the Midianites and defeat them— (18) for they assailed you by the trickery they practiced against you—because of the affair of Peor and because of the affair of their kinswoman Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on account of Peor.”
Last week, this group brought up questions about why the Midianites were accused of trickery.
Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, Torah: A Woman's Commentary p. 964
...the narrator discloses the name and rank of Phinehas's victims: Zimri the Israelite man and Cozbi the Midianite woman. Their story articulates a theme that recurs in several biblical books: the potentially dangerous influence of foreign women.
In some cases, foreign women play a positive role, helping to ensure survival. The daughter of Pharaoh saves Moses (Exodus 2:5-10). Zipporah, Moses' Midianite wife, averts God's wrath by circumcising their son (Exodus 4:24-26). Rahab the harlot helps Israelite spies (Joshua 2)...
Elsewhere, however, women are blamed for leading Israelite men to idolatry. Thus the warning in Exodus 34:16: "And when you take wives from among their daughters for your sons, their daughters will lust after their gods and will cause your sons to lust after their gods.... Recognizing women's powerful influence on cultural and religious life, the Bible at certain junctures express anxiety over foreign women. The standard charge is idolatry, often case in sexual terms. Women who keep their own religious traditions instead of Israel's seem to threaten the entire fabric of the nation. They possess the potential to lure their husbands and future generations away from fidelity to Israelite traditions. The danger is deemed acute in times of transition, when Israel's boundaries--social as well as political--are not clearly established, as here, when entering the land.
...the narrator discloses the name and rank of Phinehas's victims: Zimri the Israelite man and Cozbi the Midianite woman. Their story articulates a theme that recurs in several biblical books: the potentially dangerous influence of foreign women.
In some cases, foreign women play a positive role, helping to ensure survival. The daughter of Pharaoh saves Moses (Exodus 2:5-10). Zipporah, Moses' Midianite wife, averts God's wrath by circumcising their son (Exodus 4:24-26). Rahab the harlot helps Israelite spies (Joshua 2)...
Elsewhere, however, women are blamed for leading Israelite men to idolatry. Thus the warning in Exodus 34:16: "And when you take wives from among their daughters for your sons, their daughters will lust after their gods and will cause your sons to lust after their gods.... Recognizing women's powerful influence on cultural and religious life, the Bible at certain junctures express anxiety over foreign women. The standard charge is idolatry, often case in sexual terms. Women who keep their own religious traditions instead of Israel's seem to threaten the entire fabric of the nation. They possess the potential to lure their husbands and future generations away from fidelity to Israelite traditions. The danger is deemed acute in times of transition, when Israel's boundaries--social as well as political--are not clearly established, as here, when entering the land.
In this week's Torah portion, the story continues with further acts of vengeance against the Midianites.
(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) נְקֹ֗ם נִקְמַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאֵ֖ת הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים אַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵ֥ף אֶל־עַמֶּֽיךָ׃ (ג) וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָעָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר הֵחָלְצ֧וּ מֵאִתְּכֶ֛ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לַצָּבָ֑א וְיִהְיוּ֙ עַל־מִדְיָ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת נִקְמַת־יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּמִדְיָֽן׃ (ד) אֶ֚לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֔ה אֶ֖לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֑ה לְכֹל֙ מַטּ֣וֹת יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל תִּשְׁלְח֖וּ לַצָּבָֽא׃ (ה) וַיִּמָּֽסְרוּ֙ מֵאַלְפֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֶ֖לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֑ה שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֶ֖לֶף חֲלוּצֵ֥י צָבָֽא׃ (ו) וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח אֹתָ֥ם מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶ֥לֶף לַמַּטֶּ֖ה לַצָּבָ֑א אֹ֠תָ֠ם וְאֶת־פִּ֨ינְחָ֜ס בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֤ר הַכֹּהֵן֙ לַצָּבָ֔א וּכְלֵ֥י הַקֹּ֛דֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְר֥וֹת הַתְּרוּעָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃
(1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, (2) “Avenge the Israelite people on the Midianites; then you shall be gathered to your kin.” (3) Moses spoke to the people, saying, “Let men be picked out from among you for a campaign, and let them fall upon Midian to wreak the LORD’s vengeance on Midian. (4) You shall dispatch on the campaign a thousand from every one of the tribes of Israel.” (5) So a thousand from each tribe were furnished from the divisions of Israel, twelve thousand picked for the campaign. (6) Moses dispatched them on the campaign, a thousand from each tribe, with Phinehas son of Eleazar serving as a priest on the campaign, equipped with the sacred utensils and the trumpets for sounding the blasts.
Bamidbar Rabbah 22:4
(Numb. 31:6) “Then Moses sent them”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in vs. 2), “’Take vengeance,’ by yourself,” and he sent others? It was simply because he had been raised in Midian, he said, “It is not right for me to oppress those who have done good to me.” The proverb says, “Do not cast a stone into a cistern from which you have drunk water.” But some say that this is not the same Midian in which Moses was raised. As this one is next to Moab and it is [still] desolate until now. And why did He send Phinehas (instead of someone else)? He said, “Whoever has begun a commandment should finish it. [Phinehas] has (according to Numb. 25:11) ‘turned around My wrath’ and smote the Midianite woman. Let him finish the commandment [that he undertook].”
(Numb. 31:6) “Then Moses sent them”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in vs. 2), “’Take vengeance,’ by yourself,” and he sent others? It was simply because he had been raised in Midian, he said, “It is not right for me to oppress those who have done good to me.” The proverb says, “Do not cast a stone into a cistern from which you have drunk water.” But some say that this is not the same Midian in which Moses was raised. As this one is next to Moab and it is [still] desolate until now. And why did He send Phinehas (instead of someone else)? He said, “Whoever has begun a commandment should finish it. [Phinehas] has (according to Numb. 25:11) ‘turned around My wrath’ and smote the Midianite woman. Let him finish the commandment [that he undertook].”
(ז) וַֽיִּצְבְּאוּ֙ עַל־מִדְיָ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַיַּֽהַרְג֖וּ כׇּל־זָכָֽר׃ (ח) וְאֶת־מַלְכֵ֨י מִדְיָ֜ן הָרְג֣וּ עַל־חַלְלֵיהֶ֗ם אֶת־אֱוִ֤י וְאֶת־רֶ֙קֶם֙ וְאֶת־צ֤וּר וְאֶת־חוּר֙ וְאֶת־רֶ֔בַע חֲמֵ֖שֶׁת מַלְכֵ֣י מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֵת֙ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֔וֹר הָרְג֖וּ בֶּחָֽרֶב׃ (ט) וַיִּשְׁבּ֧וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל אֶת־נְשֵׁ֥י מִדְיָ֖ן וְאֶת־טַפָּ֑ם וְאֵ֨ת כׇּל־בְּהֶמְתָּ֧ם וְאֶת־כׇּל־מִקְנֵהֶ֛ם וְאֶת־כׇּל־חֵילָ֖ם בָּזָֽזוּ׃ (י) וְאֵ֤ת כׇּל־עָרֵיהֶם֙ בְּמ֣וֹשְׁבֹתָ֔ם וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־טִֽירֹתָ֑ם שָׂרְפ֖וּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃ (יא) וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַשָּׁלָ֔ל וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־הַמַּלְק֑וֹחַ בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה׃ (יב) וַיָּבִ֡אוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה֩ וְאֶל־אֶלְעָזָ֨ר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן וְאֶל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶת־הַשְּׁבִ֧י וְאֶת־הַמַּלְק֛וֹחַ וְאֶת־הַשָּׁלָ֖ל אֶל־הַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה אֶל־עַֽרְבֹ֣ת מוֹאָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־יַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃ {ס} (יג) וַיֵּ֨צְא֜וּ מֹשֶׁ֨ה וְאֶלְעָזָ֧ר הַכֹּהֵ֛ן וְכׇל־נְשִׂיאֵ֥י הָעֵדָ֖ה לִקְרָאתָ֑ם אֶל־מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (יד) וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּקוּדֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל שָׂרֵ֤י הָאֲלָפִים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י הַמֵּא֔וֹת הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְּבָ֥א הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
(7) They took the field against Midian, as the LORD had commanded Moses, and slew every male. (8) Along with their other victims, they slew the kings of Midian: Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian. They also put Balaam son of Beor to the sword. (9) The Israelites took the women and children of the Midianites captive, and seized as booty all their beasts, all their herds, and all their wealth. (10) And they destroyed by fire all the towns in which they were settled, and their encampments. (11) They gathered all the spoil and all the booty, man and beast, (12) and they brought the captives, the booty, and the spoil to Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the whole Israelite community, at the camp in the steppes of Moab, at the Jordan near Jericho. (13) Moses, Eleazar the priest, and all the chieftains of the community came out to meet them outside the camp. (14) Moses became angry with the commanders of the army, the officers of thousands and the officers of hundreds, who had come back from the military campaign.
Nechama Goldman Barash, "The Israelites and Midianite women," Jerusalem Post, 7/2/20.
"...we discover that the Midianite women, in addition to the Moabite women, were the ones who carried out the bidding of Balaam and led the Israelites to stray against God at Peor. Moses now instructs them to kill the male children and adult women, sparing only virgin girls.
The inconsistency between the stories is startling. On the one hand, Cozbi together with Zimri are slain for what the midrash explains was a blatant violation of relations with foreign women. Here, several chapters later, Moses is essentially permitting intermarriage with virgin girls from Midian! It should not of course escape our notice that Moses is married to a Midianite woman, who is the daughter of a religious leader in Midian.
"...we discover that the Midianite women, in addition to the Moabite women, were the ones who carried out the bidding of Balaam and led the Israelites to stray against God at Peor. Moses now instructs them to kill the male children and adult women, sparing only virgin girls.
The inconsistency between the stories is startling. On the one hand, Cozbi together with Zimri are slain for what the midrash explains was a blatant violation of relations with foreign women. Here, several chapters later, Moses is essentially permitting intermarriage with virgin girls from Midian! It should not of course escape our notice that Moses is married to a Midianite woman, who is the daughter of a religious leader in Midian.
(טו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֹשֶׁ֑ה הַֽחִיִּיתֶ֖ם כׇּל־נְקֵבָֽה׃ (טז) הֵ֣ן הֵ֜נָּה הָי֨וּ לִבְנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ בִּדְבַ֣ר בִּלְעָ֔ם לִמְסׇר־מַ֥עַל בַּיהֹוָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וַתְּהִ֥י הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה בַּעֲדַ֥ת יְהֹוָֽה׃ (יז) וְעַתָּ֕ה הִרְג֥וּ כׇל־זָכָ֖ר בַּטָּ֑ף וְכׇל־אִשָּׁ֗ה יֹדַ֥עַת אִ֛ישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּ֥ב זָכָ֖ר הֲרֹֽגוּ׃
(15) Moses said to them, “You have spared every female! (16) Yet they are the very ones who, at the bidding of Balaam, induced the Israelites to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so that the LORD’s community was struck by the plague. (17) Now, therefore, slay every male among the children, and slay also every woman who has known a man carnally;
Yalkut Shemoni 795
Midian, and not Moab, was singled out for attack: Moab only wanted to kill the Israelites to prevent Israel from attacking Moab; Midian was not threatened, but rather attacked Israel on ideological and religious grounds, to wipe out the Torah, mitzvot, and faith which Israel embodied. It was not the Jews, but the Jewish spirit, and the unique Jewish way of life of Torah and Mitzvah, which was at stake, and which had to be defended, if need be, to the death!
Midian, and not Moab, was singled out for attack: Moab only wanted to kill the Israelites to prevent Israel from attacking Moab; Midian was not threatened, but rather attacked Israel on ideological and religious grounds, to wipe out the Torah, mitzvot, and faith which Israel embodied. It was not the Jews, but the Jewish spirit, and the unique Jewish way of life of Torah and Mitzvah, which was at stake, and which had to be defended, if need be, to the death!
החייתם כל נקבה אף על פי שבמלחמת כל אומה חוץ מז' אומות כתוב רק הנשים והטף והבהמה וכל אשר יהיה בעיר כל שללה תבוז לך לא היה לכם להחיות לפחות אותם הנשים שהכרתם שהיו לכם לתקלה בדבר בלעם:
?!החיים כל נקבה. Although it was a rule that in all wars not involving the seven Canaanite nations women, children, and livestock would be spared as we know from Deuteronomy 20,14, these soldiers should have at least killed the women whom they personally knew, seeing it had been the women who had caused the death of 24.000 Israelites by seducing them. [we have no evidence that any Midianite women seduced the Israelites with the exception of Cosbi, a Midianite princess. Numbers 25,1 reports only about sexual misconduct with the Moabite women. Ed.]
הן הנה. מַגִּיד שֶׁהָיוּ מַכִּירִים אוֹתָן — זוֹ הִיא שֶׁנִּכְשַׁל פְּלוֹנִי בָהּ (ילקוט שמעוני תשפ"ה):
הן הנה BEHOLD, THESE [WERE AN ENTICEMENT TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] — These: this word tells us that they recognised them, saying, ‘This is the woman through whom so-and-so fell into sin” (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 785).
Redeeming Relevance; Numbers, Chapter 7 Shimon and Levu; The Brothers Divided 43
We should briefly discuss the strange way the Jews’ interaction with Midian is presented in the book of Bemidbar. As mentioned earlier, much of the information in the Pinchas narrative comes to us via flashbacks, after the actual story has taken place. In particular, Midian’s role in the whole incident is the most hidden, never completely coming to light. Only later, after the Jews have attacked Midian, do we hear that specifically the women and not the men of Midian were responsible for some sort of action against the Jews. Furthermore, the wording of the Torah here (Bemidbar 31:15-16). implies that we should know that it has to do with Bil’am and Ba’al Peor.
We should briefly discuss the strange way the Jews’ interaction with Midian is presented in the book of Bemidbar. As mentioned earlier, much of the information in the Pinchas narrative comes to us via flashbacks, after the actual story has taken place. In particular, Midian’s role in the whole incident is the most hidden, never completely coming to light. Only later, after the Jews have attacked Midian, do we hear that specifically the women and not the men of Midian were responsible for some sort of action against the Jews. Furthermore, the wording of the Torah here (Bemidbar 31:15-16). implies that we should know that it has to do with Bil’am and Ba’al Peor.
Now let us try to understand why the Torah deferred mentioning Balaam's complicity in the matter of Peor till after his death at the hands of the Israelites, described in this sidra. why was not Balaam's responsibility for the matter of Peor recorded in the context of that story?
Evidently, the Torah wished to teach us a special lesson.
Though it was Balaam who instigated the daughters of Midian to strike a blow at the purity of Jewish family life, though he was the evil genius who thought out the plan, the moral responsibility ultimately rested on the Israelites themselves. They were guilty.
Nehama Leibowitz
Evidently, the Torah wished to teach us a special lesson.
Though it was Balaam who instigated the daughters of Midian to strike a blow at the purity of Jewish family life, though he was the evil genius who thought out the plan, the moral responsibility ultimately rested on the Israelites themselves. They were guilty.
Nehama Leibowitz
We might wonder
1) What role, if any did Moses' Midianite wife, Ziporrah, play in all of this?
2) If the story in Exodus 25 talks about Moabite women, then why does Moses hold the Midianite women responsible for seducing Israelite men?
3) What sense can we make of this text in the Torah, and how grow from having studied it?
1) What role, if any did Moses' Midianite wife, Ziporrah, play in all of this?
2) If the story in Exodus 25 talks about Moabite women, then why does Moses hold the Midianite women responsible for seducing Israelite men?
3) What sense can we make of this text in the Torah, and how grow from having studied it?