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Moses and Eleazar go out to greet the triumphant soldiers returning from the war. Moses strongly rebukes the commanders for sparing the women, whom he blames for having led the Israelite men astray at Ba'al Peor, and orders the commanders to kill all the women except the young virgins along with all the males. Instructions are given for purifying and dividing the spoils. The captains of the army contribute an additional offering of gold to G-d to atone for their added responsibility.
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| Thoughts to Consider and Discuss |
1. Why were the virgin women spared? Why were the boys killed?
2. Why is it Eleazar and not Moses who relays the purification instructions (Numbers 31:21)? See Rashi and Ibn Ezra.
3. Is it significant that we usually read this account of the Midianite war during the three weeks prior to Tisha B'Av- the time in which we mourn our own destruction at the hands of a savage enemy?
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"Moses, our teacher, because he came to anger also came to [make] a mistake [Moses forgot the law]. Rabbi Eleazar says 'There were three instances where Moses became angry [and because of the anger] came to [make a] mistake.'"
Sifra 48
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 | | Points to Ponder | |
How does anger cause mistakes or forgetfulness?
The Sifra goes on to quote the other two examples of Moses' anger; 1) Leviticus 10:17 and 2) Numbers 20:11. Why did those three incidents provoke Moses' anger?
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