שופטים, פרק כ׳, פסוק ג׳

The gathering of the Israelite tribes at Mizpah marks a critical turning point, transforming a horrific local crime into a deep national crisis. The assembly was intended to investigate the tragedy at Gibeah and formulate a response, yet it was met with the glaring absence of the very tribe in whose territory the atrocity occurred.

The Israelites originally hoped that the sheer scale of the national gathering would compel the tribe of Benjamin to step forward to apologize, clear their name, or hand over the guilty individuals [אלשיך]. Instead, the Benjaminites simply listened from afar. Some explain that they heard about the massive assembly, and perhaps even the testimonies and plans that followed, yet felt no obligation to join, cooperate, or purge the criminals from their midst [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. This chilling indifference signaled that the entire tribe was implicitly backing the crime [אלשיך]. Conversely, another perspective suggests their reaction was not passive at all. Upon learning of the Israelite mobilization, the Benjaminites immediately rallied in their own cities to prepare for self-defense, proving they were fully aware of the crime that had been committed [אברבנאל].

Faced with Benjamin's blatant disregard or military preparations, the Israelites had no choice but to launch a formal investigation into how such an evil event took place [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Before plunging into a full-scale civil war, the leaders demanded to hear the true and complete story [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The shocking display of the dismembered body parts was not enough on its own to justify taking up arms against their own brothers. They needed precise details to determine if the crime was the work of a few rogue individuals, or if there were mitigating circumstances, such as the victim actually dying from severe weather [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, the demand for answers was delivered with harsh and forceful language, driven by a lingering suspicion that the victims themselves might have committed an offense against the townspeople, thereby provoking the attack [חומת אנך].