שופטים, פרק ו׳, פסוק כ״ז

Fulfilling a divine command often requires a careful balance between bold action and strategic caution. To carry out God's instructions, Gideon had to plan his steps carefully. He gathered a group of ten of his servants for the mission, a detail indicating that he came from a respected and wealthy family [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The choice to bring exactly ten men served both practical and spiritual purposes. Practically, the physical labor involved in tearing down the altar of Baal, building a new altar, and offering the sacrifice was significant. Without a team to share the heavy work, the task would have easily dragged on into the daylight hours [מלבי״ם, רלב״ג]. Spiritually, this specific number holds deeper meaning. Gideon wanted to sanctify the name of God publicly, and a group of ten represents the minimum number required to give an act official public validation [רלב״ג].

Despite his strong desire to honor God as openly as possible, Gideon had to adapt his plan to a dangerous reality. He chose to act under the cover of darkness because he feared his own family and the townspeople. This fear was entirely justified, as the local population and his relatives held a deep, ingrained reverence for the idol Baal [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Gideon's primary concern was that if he operated in broad daylight, the people of the city would rise up and stop him from finishing the mission. Ideally, he would have preferred to perform the act during the day to maximize the public impact of his actions. However, the immediate threat of being stopped forced him to rely on the safety of the night to ensure the task was successfully completed [רלב״ג].