במדבר, פרק ל״א, פסוק י״ד

The conclusion of the Midianite war brought a complex collision between military victory and spiritual danger. Returning from battle, the Israelite army faced a furious Moses. His anger was directed specifically at the appointed officers and commanders who led the campaign, rather than the ordinary soldiers [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These leaders, numbering one hundred and thirty-two, were expected to embody not just physical bravery but moral and spiritual perfection [אם למקרא, רבנו בחיי, אבן עזרא]. Moses held them accountable because simple soldiers merely follow orders; therefore, the burden of responsibility for any moral failure rests squarely on the leadership. Those with the power to protest and prevent sin bear the guilt if they fail to act [רלב״ג, תורה תמימה, רש״י, רבנו בחיי, רש״ר הירש, אבי עזר].

The central cause of Moses' outrage was that the commanders had spared the Midianite women. Moses was deeply concerned that the Israelites would relapse into the devastating sins they had previously committed. In their defense, the soldiers clarified that they had returned physically pure from any sinful acts, even bringing an atonement offering solely for improper thoughts [תורה תמימה]. The fundamental dispute between Moses and the officers stemmed from a misunderstanding of the war's unique nature. The commanders treated this campaign like any standard conflict with a distant nation, where taking women and children as spoils was permitted. Moses rebuked them for failing to recognize that this war was entirely different, as these very women were the direct cause of the recent tragedy and idolatry initiated by Balaam's advice [תורה תמימה, מלבי״ם].

Even though the officers were not explicitly commanded to kill the women before departing for battle, Moses expected them to deduce this on their own. Since a foreign woman who intentionally causes a Jew to stumble is liable for death, they should have at least executed the women they definitively recognized as the instigators of the previous sin [פני דוד, ברכת אשר]. Different perspectives explain why the commanders hesitated. Some suggest they believed their mandate of vengeance applied only to the men, viewing the punishment of the idolatrous women as a matter for God's direct vengeance [פענח רזא]. Others argue the officers were acting out of a strict, cautious obedience to their mission, fearing that adding an uncommanded action would revoke their status as God's messengers. Furthermore, because the soldiers themselves were righteous and felt immune to lust, the commanders failed to anticipate that bringing the women back would create a severe stumbling block for the rest of the people remaining in the camp [חתם סופר].

A glaring question remains regarding Phinehas, the supreme commander of the campaign, who seemingly escaped Moses' wrath. One explanation is that Moses accorded him special honor, similar to how he refrained from displaying anger toward Aaron after the incident of the Golden Calf, especially since God had recently granted Phinehas His eternal covenant of peace [הטור הארוך, העמק דבר, ברכת אשר]. Another perspective reveals that Phinehas actually fulfilled his duty and strongly protested against sparing the women. However, the subordinate commanders refused to listen to him, dismissing his urgent warnings as excessive zealotry [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].