במדבר, פרק ל״א, פסוק ו׳

The campaign against Midian was not a standard war of conquest, but a profound moral and spiritual mission to exact God's vengeance on a nation that had led the Israelites into sin. Despite the gravity of the campaign, Moses did not personally lead the troops. Having found refuge in Midian during his youth, he adhered to the ethical principle that one should not throw a stone into a well from which they have drunk [רבנו בחיי, דעת זקנים, פענח רזא]. Furthermore, Moses was concerned that if the soldiers faltered in battle, they might blame him, claiming his lingering affection for his childhood home had compromised the mission [כלי יקר]. Nevertheless, the soldiers marched as his direct emissaries, and his merit supported them on the battlefield [העמק דבר].

To face an immense nation with fortified cities, a surprisingly small force of only twelve thousand men was deployed. The primary approach among commentators is that because many Israelites had succumbed to the sin of immorality with Midianite women, they were deemed unworthy to fight God's war. Therefore, only completely righteous individuals were meticulously selected for the task [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך, צאינה וראינה]. This minimal force also served to emphasize that victory would not be achieved through natural military might, but through a divine miracle [מלבי״ם]. Alternatively, some suggest that two thousand men were actually drafted from each tribe, with half fighting on the front lines and half guarding the equipment. This created a total force of twenty-four thousand, corresponding exactly to the twenty-four thousand Israelites who died in the plague caused by Midian [כלי יקר]. Notably, the tribal leaders were excluded from the campaign to avoid shaming the tribe of Simeon, whose leader had been publicly killed during the sin [קיצור בעל הטורים].

The spiritual weight of the campaign rested on Phinehas, whose presence was considered equal to the entire army combined [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, שפתי חכמים, מלבי״ם]. While the soldiers managed the physical combat, Phinehas directed the miraculous and spiritual battle [מלבי״ם]. He was chosen over the High Priest or Joshua for several reasons. Having initiated the Commandment to stop the plague by killing the Israelite transgressor, Zimri, and the Midianite princess, Cozbi, it was fitting that he complete the mission [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, תולדות יצחק, דעת זקנים], specifically by executing the princess's father, Zur, the king of Midian [תולדות יצחק]. Furthermore, as a descendant of Joseph, Phinehas was the ideal candidate. Joseph had famously maintained his purity against temptation, in stark contrast to the Midianites who prostituted their daughters, and the Midianites had also been involved in selling Joseph into slavery. Phinehas was thus uniquely positioned to avenge his ancestor and eradicate Midianite impurity [רש״י, גור אריה, כלי יקר, דברי דוד]. Moses also appointed him as the designated priest to accompany and encourage the troops [רש״י, ספורנו, הכתב והקבלה], trusting his exceptional zeal for God would ensure the enemy was completely destroyed without misplaced mercy [אור החיים, כלי יקר].

Phinehas marched into battle equipped with sacred vessels. The prevailing view is that these included the Ark of the Covenant and the High Priest's golden headplate [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה], though other perspectives identify them as just the Ark [אבן עזרא], the Urim and Thummim [שד״ל, הכתב והקבלה], or simply the trumpets themselves [רלב״ג]. The golden headplate played a critical role in the conflict. When the Midianite kings and the sorcerer Balaam utilized dark magic to fly into the air and escape, Phinehas held up the headplate engraved with God's name. The divine power shattered their sorcery, sending them plummeting to their deaths [רש״י, רבנו בחיי, צאינה וראינה, אלשיך]. Accompanying these items were the trumpets, which were used not only to organize the troops but primarily to sound alarms and offer prayers for God's assistance during the fighting [רבנו בחיי, העמק דבר, הכתב והקבלה]. Because one man could not physically carry all these heavy artifacts simultaneously, they were understood to be under Phinehas' direct authority rather than literally in his hands [רש״י, ספורנו, רש״ר הירש, ברטנורא].

As the campaign concluded, it became apparent that Moses had only given a general directive to exact vengeance, without precise tactical orders. The soldiers fought conventionally, destroying cities and stopping springs, but they spared the women and children. This provoked Moses' intense anger, as the Midianite women were the very instigators who had led Israel into sin and should have been the primary target of the retribution. However, recognizing the people's desire for the spoils of war, Moses ultimately forgave them, permitting the taking of the property and the young children [רמב״ן, הטור הארוך].