במדבר, פרק ל״א, פסוק ז׳

The war against Midian stands out as a carefully managed military campaign that blended harsh justice with strict rules of engagement. By carrying out the battle exactly as God commanded, the Israelites proved the purity of their intentions [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They did not enter the fight driven by a desire for loot or plunder. Instead, their sole motivation was to fulfill His will, allowing them to operate not merely with standard military tactics, but with the power of holiness [שפתי כהן].

When the Israelites laid siege to the enemy camp, a debate exists regarding their exact strategy. One perspective suggests they created a complete seal around all four sides of the city, intentionally leaving no escape route in order to exact absolute vengeance [מלבי״ם]. However, the primary approach among commentators is that the Israelites surrounded the city from only three sides. They purposely left the fourth side open, providing an opportunity for anyone who wished to flee and survive [תורה תמימה, העמק דבר, מלבי״ם, ברכת אשר]. This established a moral and military standard that was passed down through tradition, later adopted by Joshua before he entered the land [תורה תמימה, העמק דבר]. Beyond the element of mercy, leaving an open side served a highly practical tactical purpose. If the enemy were trapped on all sides without any hope of escape, they would fight back with desperate intensity, making the conquest significantly harder [תורה תמימה, ברכת אשר].

At the end of the battle, the Israelites killed all the males. This action was directed exclusively at the adult men, as the young boys were taken captive alongside the women [רבנו בחיי, אבן עזרא]. The destruction of the adult male population raises a historical question: if all the men were killed, how did the Midianite nation survive to fight the Israelites again generations later during the era of the Judges?

The answer depends on the nature of the siege. According to the view that an escape route was provided, the Israelites only killed the men who stayed to fight and fell into their hands. Many others successfully fled through the open fourth side, and these survivors ensured the continuation of the nation [ברכת אשר]. Alternatively, according to the view that the siege was absolute and left no survivors, the total destruction was limited to a specific Midianite district located near Moab. An entirely different region of Midian was never attacked during this war, allowing the nation to survive, rebuild, and emerge again in the future [ברכת אשר].