“Moses sent them, one thousand per tribe to the army, them and Pinḥas son of Elazar the priest to the army, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for sounding in his hand” (Numbers 31:6). “Moses sent them” – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Take the vengeance” (Numbers 31:2) – you yourself; and he sends others? It is, rather, because he grew in Midian, he said: It is not right that I should cause anguish to one who treated me well.
The parable says: Do not throw a stone into a well from which you have drunk. Some say: This was not the Midian where Moses had grown, as this was alongside Moav and is in ruins until now. Why did he send Pinḥas? He said: The one who began with the mitzva, let him complete it.
He caused His wrath to be withdrawn and smote the Midianite woman; let him complete his mitzva.4The mitzva that he started to do. “With the holy [hakodesh] vessels” – this is the Ark, as it is stated: “Because the sacred [hakodesh] service [is upon them, they shall bear on the shoulder]” (Numbers 7:9). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: These are the priestly vestments, which include the Urim and the Tumim, just as it is stated: “And Aaron’s holy [hakodesh] vestments” (Exodus 29:29).
“They campaigned against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male” (Numbers 31:7). “They killed the kings of Midian among those they slayed: Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Ḥur, and Reva, the five kings of Midian; and Bilam son of Beor they killed by sword” (Numbers 31:8). “They campaigned against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and they killed every male…[They killed] the kings of Midian…[and Bilam son of Beor] they killed by sword” – what did he seek there?
It is, rather, that he went to collect his payment for the twenty-four thousand.5Bilam went to seek his payment for the advice he rendered Balak (see Sanhedrin 106a) that ultimately led to twenty-four thousand Israelites being killed in a plague (see Numbers 25:9). In his regard it is stated: “He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone, it will return onto him” (Proverbs 26:27).
“They took all the spoils and all the plunder of man and of animal” (Numbers 31:11). “They brought to Moses, and to Elazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, the captives, the plunder, and the spoils, to the camp, to the plains of Moav, which are along the Jordan at Jericho” (Numbers 31:12). “They took all the spoils and all the plunder.… They brought to Moses and to Elazar the priest” – to inform you of their praiseworthiness, that they did not take anything from the loot without permission; rather, they brought it before them and then they took.
“Moses, Elazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation came out to meet them” (Numbers 31:13) – to inform you of Moses’ humility and his praiseworthiness, as they were all the disciples of his disciples.