Parshat Matot6 min read

Balaam Told Midian to Build Booths, and the Sword Found Balaam

Balaam told Midian that Israel's God hates lewdness. Market booths pulled young men out, twenty-four thousand fell, then the sword found the counselor.

Curated by Arthur · Told by Maggid ·
Table of Contents
  1. Booths Outside the Camp
  2. Enemies Who Hated Each Other First
  3. War From Four Sides
  4. The Women Who Were the Weapon
  5. After the Sword
Balaam Told Midian to Build Booths, and the Sword Found Balaam Click for full size

Booths Outside the Camp

Balaam could not curse what heaven refused to curse. So he sold a different weapon. He told Midian that this people would not fall unless they sinned before their Creator. Build booths outside Israel's camp. Stock them with merchandise. Paint the daughters' eyes. Let young men walk past the line of holiness and buy what ruins them.

At every wilderness stop, tradition says, Israel had already flirted with idols after meals. "And the people sat down to eat and to drink... and they rose up to play" (Exodus 32:6). At Shittim the play turned into whoredom with the daughters of Moab (Numbers 25:1). Twenty-four thousand fell. The counsel of the wicked sat close enough to smell perfume and grain.

Balaam's rule was simple and cruel. While Israel does God's will, God wars for them. When they do not, God wars against them. Egypt's six hundred chariots had failed. Lust might succeed where iron failed.

Enemies Who Hated Each Other First

Moab and Midian had not lived as friends. They made peace the way two dogs stop fighting when a wolf nears the lamb. One helps the other or both die later. Elders of Moab and elders of Midian walked together when the target was Israel.

After the plague of Shittim, God spoke to Moses. Take Israel's revenge from the Midianites. Leaders of Israel, the midrash praises, do not leave the world until they take Israel's revenge, which is also the revenge of the One who spoke the world into being. Moses would die soon. First he would finish this.

Why Midian if Moab started the talk? The sources press the partnership. Shared counsel made shared liability. Five kings of Midian would be one in death as they had been one in scheme.

War From Four Sides

Israel warred against Midian and surrounded it. Rabbi Nathan said they left a fourth side open so the enemy could flee. Still the five kings fell together. "And Bilam the son of Beor they slew by the sword."

Israel did not stint his wages. When he had said that six hundred thousand could not be faced then, and asked how they would face Israel now, they paid him the full "reward" of a counselor of death. Rabbi Nathan adds the grim detail that they applied the four judicial death penalties to him. The sword was only the headline.

Spoil came back clean to Moses. The midrash contrasts them with later embezzlers of banned goods. Houses of idolatry burned. Posts of sentinels fell. Young men ran for loot until Moses and Elazar went out and Moses burned with anger at the commanders.

The Women Who Were the Weapon

"Have you let all the females live?" Moses demanded. These were the women consigned against Israel by Balaam's word. The counselor's last product was not a blessing from a mountain. It was a market of bodies outside the camp.

Phinehas had already answered the crisis in the camp with a spear when the plague first rose. Now the war answered the booths. Vengeance was not a mood. It was a command timed before Moses' death so the leader would not leave with Midian's plot unfinished.

Balaam, who had wanted silver for curses, collected steel for counsel. The young men who had walked out for painted eyes learned what those booths cost in graves. Midian's kings learned that shared counsel is a shared pit.

After the Sword

The wilderness still smelled of death and spice. Israel counted living and dead. Moses' anger at the commanders taught that the great ones bear the stigma when the people grab spoil like children. Phinehas answered that they had done as commanded in the fighting itself.

Balaam's body did not get a prophet's funeral in these tellings. He got the payment he earned when he turned from forced blessings to voluntary corruption. The God who would not let him curse also would not let him outlive the war his booths required.

Shittim's name stayed bitter. Twenty-four thousand names stayed buried under it. The fourth open side of the siege could not open a road for the man who taught Midian how to make God into an enemy of Israel for a season. The sword closed that road.

When the dust settled, Moses still had to die on the far side of the Jordan without crossing. He had taken the revenge first. Leadership, in this midrash, means finishing the people's fight before a leader closes his eyes.

Inside the booths the air was sweet and wrong. Young men who had seen the sea split still could not split themselves from a painted glance. Midian's daughters had been briefed. This was not romance. This was strategy spoken by a prophet-for-hire who knew Israel's weakness better than Israel's enemies usually did.

When the plague thinned the camp, the dead were not soldiers of Amalek. They were men who walked a few hundred cubits past the boundary for a market that sold ruin. Moses' generation learned that geography can be moral. Outside the camp is not only dust. It can be a designed temptation with price tags.

The war order came with a clock attached to Moses' remaining days. Take revenge before Moses dies. Leadership in the Sifrei's praise is not leaving unfinished the fight that heaven named. Midian's five kings fell as one because their counsel had been one. Balaam's "reward" arrived without a coin purse. Steel counted better than silver for what he had sold.

Spoil stacked before Moses and Elazar testified that this army, at least, brought the loot home instead of burying it under private tents. Moses' anger still found a target in commanders who let the wrong captives live. The women were not side characters. They were the delivery system of Balaam's last sermon. The war had to answer the booths, not only the kings.

BalaamMidianShittimMosesPhinehasWar
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From the tradition

Sources

3 sources

The texts behind this telling. Some cards carry a translation of the source; others are our own retelling of it, and each card says which. Every card links out to the original.

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 47:4Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer, trans. Rabbi Gerald Friedlander, London (1916) · CC-BY

The story of Israel in the wilderness offers a stark, and frankly, heartbreaking answer. Fresh from the miracle of the Exodus, having witnessed God's power firsthand, the Israelites were on their way to the Promised Land. Yet, according to Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, at every single place they stopped in the wilderness, they succumbed to idolatry. As it says in (Exodus 32:6), "And the people sat down to eat and to drink…" But the verse doesn't end there. It continues, "And they rose up to play." According to this midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), that "play" wasn't innocent fun; it was the beginning of idol worship.

It wasn’t just idolatry. (Numbers 25:1) tells us, "And Israel abode in Shittim…" Shittim, meaning "acacia trees," was a place, but it was also a turning point for the worse. What happened there? "...And the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab." One sin seemed to pave the way for another.

Rabbi Jehudah offers a chilling perspective on the events at Shittim. He points to (Job 21:16), "The counsel of the wicked is far from me," and connects it to the story of Balaam. Remember him? The non-Israelite prophet hired to curse Israel, but who ultimately blessed them instead (Numbers 22-24). But Balaam, it turns out, had another trick up his sleeve.

In Rabbi Jehudah, Balaam advised the Midianites that they couldn't defeat Israel unless they could get them to sin against God. The plan? Set up booths outside the Israelite camp, filled with alluring merchandise. The daughters of Midian, painted and adorned like harlots, lured the young Israelite men away from the camp. These young men, perhaps bored or restless after their long journey, succumbed to temptation. They took Midianite wives and, tragically, went astray after their gods. The result was devastating: twenty-four thousand Israelites perished.

It's a sobering reminder of how easily even the most sacred journeys can be derailed by temptation, and how external influences can exploit our weaknesses. It makes you wonder: what are the “Shittim” in our own lives? What are the temptations that lie just outside our “camp,” waiting to lead us astray? And what counsel are we listening to? The answers, I suspect, are crucial to our own journeys, wherever they may lead.

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Sifrei Bamidbar 157:5Sifrei Bamidbar

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Sifrei by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein · CC-BY

The Israelites, after a period of wandering, find themselves at war with Midian. Bamidbar 31:7 tells us, "And they warred against Midian." The text goes on to say they surrounded it from all four sides. But, according to R. Nathan, there was a strategic twist: the Israelites deliberately left one side open, offering the Midianites an escape route. Why? Was it an act of mercy, or a calculated military tactic?

Then comes the fall of the Midianite kings. "The five kings of Midian," the text notes, "as they were all one in counsel, they were all one in death." A chilling reminder of the cost of unity, even when that unity is directed toward nefarious ends.

The story doesn’t end there. Bilam, the infamous prophet who tried to curse Israel, meets his end as well. "And Bilam the son of Beor they slew by the sword." The text offers a rather…unusual take: "Israel gave him his full reward and did not stint him." What?! Reward a man who actively sought their destruction? The explanation is startling. Bilam, it seems, had given the Israelites a piece of brutally honest advice back in the days of Balak (Numbers 22-24). He essentially told them that if they were six hundred thousand strong and couldn't withstand their enemies then, what made them think they could now? So, for this…insightful… assessment, they paid him. R. Nathan, however, offers a different perspective: Bilam was executed using the four judicial death penalties. This aligns with (Joshua 13:22), which states that "Bilam the son of Beor the sorcerer the children of Israel slew by the sword together with their slain." It seems Bilam's reward was a swift, if belated, justice.

After the battle, the Israelites collect the spoils. Bamidbar 31:10 mentions "and all tirotham," which the text explains refers to either their houses of idolatry or the posts of their sentinels. Then, a striking detail emerges: "And they took all of the spoil… and they brought it to Moses." The commentary emphasizes the honesty of the Israelites, contrasting their actions with the story in (Joshua 7:1), where "the children of Israel embezzled the spoils." Here, there's no hint of theft or corruption. They brought everything to Moses.

So, what happens next? Moses and Elazar the Cohein (priest) go out to meet the returning army. Abba Channan, quoting R. Eliezer, suggests they did so because they saw the young Israelites eager to grab the spoils. Perhaps a pre-emptive move to ensure fairness and prevent chaos?

But then, tension flares. "And Moses was wroth with the commanders of the host." The commentary adds, "the great ones bear the stigma." Pinchas, known for his zealotry, interjects, "Our teacher, we did as you commanded us." Clearly, there’s a disagreement about how the victory was handled.

The core of the conflict is revealed in Bamidbar 31:15-16: "And Moses said to them: Have you let all the females live? These are the women who were (consigned as harlots) against the children of Israel by the word of Bilam."

Here’s where the story takes a truly dark turn. What was Bilam’s "word"? He advised the Midianites that they could not defeat Israel through conventional warfare. Instead, he suggested a more insidious tactic: to use their women to seduce the Israelite men, leading them astray and causing God to turn against them. "The G-d of these detests lewdness," Bilam reportedly said. "Consign your wives and daughters to them and steep them in lust and their G-d will war against them."

Bilam understood a fundamental principle: Israel’s strength was directly tied to their adherence to God’s will. As long as they followed His commandments, He would protect them. But if they strayed, they would become vulnerable. The text poignantly reminds us: "As long as Israel does His will, He wars for them… And when they do not do His will, He wars against them." And, even more tragically, "the Merciful One becomes cruel to them." The commentary references (Isaiah 63:10) and Eichah 2:5 to underscore this point: divine protection can turn into divine wrath.

It’s a potent reminder of the dangers of internal corruption and the devastating consequences of following bad advice – even if that advice seems, on the surface, strategically sound. It’s a story of war, justice, and the constant struggle to maintain faith in the face of temptation. And it leaves us pondering: how often do we, individually and collectively, fall prey to the seductive whispers of those who seek to undermine our values?

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Sifrei Bamidbar 157:1Sifrei Bamidbar

Retold in our words. Read the original at the link below.Sifrei by Rabbi Shraga Silverstein · CC-BY

It's a passage that sparks some interesting questions, and the ancient commentary, Sifrei Bamidbar, dives right in.

"And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Take the revenge of the children of Israel…" The Sifrei Bamidbar sees this as evidence of the dedication of Israel's leaders. They wouldn't leave this world without ensuring justice was served, without avenging Israel. But it's more than just revenge for Israel. It’s framed as revenge for the Divine itself, "which is the revenge of Him who spoke and brought the world into being.” The text continues, "…from the Midianites." Now, wait a minute. Were the Midianites really the masterminds behind the plot against Israel? Weren't the Moabites the instigators? After all, as we read in Bamidbar 22:4, "And Moab said to the elders of Midian…" And then again in verse 7, "And the elders of Moab went and the elders of Midian…" So why single out the Midianites for revenge?

The Sifrei Bamidbar offers a fascinating explanation, using a relatable analogy. They can't stand each other. But then, a wolf comes along, eyeing a lamb from their flock. Suddenly, one of the dogs realizes the danger. If he doesn't help the other dog, the wolf will devour the lamb and then come for him next! So, they set aside their differences, form an alliance, and together they fend off the wolf.

The Sifrei Bamidbar tells us that Moab and Midian were like those two sheepdogs. They were constantly at odds. There's even a reference to Bereshit (Genesis) 36:35, which speaks of someone "who smote Midian in the field of Moab." They were enemies! But when it came to making war against Israel, they found common ground. They made peace with each other for that singular, destructive purpose.

So, back to the question: why focus on the Midianites? The Sifrei Bamidbar explains that it was because they "counseled" against Israel. The Hebrew word used here is "midaynin," which connects the Midianites to the act of "inveighing" or speaking out against Israel. It wasn't just about physical warfare, but also about the insidious power of words and influence. The Midianites, even if they weren't the original instigators, played a key role in the plot against Israel, and that's why they were targeted for retribution.

About how even enemies can unite for a common, often destructive, goal. And how sometimes, the real battle isn't fought with swords, but with words. And ultimately, what it truly means to seek justice, and for whom are we truly seeking it.

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