Following the pestilence, God instructs Moses and Elazar, the son of Aaron the priest, to take a census. A head count of the entire Israelite community, specifically those twenty years old and above, all who were fit for military service. Why? To rebuild, to regroup, to understand the strength that remained.
And so, Moses and Elazar meticulously numbered the children of Israel according to their families. The count? A formidable seven hundred thousand, seven hundred and thirty. But within this number lies a somber truth. The Book of Jasher tells us that the tribe of Levi, counted separately from one month old and upward, numbered twenty-three thousand. However, none of those originally counted by Moses and Aaron in the wilderness of Sinai remained among them.
Why? Because, as the text reminds us, God had decreed that that generation would die in the wilderness. Only Caleb, the son of Jephuneh, and Joshua, the son of Nun, survived. A stark reminder of mortality and divine decree.
But life, as it always does, moved on. After this accounting, God commands Moses to avenge the children of Israel upon Midian for what they had done to their brethren. What was this offense? Sadly, the Book of Jasher doesn't specify it here.
Moses, ever obedient, carries out the divine command. Twelve thousand men are chosen – a thousand from each tribe – and sent to Midian. The Israelites wage war, slaying every male, including the five princes of Midian. And, in a rather infamous detail, they also slay Balaam, the son of Beor, with the sword. That's right, the same Balaam from the Book of Numbers who was hired to curse Israel, but ended up blessing them instead! (Numbers 22-24)
The Israelites then take the wives and children of Midian captive, along with their cattle and possessions. They gather all the spoil and prey, bringing it back to Moses and Elazar in the plains of Moab. Moses and Elazar, along with all the princes of the congregation, go out to meet them, rejoicing.
Finally, the spoil of Midian is divided. Justice, or perhaps more accurately, revenge, has been served. The children of Israel have avenged their brethren.
What are we to make of this? The Book of Jasher presents a straightforward narrative of divine command, obedience, and retribution. A reminder of the cycles of violence, and the enduring need for leadership, community and rememberance after loss. It leaves us pondering the complexities of justice, and the echoes of the past that continue to shape the present.