It happened to the Israelites.

The story goes that Moses, ever faithful, prepared to lead them into battle against Midian. But the people… well, they weren't so enthusiastic.

According to Legends of the Jews, as retold by Louis Ginzberg, Moses, disregarding the potential personal cost, "gladly went into battle." But the Israelites? They remembered Moses once saying, "They be almost ready to stone me!" (Exodus 17:4). And now, hearing that their leader, their rebbe, was going to die at the end of this war, they balked. They preferred to forego victory itself rather than lose Moses.

Can you blame them?

Each person, Ginzberg tells us, hid, hoping to avoid being chosen for war. So, what did God do? He instructed Moses to cast lots – a method of divination, like drawing straws – to decide who would fight. Those chosen by lot had no choice but to answer the call, even against their own desires.

And what was Moses's call to arms? "Arm ye men from among you for the war, to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian." It sounds straightforward, right? A divine mission. But here's where it gets interesting.

Moses spoke of the Lord's revenge. But God saw it differently. He designated the war against Midian as Israel's revenge. Why the discrepancy?

Moses, ever the advocate for his people, explained to God: "Lord of the world! If we had worshipped the stars and planets, the Midianites should not have hated us. They hate us only on account of the Torah and the commandments that Thou hast given us, hence must Thou avenge Thyself of them."

In other words, Moses believed that the Midianites' hatred stemmed directly from Israel's devotion to God and His teachings. The animosity wasn't about them as a people, but about their faith. Therefore, the revenge wasn't theirs to take; it was God's.

It's a powerful moment, isn't it? Moses, even in the face of war, is concerned with the why of it all. He understands that this conflict is about more than just territory or power. It's about faith, identity, and the relationship between God and His people.

So, who was right? Was it Israel's revenge or God's? Perhaps it was both. Perhaps the line between the two is blurrier than we think. After all, aren't our struggles, in some way, always intertwined with the Divine? And isn't it our responsibility to find the holy spark, even in the midst of war?