share torah logo

Numbers 31:14 - Anger over war's moral failures?

Numbers 31:14 - במדבר 31:14

Hebrew Text

וַיִּקְצֹף מֹשֶׁה עַל פְּקוּדֵי הֶחָיִל שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת הַבָּאִים מִצְּבָא הַמִּלְחָמָה׃

English Translation

And Moshe was angry with the officers of the host, the captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.

Transliteration

Vayiktzof Moshe al pkudei hechayil sarei ha'alafim v'sarei hameot habaim mitzva hamilchama.

Hebrew Leining Text

וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּקוּדֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל שָׂרֵ֤י הָאֲלָפִים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י הַמֵּא֔וֹת הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְּבָ֥א הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃
וַיִּקְצֹ֣ף מֹשֶׁ֔ה עַ֖ל פְּקוּדֵ֣י הֶחָ֑יִל שָׂרֵ֤י הָאֲלָפִים֙ וְשָׂרֵ֣י הַמֵּא֔וֹת הַבָּאִ֖ים מִצְּבָ֥א הַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃

🎵 Listen to leining

Parasha Commentary

Context of the Verse

The verse (Bamidbar 31:14) describes Moshe's anger toward the military officers who returned from the battle against Midian. This follows the command to wage war against Midian for their role in leading Bnei Yisrael astray through the incident of Ba'al Pe'or (Bamidbar 25:16-18).

Reason for Moshe's Anger

Rashi explains that Moshe was angry because the officers spared the Midianite women, who were the primary instigators of the sin at Ba'al Pe'or. The Torah (Bamidbar 31:16) later clarifies that it was these women who, following Bilaam's counsel, caused Bnei Yisrael to stray. The officers failed to fully carry out Hashem's command to eliminate this source of spiritual corruption.

Halachic Implications

The Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 6:4) derives from this incident that when waging a milchemet mitzvah (obligatory war), one must follow the Torah's directives precisely. The officers' failure to eliminate the women demonstrated a lack of zeal in fulfilling a divine commandment, warranting Moshe's rebuke.

Spiritual Dimension

The Midrash Tanchuma (Matot 3) emphasizes that Moshe's anger stemmed from concern for the spiritual welfare of Klal Yisrael. By sparing those who caused moral corruption, the officers endangered the nation's spiritual purity. This teaches that leadership requires vigilance against influences that could lead the people astray.

Leadership Lessons

  • Moshe's reaction demonstrates that leaders must hold subordinates accountable for properly executing divine commands.
  • The incident shows the importance of understanding the deeper purpose behind mitzvot - the officers focused on the military victory while neglecting the spiritual objective.
  • As noted by the Sforno, proper leadership requires both physical and spiritual discernment in carrying out missions.

📚 Talmud Citations

This verse is not quoted in the Talmud.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why was Moshe angry with the officers after the battle?
A: Moshe was angry because the officers allowed the Midianite women to live, despite these women being the cause of Israel's earlier sin with idolatry (as described in Numbers 25). Rashi explains that Moshe rebuked them for not following Hashem's command fully, as these women had led Bnei Yisrael astray.
Q: What can we learn from Moshe's reaction in this verse?
A: We learn the importance of carrying out Hashem's commandments completely and not making compromises when it comes to spiritual dangers. The Rambam teaches that zeal for Hashem's honor must be balanced with wisdom, but negligence in matters that can lead to sin is unacceptable.
Q: Who were the 'officers of the host' mentioned in this verse?
A: The 'officers of the host' (פְּקוּדֵי הֶחָיִל) were the military leaders appointed over groups of thousands and hundreds. The Talmud (Yoma 22b) explains that these were righteous men chosen for their leadership, which makes Moshe's anger more striking - even good leaders can sometimes fail in their duties.
Q: How does this verse relate to Jewish leadership today?
A: This teaches that Jewish leaders must be vigilant in protecting the community from spiritual harm. The Midrash Tanchuma explains that leaders bear responsibility for those under their care. Today, rabbis and community leaders learn from this that they must sometimes make difficult decisions to safeguard Jewish values.
Q: What was the battle mentioned in this verse about?
A: This refers to the battle against Midian commanded in Numbers 31:2 as retribution for the incident at Baal Peor (Numbers 25), where Midianite women led Israel into idolatry. The Sforno explains that this was a defensive war to eliminate a continuing spiritual threat to the Jewish people.