Parasha: Mattot (Tribes) (staff / staves) Mattot means “tribes.” It is a word for “branches”
Torah: B’midbar 30:2 – 32:42
In last week’s Parsha, we learned that when Bilaam was held back from cursing Israel he consulted with Bolek, the king of Moav, to send the Midianite women into the camp of Israel to entice the men to join them in eating forbidden foods and worshipping the baal Peor. The result of these atrocities was the death of twenty four thousand Israelites.
Now Israel is about to strike back. Here is how it went down:
1 And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 2 Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shall you be gathered to your people. 3 And Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Arm some of yourselves to the war, and let them go against the Midianites, and avenge Avinu of Midian. 4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall you send to the war. 5 So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war. 6 And Moshe sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe, them and Pinkas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy instruments, and the trumpets to blow in his hand.
7 And they warred against the Midianites, as Avinu commanded Moshe; and they slew all the males. 8 And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain; namely, Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian: Bilam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. 9 And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captives, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods. 10 And they burnt all their cities wherein they dwelled, and all their goodly castles, with fire. 11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.
12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moshe, and Eleazar the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Israel, to the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by Jordan near Jericho. (B’midbar 31:1-12)
Among the booty taken from Midian were the virgin women. Here is what we learned about them:
And thirty two thousand persons in all, of women that had not known man by lying with him. (B’midbar 31:35)
Israel lost approximately twenty four thousand persons, mostly men in the baal peor incident. After destroying Midian, they brought with them approximately thirty two thousand Midianite women into their ranks.
Also, when they counted the troops that returned they were pleased to find out that they had not lost even one person in the battle.
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