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Why does Pinchas take revenge specifically against Midian for selling Yosef, when other nations also participated in the sale? The Midianites weren't just slave traders—they introduced Yosef into the sex trade, identifying his potential value as a sex object rather than merely a slave. This mirrors their current sin of seducing Jewish men with arayos, making Pinchas's revenge precisely targeted.
The shiur addresses a fundamental question raised by Rashi (רש"י): why is Pinchas specifically chosen to lead the war against Midian, and why does the Torah (תורה) frame this as revenge for the sale of Yosef (Mechiras Yosef)? This seems puzzling for several reasons: multiple nations participated in Yosef's sale (including the Ishmaelites), the sale happened centuries earlier, and if revenge for the sale was the motivation, why target only Midian? Rabbi Zweig develops a novel understanding based on the Torah's specific terminology. The Torah uniquely calls the Midianites "sochrim" (businessmen/traders), a term not applied to the other participants in Yosef's sale. This linguistic precision reveals their distinct role. While the Ishmaelites were merely transporters bringing goods from one location to another, and others were simple buyers and sellers, true "sochrim" are businesspeople who identify profitable angles and opportunities.
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Parshas Matos - War against Midian
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Why didn't Noach daven for his generation while Avrohom advocated for Sedom? Noach viewed each person as an independent island responsible only for their own teshuvah. Avrohom understood that all humanity is interconnected through shared perspective and values, making prayer for others both possible and necessary.
