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Why did Hashem (ה׳) tell Moshe he would die after the war against Midian? This war was uniquely called "revenge" - requiring total identification with Hashem to restore Jewish dignity. The intervening laws (vows, tribal counts) weren't interruptions but prerequisites, elevating the people to act as God's representatives in this deeply personal victory.
Rabbi Zweig explores a fundamental question: why did Hashem (ה׳) inform Moshe that he would die immediately after the war against Midian? This seemingly cruel revelation appears unnecessary and psychologically harmful to both Moshe and the Jewish people, who had to be forcibly drafted because they didn't want Moshe to die. The shiur introduces a crucial distinction between regular warfare and revenge. While normal wars involve Divine judgment against wrongdoers, revenge is deeply personal - it requires the victim to achieve personal victory over the attacker to restore their dignity. True revenge can only be executed by someone totally identified with the victim, not by a third party. This explains why Moshe couldn't lead this particular war despite leading the war against Egypt - because he had benefited from Midian during his years there, preventing him from having a personal victory over them.
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Parshas Matos 31:1-6
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