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Why did Pinchas leave the Midianite women alive during the war of revenge? The shiur distinguishes between nikmas Hashem (ה׳) (measured divine justice against actual aggressors) and nikmas Bnei Yisrael (complete elimination due to internal weakness). When we have spiritual vulnerabilities, self-restriction becomes necessary regardless of the other party's actual guilt.
The shiur examines the war against Midian as Moshe's final military act, focusing on the apparent miscommunication between Hashem (ה׳)'s command and Moshe's instructions. Hashem tells Moshe to take "nikmas Bnei Yisrael" (revenge of Israel) against Midian, but Moshe tells the army to take "nikmas Hashem" (revenge of Hashem). Rabbi Zweig explores why Pinchas, despite being a kanai who understood the severity of the Midianite threat, failed to kill the women and incurred Moshe's rebuke. The analysis reveals two distinct types of revenge. Nikmas Hashem represents measured divine justice, targeting only the actual perpetrators - in this case, the Midianite men who orchestrated the plan to ensnare Israel through their women. This type of revenge follows the model of the Egyptian plagues, where only the bechorim (firstborn) and those in power who actually oppressed Israel were targeted, not the entire population.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Matos 31:1-18
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