Chasidut for Numbers 31:3
וַיְדַבֵּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־הָעָ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר הֵחָלְצ֧וּ מֵאִתְּכֶ֛ם אֲנָשִׁ֖ים לַצָּבָ֑א וְיִהְיוּ֙ עַל־מִדְיָ֔ן לָתֵ֥ת נִקְמַת־יְהוָ֖ה בְּמִדְיָֽן׃
And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: ‘Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD’S vengeance on Midian.
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 31,3. “Moses spoke to the people, saying: “let men be picked from among you for a campaign, and let them fall upon Midian to wreak G’d’s vengeance on Midian.”
When someone goes out into battle fully trusting in the Lord to help him (believing his cause to be just) he will surely succeed, as he does not engage in battle for his own sake but is concerned exclusively with carrying out G’d’s will. Our verse therefore has to be understood as follows: “let the men to be picked for the army be those who will not engage in the battle for their own sake, i.e. with a view to the booty to be gained, but who do so only in order to be the vehicle for G’d’s vengeance on Midian.”...
When someone goes out into battle fully trusting in the Lord to help him (believing his cause to be just) he will surely succeed, as he does not engage in battle for his own sake but is concerned exclusively with carrying out G’d’s will. Our verse therefore has to be understood as follows: “let the men to be picked for the army be those who will not engage in the battle for their own sake, i.e. with a view to the booty to be gained, but who do so only in order to be the vehicle for G’d’s vengeance on Midian.”...
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