Parshanut for Numbers 31:2
נְקֹ֗ם נִקְמַת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מֵאֵ֖ת הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים אַחַ֖ר תֵּאָסֵ֥ף אֶל־עַמֶּֽיךָ׃
’Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.’
Meshekh Chokhmah
Afterward you shall be gathered to your people. If the war with Midian took place after Moshe’s death, people would say it was not during Moshe’s lifetime because he flattered them, since he was the son-in-law of Yisro and dwelled in Midian for many years. Therefore, Moshe had to take revenge before his death.
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