Midrash sobre Números 25:6

Another comment on He knoweth base men: This alludes to Leah. After the Holy One, blessed be He, decided to give her sons, the guardian angels said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Will you give sons to such a woman? Twenty-four thousand people will perish because of Zimri, one of her descendants.⁶Because of Zimri’s relations with Cozbi the Moabitess, twenty-four thousand were slain (Num. 25:6–8, 14–15). See Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews 3:220. She is a virtuous woman, replied the Holy One, blessed be He, and I will not deprive her of her sons (because of future generations). Hence Scripture states: For He knoweth base men. And therefore, it is said: And the Lord saw that Leah was hated.

24 (Numb. 25:6) “Just then one of the Children of Israel came and brought [a Midianite woman] unto his brothers [before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel]”: What reason was there for him doing so? [The incident serves] to teach you that he had respect neither for Heaven nor for mortals. It is stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24), “An insolent⁷³Heb.: Zed. and arrogant one, scorner is his name; [he acts with arrogant wantonness].” She said to him, “I am surrendering to no one but Moses, as so did my father, Balak, command me, to only surrender to Moses, your leader, since my father is a king” He said to her. “See that I am as great as he is, and [to show you,] I am bringing you before his eyes.” [Then] he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him, “Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden?” He said to him, “She is forbidden to you.” Zimri said [back] to him, “But that one that you took [as a wife] is a Midianite!” Immediately Moses’ hands weakened and the ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6), “they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” Why were they weeping? Because they became weak at that time. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy [and] for sitting in the [bridal] palanquin.⁷⁴Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her father and her kinsfolk became weak. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years (as in Numb. 33:49), “they had camped by the Jordan from Beth-jeshimoth as far as Abel-shittimn on the plains of Moab, and there they became lawless through unchastity. And they weakened Moses and the righteous who were with him, and they were crying. See that [Moses] had [previously] stood up to six hundred thousand [men] with the [golden] calf, as stated (Exod. 32:20), “And he took the calf that they had made.” And [now] he weakened? It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because [Moses] had been indolent [in the execution of justice], (according to Deut. 34:6) “no one knows his burial place.” [This fact serves] to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator. From here you learn that the Holy One, blessed be He, is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.

25 (Numb. 25:7) “When Phinehas [ben Eleazar ben Aaron the priest] saw”: But did they all not see it? And is it not written (in vs. 6), “before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel?” It is simply that when he saw the deed, he remembered the ruling (halakhah); that one who cohabits with an Aramean woman will have zealots strike him down. (Numb. 25:7, cont.) “He arose from the midst of the congregation”: From where did he stand up? It is simply that, while they were involved in give and take on the matter of whether or not [the culprit] was liable for death, that man (Phinehas) stood up from the midst of the congregation and volunteered [to carry out the sentence]. (Numb. 25:7, cont.) “And [he] took a spear in his hand”: He put the iron prong in his hand, which he put in his bosom. Then he began [to approach] leaning on the wood like a staff,⁷⁵I.e., with the iron prong hidden, the spear shaft seemed like a mere staff. because he was afraid of [the culprit's] tribe, as they surrounded him. When he reached them, they said to him, “Why have you come?” He said to them, “I also have come to fulfill my needs.” So they gave him permission, and he entered. For otherwise they would not have given him permission. (Numb. 25:8) “Then he went after the man of Israel into the tent, [and pierced both of them]”: He pierced both of them, the one on top of the other, through the unclean place (i.e., the private parts) of the both of them; lest Israel say there was no defilement there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. And twelve miracles occurred for him: The first miracle is that it is common that they would separate one from the other, but the angel adhered them together. The second miracle is that the angel closed their mouths that they not yell out. The third miracle is that [Phinehas was able to] direct [the spear precisely so that] the male genitals of [Zimri] were visible in the genitals of [Cozbi]; because they would have [otherwise] said, “[Phinehas] also went in and fulfilled his needs.” The fourth is that the iron expanded so that he could stab both of them. The fifth is that [the angel] gave him strength in his arm to raise both of them up. The sixth is that there was strength in the pole [of the spear] to lift both of them up. The seventh is that [Zimri and Cozbi] did not fall from the spear, but stayed in their place. The eighth is that the angel raised them up in the manner [of intercourse] on top of the spear for all to see their disgrace. The ninth is that they did not trickle blood, so that Phinehas would not become impure. The tenth is that the Holy One, blessed be He, kept their spirit [alive] so that he would not become impure. The eleventh is that the angel raised the lintel of the house chamber so that both of them would come out suspended in front of the eyes of everyone. The twelfth is when all the members of his tribe were ready to strike him down, an angel went down and smote them before him. When Phinehas saw that [the Holy One, blessed be He,] sought to destroy them, he struck [Zimri and Cozbi] on the ground. When he arose and prayed, [the plague] was removed. That is what is written (in Ps. 106:30), “Then Phinehas arose and interceded,”⁷⁶The verse continues: AND THE PLAGUE WAS STOPPED. in that he gave the judicial verdict (din). Interceded (rt.: pll) can only denote a judicial verdict (din), since it is stated (in reference to making a reparation Exod. 21:22), “and he shall pay as the judges (rt.: pll) determine.” (Numb. 25:9) “And those who died from the plague […]”: [This is] to inform you that, on every occasion when they fell, they were numbered. There is a parable about a wolf who fell upon a flock of sheep. The owner of the sheep said to the shepherd, “Count how many were lost.” [This] is to inform you how much unchastity distances [from God]; as this was [just one] individual, and [yet] twenty-four thousand fell on his account. This is related to (in Prov. 16:14), “The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man can appease it, etc.” There is a parable about a king who was passing by when a group of youths were standing in front of him. [When] one of them cursed him, the king was filled with anger against [all of] them. [Then] one of them came and socked the one who cursed the king, [and] the king’s anger was immediately subdued. So too, who caused the Holy One, blessed be He, to go back from His anger and not to destroy all of Israel? One would say it was Phinehas. Ergo, “but a wise man can appease it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “In this world it is on account of gross misconduct that they were counted; but in the world to come (according to Hos. 2:1), “The number of the Children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered.” Amen, may it be [His] will.

(Numb. 25:6:) JUST THEN ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME AND BROUGHT A MIDIANITE WOMAN UNTO HIS FAMILY < BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. What reason was there for him doing so?¹²¹Tanh., 7:20; Numb. R. 20:24. <The incident serves> to teach you that he had respect neither for heaven nor for mortals. It is also stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24): AN INSOLENT¹²²Heb.: Zed. Cf. above, Lev. 3:7, which argues that this word implies idolatry and the uncovering of nakedness. AND ARROGANT ONE, SCORNER IS HIS NAME; HE ACTS WITH ARROGANT WANTONNESS. Because <the woman> was a king's daughter, she said to him: I am surrendering to no one but Moses or Eleazar. He said to her: I also am as great as they are, in that I bring you before their eyes. <Then> he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him: Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden? Now if you say that she is forbidden, <because> this woman is a Midianite, <remember that> the very woman who is under you (as your wife) is a Midianite; and who permitted you to have her? The ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6): <BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, > AS THEY WERE WEEPING AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. Why were they weeping? Because they were discouraged for the time being. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy <and> for sitting in the <bridal> palanquin.¹²³Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her beloved and her kinsfolk became discouraged. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years they had camped by the Jordan to cross into the land of Israel, and there they became lawless through whoredom. They made Moses discouraged and the righteous who were with him. But why did the ruling (halakhah) slip from his mind? It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because <Moses> had been indolent (in the execution of justice), (according to Deut. 34:6) NO ONE KNOWS HIS BURIAL PLACE. <This fact serves> to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator that <dwells> in the heavens. Moreover, from here you learn that the Holy One is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.