Powtórzonego Prawa 2:26 Midrasz: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Devarim Rabbah & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” This text is related (to Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Whatever is written in the Torah is written to [establish] peace. Although wars are written about in the Torah, they are written about for the sake of peace. You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, cancelled the decree [of utter destruction (herem)] for the sake of peace. When? When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Deut. 20:19), “When you besiege a city a long time.” Now concerning that whole matter, the Holy One, blessed be He, had said that he should destroy them, as stated (above in vs. 17), “No, you shall utterly destroy them.” However, Moses did not do so. Rather he said, “Am I to go and smite who has sinned and who has not sinned? Instead, let me come against them in peace, as stated (in Deut. 2:26-27), “Then I sent messengers from the Desert of Kedemoth [unto King Sihon of Heshbon] with words of peace […]. I will traverse your land.” When he saw that he did not come in peace, he smote him, as stated (in Numb. 21:35), “So they smote him, his children, and all his people.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I Myself told you (in Deut. 20:17), ‘No, you shall utterly destroy them,’ but you did not do this. By your life, just as you have said, so will I do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 20:10), “When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, you shall offer terms of peace unto it.” Therefore, it is so stated (in Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”

(Lev. 7:11) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SACRIFICE FOR PEACE OFFERINGS. This text is related (to Prov. 3:17): < WISDOM'S > WAYS ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE. Whatever is written in the Torah is written {as an expression of} [to establish] peace.²⁵Tanh., Lev. 2:3. Although wars are written about in the Torah, they are written about for the sake of peace. You find that the Holy One cancelled the decree < of utter destruction (herem) > for the sake of peace. When? When the Holy One said to Moses (in Deut. 20:19): WHEN YOU BESIEGE A CITY A LONG TIME…., < YOU SHALL NOT DESTROY ITS TREES…. > Now concerning that whole matter, the Holy One had said that he would destroy them, as stated (above in vs. 17): NO, YOU SHALL UTTERLY DESTROY THEM. However, Moses did not do so. Rather he said: Am I to go and smite them now? I do not know who has sinned and who has not sinned. Instead, let me come against them in peace, as stated (in Deut. 2:26): THEN I SENT MESSENGERS FROM THE DESERT OF KEDEMOTH < UNTO KING SIHON OF HESHBON > WITH WORDS OF PEACE, SAYING: < …. > When he saw that he did not come in peace, he smote him, as stated (in Numb. 21:35): SO THEY SMOTE HIM, HIS CHILDREN, AND ALL HIS PEOPLE. The Holy One said to him: I myself told you (in Deut. 20:17): NO, YOU SHALL UTTERLY DESTROY THEM…. Now you have come to them in Peace. By your life, just as you have said, so will I do. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 20:10): WHEN YOU DRAW NEAR UNTO A CITY TO FIGHT AGAINST IT, YOU SHALL OFFER TERMS OF PEACE UNTO IT. Therefore, it is so stated (in Prov. 3:17): < WISDOM'S > WAYS ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE.

Another matter, “when you approach a city” – this is what the verse said: “You will utter a decree, and it will become fulfilled for you…” (Job 22:28). The Rabbis said: This verse is speaking about the time when the Holy One blessed be He became angry at Israel regarding the [Golden] Calf. The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “I will smite them with pestilence and destroy them” (Numbers 14:12). What is meant by “I will smite them with pestilence [dever] and I will destroy them”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘What do you think, that I need swords and spears with which to kill them? Just as I created My world with a word [davar], as it is stated: “By the word of [dvar] the Lord were the heavens made; by the breath of His mouth, all their hosts” (Psalms 33:6), so I will do to them; I will pronounce a word [davar] from My mouth and kill them.’ That is, “I will smite them with pestilence [dever] and I will destroy them.”
Another interpretation, what is meant by “I will…destroy them” [veorishenu]? He [God] said to him: ‘I will bequeath [morish] them to you, and I will produce others out of you.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “And I will render you a great nation” (Numbers 14:12). When Moses heard this, he began asking for mercy on their behalf. What did Moses say at that time? “That with their very eyes, You, the Lord, were seen” (Numbers 14:14). What is meant by “with their very eyes [ayin be’ayin]”? Rav Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish: Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, Your attribute of justice is evenly balanced [me’uyan] on the scales. [On the one hand] You say: “I will smite them with pestilence,” but I say: “Please pardon”’ (Numbers 14:19). He said to Him [further]: ‘The matter is balanced, we will see who prevails – You, the Lord; or I.’ Rabbi Berekhya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, you have nullified Mine [My decree], and yours has been maintained.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “The Lord said: I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20). That is, “you will utter a decree, and it will become fulfilled for you…”
Another interpretation, “you will utter a decree ” – Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Everything that Moses decreed, the Holy One blessed be He agreed with him. How is this so? The Holy One blessed be He did not tell him to break the Tablets; Moses went and shattered them on his own. From where is it derived that the Holy One blessed be He agreed with him? It is as it is written: “[The Tablets] that you shattered [asher shibarta]” (Exodus 34:1) – more [yishar] power to you that you have shattered them. The Holy One blessed be He told him to wage war with Siḥon, as it is stated: “Provoke war against him” (Deuteronomy 2:24). But he did not do so. Instead, “I sent messengers [from the wilderness of Kedemot to Siḥon, king of Ḥeshbon, with words of peace]” (Deuteronomy 2:26). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘This is what I said to you, to wage war against him, but you started off with an offer of peace. By your life, I will fulfill your decree: Every war that they wage, they shall start off only with an offer of peace,’ as it is stated: “When you approach a city…”