Мидраш к Бамидбар 31:3

(Numb. 31:2) “Exact vengeance [for the Children of Israel on the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered unto your people]”: R. Judah said, “If Moses had wanted to live for several [more] years, he could have remained alive; as the Holy One, blessed be He, had made his death dependent upon the vengeance against Midian. It is simply to show you the praise of Moses, as he said, ‘For the sake of my remaining alive, I shall delay the Children of Israel's vengeance on Midian?’ [Rather] immediately (in vs. 3), ‘Moses spoke unto the people, saying, “Arm some of your number (anashim) for the army, and let them fall on Midian.”’” [The word,] anashim, [implies that they were] righteous. So also elsewhere (in Exod. 17:9), “Choose anashim for us.”³Here also, as in Numb. 31:3, anashim implies that those chosen were righteous. And so too (in Job 4:13), “in the falling of slumber upon anashim.” (Numb. 31:3, cont.) “To render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian”: The Holy One, blessed be He, had said (in vs. 2), “the vengeance of the Children of Israel”; but Moses says (here in vs. 3), “the vengeance of the Lord.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “It is your judgment that is called for, because they caused Me to harm you.” [But] Moses said, “Master of the world, if we had been uncircumcised or practitioners of star worship or had denied [the binding force of] the commandments, they would not have persecuted us. But [they have done so precisely] because of the Torah and commandments which You have given. The vengeance, therefore, is Yours,” (as in Numb. 31:3), “to render the vengeance of the Lord against Midian.”