Мидраш к Бамидбар 25:17

(Fol. 38) When the daughter of R. Samuel b. Juda died, one of the Rabbis said to Ulla: "Let us go and console him." He said to them: "What have I to do with the consolation of a Babylonian, for it may turn into a blasphemy, as they are in the habit of saying in such cases. What can be done? [against the will of God,] which means that if something could be done against His will they would, [and this is certainly a blasphemy]. He then went alone, and he began his consolation on the following passage: (Deut. 2, 9) And the Lord said unto me. Do not attack the Moabites, nor contend with them in battle. Could it, then, even enter Moses' mind to engage in war without the consent of the Lord. But Moses drew an a fortiori conclusion for himself, saying thust: 'If concerning the Midianites who only came to help the Moabites the Scripture says [Num. 15, 17) Attack the Midianites, and smite them, how much more so should (Ib. b) it be applied to the Moabites themselves?' The Holy One, praised be He! then said: 'Not as it struck your mind, did it strike Mine. Two good doves I have to bring forth from them; namely, Ruth the Moabite, and Naomi the Ammonite.' Now is there not a fortiori conclusion to be drawn? If for two good doves the Holy One, praised be He! has saved two great nations and did not destroy them, how much more so would He have saved the life of the master's daughter if she were to be righteous and something good would have to come forth from her!"

4 (Numb. 25:17) “Harass the Midianites”: Why? (As in Numb. 25:18,) “Because they are harassing you.” Hence the sages have said, “If someone comes to kill you, act first to kill him.”⁷Ber. 62b; Sanh. 72a. R. Simeon says, “Whoever causes a person to sin is worse than the one who kills him. Because whoever kills [a person] kills him in this world, but he [still] has a share in the world to come. However, the one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and for the world to come. Two peoples encountered Israel with the sword, and two with sin: The Egyptians and the Edomites with the sword. [Thus it is stated (of the Egyptians] (in Exod. 15:9), “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will empty my sword.’” [And Edom did the same, as stated] (in Numb. 20:18), “But Edom said unto him, ‘You shall not pass through me, or else I will come out to meet you with the sword.’” Moreover, two [peoples encountered them] with sin, the Moabites and the Ammonites. Concerning the ones who encountered them with the sword, it is written (in Deut. 23:8), “You shall not abhor an Edomite …; you shall not abhor an Egyptian.” But concerning the ones who encountered them with sin to cause Israel to sin, it is stated (according to Deut. 23:4), “No Ammonite or Moabite shall come into [the assembly of the Lord] even to the tenth generation, forever.”

5 (Numb. 25:17) “Harass the Midianites”: Even though I have written (in Deut. 20:10), “When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, you shall offer terms of peace (shalom) unto it”; however, in regard to these [peoples] you shall not do this; (according to Deut. 23:7), “You shall not seek their welfare (shalom) and benefit.” You find that the one who came to them with the trait of mercy, in the end came to disgrace, war and distress. And who [was that]? David, as stated (in II Sam. 10:2), “David said, ‘I will do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You are transgressing My word, as I wrote (in Deut. 23:7), ‘You shall not seek their welfare and benefit,’ and you are doing acts of kindness with them? (Eccl. 7:12) ‘Do not be greatly righteous,’ such that a man should not forego [what is written in] the Torah. And this one is sending [word] to console the Children of Ammon and to do kindness and good to him?” And in the end, he came to disgrace [as stated] (in II Sam. 10:4), “So Hanun seized David’s courtiers, clipped off one side of their beards and cut away half of their garments at the buttocks, and sent them off.” And he came to war with four nations: Aram-Naharayim, with the kings of Zova, with the kings of Maakha and with Children of Ammon. And it is written (about this in II Sam. 10:9), “Joab saw that there was a battle line against him [both front and rear].” What caused this to David? That he sought to do good to those about whom the Holy One, blessed be He, told him, “You shall not seek their welfare.” Hence it is written (Numb. 25:17), “Harass the Midianites.”