## Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar

###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:2:1)

**נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים אחר תאסף אל עמיך.** שאיני מתחרט משבועתי שנשבעתי (שם) לכן לא תביאו, לכך נסמכה לפרשה נדרי הדיוט שהוא מתחרט.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים, אחר תאסף לעמיך, “take vengeance for the Children of Israel from the Midianites; after that you will be gathered in to your people.” G’d told Moses that He did not reconsider His oath that Moses and Aaron would not lead the people into the Holy Land because they had failed to sanctify His name, etc. The above consideration is the reason why the Torah wrote this paragraph in conjunction with that describing that the privately made vows and oaths of individuals are subject to annulment.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:2:2)

**אחר תאסף.** יש אומרים תראה ותשמח בנקמת אויביך. ואמרו במדרש הקב"ה אמר **נקמת בני ישראל** ומשה אמר **נקמת ה'**, אמר לו משה להקב"ה, רבש"ע אלו היינו ערלים או עובדי ע"ז לא היו שונאין אותנו, ועל מה שונאין אותנו בשביל התורה והמצות שנתת לנו, הנקמה שלך, ולכך אמר לתת נקמת ה' במדין, שהעומד כנגד ישראל כאלו עומד נגד הקב"ה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אחר תאסף, “after (that) you will be gathered in, etc.” Some commentators, such as Nachmanides, see in this a promise that Moses will live to see and enjoy the revenge on his enemies. Tanchuma Mattot 3 points out that whereas the Torah (G’d) speaks of a vengeance for Israel, Moses in turn speaks about a vengeance for G’d when he tells the Israelites the purpose of the punitive campaign against Midian in verse 3. Moses is quoted (by the Midrash) as saying to G’d: “O Lord if we had been uncircumcised, or even circumcised but worshipping idols, the Midianites would not have hated us. Why then do they hate us? Because of the Torah and the commandments which You have given to us. Therefore it is Your vengeance.” The concept behind all this is that anyone who attacks the Jewish people actually aims at the G’d of the Jewish people and uses the Jewish people as G’d’s alter-ego.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:3
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:2:3)

**מאת המדינים.** והלא המואבים היו תחלה בדבר שנאמר (שם כב) וילכו זקני מואב וזקני מדין, אלא שהמואבים לא נכנסו לדבר אלא מחמת יראה שנאמר (שם) ויגר מואב מפני העם, שלא יהיו שוללין אותן, שלא נאמר אלא (דברים ב׳:ט׳) ואל תתגר בם מלחמה, אבל מדינים נתעברו על ריב לא להם, ועוד שעתיד דוד לצאת מרות המואביה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
מאת המדינים, “from the Midianites.” Why single out the Midianites? Did not the Moabites initiate the whole scheme of cursing the Jewish people and, when that failed, the seduction by their women as we know from Numbers 22,7 and 25,1? The fact is that whatever the Moabites did was prompted by a genuine fear of the Israelites as reported in the Torah in detail in Numbers 22,3. After all, although G’d had told the Jewish people not to harass and make war against the Moabites, this did not preclude them from robbing their belongings, etc. The Midianites, however, had gotten involved in an argument which did not concern them at all. The Jewish people had no designs on their country and posed no threat to them. Furthermore, [Moab is not specified] because King David is a descendant of theirs.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:3:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:3:1)

**החלצו מאתכם.** חגרו חלוציכם, אע"פ ששמע שמיתתו תלויה בדבר לא עכב. ואמרו במדרש יהושע לא עשה כן, כשבא להלחם על ל"א מלכים אמר אם אני הורגם מיד אני מת, כשם שאירע למשה מיד כשנצח מלכי מדין, מה עשה התחיל באחד ומעכב במלחמתו שנאמר (יהושע יא) ימים רבים עשה יהושע את כל המלכים האלה מלחמה, אמר לו הקב"ה וכך עשית, אני מקצר שנותיך עשר שנים, שראוי היה לחיות ק"כ שנה כמשה רבינו ע"ה ולא חיה כי אם ק"י שנה, הדא הוא דכתיב (משלי יט) רבות מחשבות בלב איש ועצת ה' היא תקום.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
החלצו מאתכם, “mobilize from amongst yourselves, etc.” It is as if Moses had said: “gird your pioneers, your vanguard, (with their swords).” The words used here reflect an eagerness on the part of Moses to discharge his part in this commandment although G’d had told him that its fulfillment would bring about his death shortly thereafter. Tanchuma Mattot 4 points out the contrast between Moses and Joshua in this matter. When Joshua faced 31 Canaanite kings he said to himself: “if I slay them I will die shortly thereafter just as Moses died shortly after the Midianites were defeated.” What did Joshua do? He commenced with attacking one of the Canaanite kings and then delayed following up on his success as we know from Joshua 11,18: “Joshua was engaged for many years in battling all these kings.” When G’d observed this He told him: “because you did this in order to prolong your life I will deduct 10 years from the life span I had allocated to you originally. You should have lived to 120 years as did your teacher Moses. Now you will live to be only 110 years.” This is the meaning of Proverbs 19,21: “Many designs are in a man’s mind, but it is the Lord’s plan that is accomplished.“


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:5:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:5:1)

**וימסרו מאלפי ישראל.** דרשו רז"ל מלמד שנמסרו על כרחם מפני חבתו של משה, לפי שראו שפטירתו של משה תלויה בנקמת מדין.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וימסרו מאלפי ישראל, “they were handed over from amongst the thousands of Israelites, etc.” Our sages in Sifri Mattot 157 comment on this that these men had not volunteered but had been drafted against their will due to their love of Moses; they knew that Moses’ death would result from their waging this war and they did not want to contribute to Moses’ death.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:6:1)

**אותם ואת פינחס.** שהיה שקול כנגד כולן. ולמה הלך הוא ולא הלך אלעזר, אמר הקב"ה מי שהתחיל במצוה גומרה, הוא השיב את חמתי והכה את המדינית הוא יגמור המצוה. אבל משה שנתגדל במדין וישב על הבאר לא הלך, היינו דאמרי אינשי בירא דשתית מניה מיא לא תשדי ביה קלא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אותם ואת פינחס, “they together with Pinchas.” The wording suggests that Pinchas by himself was equal to all of the twelve thousand men in moral/spiritual stature. Why did Pinchas go instead of his father the High Priest Eleazar? G’d had said: “the one who commenced by assuaging My anger and slew the first Midianite (Cosbi) shall complete the task” (Tanchuma Mattot 3). Moses, who had spent many years in Midian which had served as his refuge from Pharaoh after he had slain the Egyptian did not join the campaign so as not to give people an opportunity to say that “he threw stones into the well from which he used to drink.”


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:6:2)

**וכלי הקדש.** זה הארון והציץ. ואמרו במדרש כי מלכי מדין היו עושין כשפים עם בלעם והיו פורחים באויר בראותם המלחמה הזאת, ואמר להם משה לישראל אם תראו אותן עושין כשפים הראו להן את הציץ והן נופלין בארץ, וזה שכתוב ואת מלכי מדין הרגו על חלליהם, שנפלו מן האויר על חללי מדין והרגום, וכן בספר יהושע כתיב (יהושע י״ג:כ״ב) ואת בלעם בן בעור הקוסם הרגו בני ישראל בחרב על חלליהם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וכלי הקודש, “and the holy vessels, etc.” This is a reference to the Holy Ark and the golden headband of the High Priest (Sotah 43). Tanchuma Mattot 5 relates that the Midianites employed all kinds of charms in conjunction with Bileam and that the kings were riding in the air when they saw this war. Moses had told the soldiers that if they noticed that the kings of the Midianites would employ such means against them they should show the ציץ, and the Midianites would immediately fall to the ground. This is the reason that the Torah writes (in verse 8) ואת מלכי מדין הרגו על חלליהם, “and they killed the kings of the Midianites “on, above” with their slain ones.” The Torah means that these kings dropped out of the air on top of the slain Midianites whereupon the Israelites killed them. We find something similar in Joshua 13,22: “together with the others that they slew, the Israelites put Bileam son of Beor, the magician, to the sword.”


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:3
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:6:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:6:3)

**וחצוצרות התרועה בידו.** כשהיו נוסעים היו נוסעים בחצוצרות, וכן כשהיו מתכנסים וכשהיו הולכים למלחמה הכל היה בחצוצרות.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וחצוצרות התרועה בידו, “and the trumpets for blowing teruah in his hand (Pinchas’s).” Whenever the Israelites journeyed they had the trumpets with them. The same applied when they made ready to enter somewhere or to go to war.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:7:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:7:1)

**ויהרגו כל זכר.** הגדולים, כי הטף עם הנשים בזזום.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהרגו כל זכר, “they killed every male,” i.e. the adults. The male children were part of the loot as per verse 9.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:8:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:8:1)

**ואת צור.** אביה של כזבי. **חמשת מלכי מדין.** הוצרך לכתוב חמשת, ללמדך שהשוו חמשתן בעצה אחת לפורענות על ישראל. ובלעם הלך עמהם ליטול שכר העצה שנתן שבשבילה נפלו ארבעה ועשרים אלף מישראל, והיו אומרים לישראל והלא כשהייתם ששים רבוא לא היה בכם כח להלחם והיאך אתם באים עכשיו להלחם בי"ב אלף.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת צור, “and Tzur;” the father of Cozbi חמשת מלכי מדין, “the five kings of Midian.” The reason the Torah wrote the word חמשת מלכי מדין as if mentioning their names did not already tell us that there five such kings, is to tell us that all five were of one mind concerning their hostility against Israel. The construct form חמשת reflected this. The reason that Bileam was there was that he had detoured on his way home, (a long way off from Aram) in order to collect his reward for having been the cause of the 24,000 men of Shimon killed by the plague, Bileam had mocked the Israelites saying: “if you could not go to war against Midian when there were 600,000 of you, how can you now expect to defeat them with only 12,000 men?” He had tried to undermine their self-confidence (compare Tanchuma Mattot 3). [The challenge by Bileam reported here is not found in Tanchuma. Ed.]


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:11:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:11:1)

**ואת כל המלקוח באדם ובבהמה.** כלומר המלקוח שהוא השבי של אדם ובהמה, ובמקום שכתוב שבי אצל מלקוח שבי באדם ומלקוח בבהמה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת כל המלקוח באדם ובבהמה, “and all the captives, humans and animals.” Whenever the Torah does not mention the words שבי and מלקוח separately, the former refers to human captives, the latter to animals captured. When only the expression מלקוח is used it includes both humans and animals. (Rashi and Ibn Ezra).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:12:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:12:1)

**ויביאו אל משה.** מגיד חשיבותם שלא שלחו יד בבזה שלא ברשות, ועליהם נאמר בקבלה (שיר ה) שניך כעדר הרחלים אף אנשי המלחמה שבך כלם צדיקים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויביאו אל משה, “they brought them to Moses.” The Torah compliments the 12,000 men none of whom touched the loot without first having obtained permission to do so. This is what Solomon referred to in Song of Songs 6,6 when he said (concerning the Jewish people) ”your teeth are like a flock of young lambs.” He meant that even the soldiers, i.e. the teeth of the Jewish people are as disciplined as a flock of ewes. They are all righteous (Shir Hashirim Rabbah 4,5).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:14:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:14:1)

**ויקצוף משה על פקודי החיל.** באור פקודי מלשון (ישעיה כד) יפקוד ה'.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויקצוף משה על פקודי החיל, “Moses became angry at the commanders of the troops.” The word פקודי is the same as in Isaiah 24,21 יפקוד ה', “G’d will punish,” as distinct from other meanings of this word, such as “counting.”


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:14:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:14:2)

**שרי האלפים ושרי המאות.** הם קל"ב. ולמדנו שכל סרחון הדור תלוי בגדולים שיש כח בידם למחות ואינם מוחים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
שרי האלפים ושרי המאות, “the chiefs of thousands and the chiefs of hundreds.” A total of 132 men. The verse teaches that misconduct by the common people is always blamed on their leaders, the ones who have the authority and power to stop such misconduct by the people and who fail to do so (Sifri on our verse).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:17:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:17:1)

**וכל אשה יודעת איש למשכב זכר הרגו.** אחר שהתחיל ואמר הרגו כל זכר בטף הוסיף לומר הרגו, והוצרכו שניהם הראשון והשני, אם נאמר הראשון ולא השני הייתי מבין שהפסוק דבק עם שאחריו, ושהמצוה להחיות כל אשה יודעת איש עם הטף בנשים אשר לא ידעו איש, ולכך הוצרך להפסיק ביניהם במלת הרגו, ואם נאמר השני ולא הראשון ושיאמר הכתוב כן ועתה כל זכר בטף וכל אשה יודעת איש למשכב זכר הרגו הייתי מבין שאין המצוה להרוג כל זכר בטף אלא מבן תשע שנים הראוי לביאה דומיא דאשה יודעת איש למשכב זכר, אבל מבן תשע ולמטה שאינו ראוי לביאה אין המצוה להרגו, ולכך הוצרך הראשון שאמר הרגו כל זכר בטף להורות שהמצוה להרוג כל קטנים בזכרים, ואפילו המוטל בעריסה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וכל אשה יודעת איש למשכב זכר הרגו, “and every woman fit to know a man by lying with a male, you shall kill.” After Moses had started by saying: “kill every male minor, he now added separately: “kill the women, etc.” There is a reason that he had to use the word: “kill” twice. If the Torah had only written: “kill every male minor,” I would have thought that the second half of the verse i.e. “all the female minors who have not slept with a man you may let live,” included even females who were old enough to sleep with men but had not done so. In order to avoid such misunderstanding the Torah inserted the word הרגו at the end of verse 17 to separate these two categories of female minors. On the other hand, if the Torah had only written verse 18, the meaning of the instruction would have been: ועתה כל זכר בטף וכל אשה יודעת איש למשכב זכר וגו', “and now every male minor and every female minor old enough to lie with a male, etc.” would have meant that males above the age of nine years (when they are perceived as capable of intercourse) had to be killed. This is why these instructions had to be worded the way they were to avoid misunderstanding. Male children, even if infants, had to be killed (Sifri).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:17:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:17:2)

**ואם**תשאל ותאמר מאין היו יודעים אותם שידעו איש, כך דרשו היו מעבירין אותן לפני הציץ ואותה שידעה איש היו פניה מוריקות, וזהו שאמרו סימן לעברה הדרוקן. ופורענות זו הבאה ע"י הציץ דוקא בעו"א, אבל בנות ישראל ע"י חביות, שכן דרשו רז"ל ביבמות פרק הבא על יבמתו (שופטים כ״א:י״ב) וימצאו מיושבי יבש גלעד ארבע מאות נערה בתולה אשר לא ידעו איש למשכב זכר, מנא ידעי, א"ר כהנא הושיבום על פי חביות של יין, בעולה ריחה נודף, בתולה אין ריחה נודף, ומקשים התם ולעברינהו לפני ציץ, אמר רב כהנא לרצון כתיב (שמות כ״ח:ל״ח) והיה על מצחו תמיד לרצון להם לפני ה', לרצון ולא לפורענות, אי הכי במדין נמי, א"ר אשי להם כתיב, להם לרצון ולא לפורענות, אבל לעו"א אפילו לפורענות.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
You may well ask how the Israelites could determine which child fitted which criterion? We are told in Yevamot 60 that each child walked past the High Priest wearing his golden headband whereupon the faces of the girls who had had sexual experience turned green. This is the reason we were taught that a disease called דרקון is an indication that the afflicted person was an idolater. According to some, examination by walking by the ציץ was effective only for Gentiles, whereas Jewish girls would be seated on a wine casket if one wanted to determine their virginity. If a certain odour would be emitted this was considered proof that the girl in question was not a virgin. Rav Kahane derived the inadmissibility of the ציץ test for Jewish girls from Exodus 28,38 where the Torah describes the function of the golden headband as “it shall be on his forehead (High Priest) always, to bring them favour before Hashem.” The function of the ציץ did not include incriminating Jewish girls. Rav Ashi added that the word להם in that verse extends the beneficial function of said golden headband to Israelites only.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:19:1)

**ואתם חנו מחוץ למחנה.** שלא יכנסו בעזרה, מפני הכבוד השוכן בתוכה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואתם חנו מחוץ למחנה, “as for you, encamp outside the camp, etc.” The returning soldiers were forbidden to enter the courtyard of the Tabernacle in their present condition out of regard for the Shechinah which was present there.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:19:2)

**כל הורג נפש.** ונגע בו על ידי חבור חרב דומיא דנוגע, להוציא הזורק בו חץ והרגו שלא נטמא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כל הורג נפש, “anyone who had killed a person, etc.” it was presumed that he had touched the slain person with his weapon, seeing that the sword confers the same degree of ritual impurity as the corpse itself. The verse therefore excludes people who had killed by shooting arrows and had not subsequently touched the corpse (Sifri Chukat 127).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:3
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:19:3)

**תתחטאו.**במי נדה כדין טמא מת, שאע"פ שהעכו"ם אינם מטמאים באהל מטמאים הם במגע ובמשא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
תתחטאו, “purify yourselves!” By means of the ash of the red cow mixed with the water designated for the procedure. Although Gentiles (their corpses) do not confer ritual impurity on a Jew when both are in the same covered airspace at the same time, contact with the corpse of a Gentile does transfer such impurity.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:4
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:19:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:19:4)

**אתם ושביכם.** לכשיתגיירו ומקבלים טומאה צריכים הזאה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אתם ושביכם, “you and your captives.” When the captives would become proselytes and they become ritually impure they require purification rites including being sprinkled with the ash of the red cow.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:20:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:20:1)

**וכל מעשה עזים.** כלים הנעשים מן הקרנים והטלפים והעצמות, הכל יהיה עמכם עד שתתחטאו.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וכל מעשה עזים, “and everything made of goat’s hair.” This also includes all vessels made from the hooves or the horns or the bones of the animals. All had to stay outside the camp until they had become purified.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:22:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:22:1)

**אך את הזהב.** אע"פ שנטהרו הכלים מטומאת המת עדיין אתם צריכים ליזהר מגעולי עכו"ם להגעיל ולהפליט את הכלים מבליעות נבלות שלהם. ודרשו רז"ל לשון אך שיהיה המתכת כמות שהוא, מלמד שצריך להעביר החלודה שלו קודם שיגעילנו.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אך את הזהב, “However, the gold, etc.” Although these vessels had in the meantime undergone purification from the ritual impurity contracted through contact with a corpse or derivative of a corpse, they had to undergo another purification by reason of having been owned by idolaters which confers a different type of impurity upon them. They had to undergo immersion in a ritual bath or more. These vessels had absorbed residue from foods forbidden to Jews, i.e. animals which had not died by ritual slaughter or had not been fit to eat for Jews even if slaughtered ritually. Rashi explains that the word אך at the beginning of the verse teaches that these vessels had to be thoroughly cleaned prior to immersion in a ritual bath so as to remove rust over the areas in which forbidden foods might have penetrated.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:23:1)

**כל דבר אשר יבא באש תעבירו באש.** כדרך תשמישו תהא הגעלתו, אם תשמישו בחמין יגעילנו ברותחין, ואם תשמישו ע"י האש ממש כגון השפוד והאסכלה, מלבנו באור.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כל דבר אשר יבא באש תעבירו באש, “any item which is normally used on (in) the fire you shall make pass through the fire.” The purification process must match the manner in which it is normally used. Iron spits used for roasting meat for instance, would have to be made red hot in fire in order to be ritually purified.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:2
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:23:2)

**אך במי נדה יתחטא.** עוד צריך שתטהרנו מטומאתו ע"י מים של אפר פרה שנאמר בהם (במדבר יט) מי נדה לא זורק, עליו אע"פ שנטהר הכלי מבליעת אסור. ומכאן דרשו רז"ל שאפילו להכשירן מיד גוי ליד ישראל טעונין כלי מתכות טבילה אפילו בחדשים, ואפילו כלי כרס המחופין בעופרת. ומי נדה שכתוב כאן הן המים הראוין לטבול בהן את הנדה והן ארבעים סאה, וזהו שהוסיף כאן ואמר וטהר הוסיף הכתוב טהרה שניה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אך במי נדה יתחטא, “but also it has to be purified by the water of the sprinkling.” In this instance all these captured items, regardless of the manner of their use had to undergo this procedure of being sprinkled with water and ash from the red cow as the Torah writes in Numbers 19,13 that if this water and ash had not been sprinkled on such person or item they remain impure. From the combination of these verses we derive the requirement that even new utensils, unless manufactured by Jews, have to undergo ritual immersion before being fit to use as food or in connection with food (Avodah Zarah 75). The extra word וטהר in our verse is the allusion to this requirement.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:3
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:23:3)

**וכל אשר לא יבא באש.** שאין תשמישו ע"י האור כגון כוסות וצלוחיות וקיתוניות שתשמישם בצונן ולא בלעו אסור, תעבירו במים, מטבילן ודיו ודוקא כלי מתכות. ואמרו רז"ל לא אסרה תורה בכלי מדין קודם הגעלה ולבון אלא קדרה בת יומא, דהוי נותן טעם לשבח והוי איסור בליעה בכלל (דברים יד) לא תאכלו כל נבלה, דטעמו ולא ממשו אסור מן התורה אלא שאין לוקין עליו, אבל דלאו בת יומא דנותן טעם לפגם מדאורייתא שריא, דכתיב (שם) לא תאכלו כל נבלה לגר אשר בשעריך תתננה ואכלה, נבלה הראויה לגר קרויה נבלה ושאינה ראויה לגר אינה קרויה נבלה, ואפילו בממשו של איסור, ומדרבנן הוא דאסור לבשולי ביה לכתחלה ואפילו לאחר כמה שנים שבשל בה הגוי גזרה משום בת יומא, ואם עבר ובשל מותר באכילה דקי"ל דסתם כליהם של גוים אינם בחזקת בני יומין, וא"כ לא צוה הכתוב להכשיר כלי מדין מגעולי גוים אלא בידוע שהן בני יומן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וכל אשר לא יבא באש תעבירו במים, “Any utensil not used in or on the fire, you must pass through the water.” This refers to metal utensils which did not absorb any forbidden materials in their normal use, i.e. they are used cold. It suffices to pass them through water to make them fit for use by Jews.
 Our sages (Avodah Zarah 67) added that the utensils of the Midianites forbidden for immediate use were only those which had been in use during the previous 24 hours by their owners. The reason is that during that period the residue contained in the walls of such pots enhances whatever you cook in them. Once they have been out of use for over 24 hours the contribution made to whatever the Jew cooks in them at that time will be detrimental to the taste of the dish, so that the Jew derives no benefit from what is forbidden. The entire prohibition of such residue inside the walls of the pots is based on the word כל, “all, any,” in Deut. 14,21 לא תאכלו כל נבלה, “you must not eat anything which pertains to a carcass (which was not ritually slaughtered before death).” This teaches that not only the substance is forbidden by Biblical decree but also the taste of it is equally forbidden. However, if one ate something in which the forbidden part consisted of insubstantial taste the person doing so is not liable to the penalty of 39 lashes.
 If the utensil previously owned by the Gentile had not been used for 24 hours, it is permissible by Biblical law to be used as is, although there is rabbinic prohibition. We know that it is permitted by the Torah as the Torah itself writes that such carcasses described as נבלה may be given to resident strangers to eat (Deut. 14,21). From this we derive the principle that a נבלה permitted for a resident stranger (one who accepted the 7 Noachide laws) to eat is still called נבלה by the Torah, whereas one that is not suitable for his consumption is not described as such. When the forbidden material is still identifiable, substantive, but is the residue of something cooked more than 24 hours previously, it is also not forbidden by Biblical injunction as it is foul-tasting. The rabbinic prohibition however, extends indefinitely, the reason being that if the Rabbis had not “fenced in Torah law,” people would eat from such utensils even before the 24 hours had elapsed since they were last used by a Gentile for his ritually forbidden food. The Rabbis based their approach on the assumption that when a Jew gets hold of such vessels owned previously by Gentiles they are most unlikely to have been used for ritually forbidden food during the 24 hour preceding this. Seeing that this is so the only vessels subject to the legislation in our chapter were the ones which had definitely still been in use during the previous 24 hours.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:4
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:23:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:23:4)

**ודע**כי מה שהזכיר כאן במלחמת מדין הגעלת כליהם מאיסורי גוים ולא הזכיר כן במלחמת סיחון ועוג בכליהם, כי גם את שללם לקחו, כמו שאמר (שם ב) רק הבהמה בזזנו לנו ושלל הערים אשר לכדנו, טעם הדבר כי שם במלחמת סיחון ועוג היתה ארצם מנחלת ישראל, והותר להם כל שללם אפילו האסורין כענין שנאמר (שם ו) ובתים מלאים כל טוב, ודרשו רז"ל קדלי דחזירי אשתרו להו, אבל מדין לא היתה ארצם משלהם ולא לקחו את ארצם רק לנקום נקמתם הרגו אותן ולקחו כל שללם ולכך נהג איסור בכליהם. וכן בדין הטומאה שהזכירה עתה ואתם חנו מחוץ למחנה וגו', כי במלחמת סיחון ועוג היו כל ישראל וטומאה הותרה בצבור. גם המכס שהורם בכאן במלחמת מדין ונתן לכהנים הלוים משא"כ במלחמות סיחון ועוג, מן הטעם הזה בעצמו מפני שהיה השלל הזה מנקמת ה' בארץ לא להם, ועל כן היה ענין המכס הנתן לכהנים הלוים, אבל שם לא די שלא נתנו להם אבל הוזהרו שלא ליתן להם כלום, שנאמר (במדבר יח) וחלק לא יהיה לך בתוכם, אפילו בבזה, וכן כתב הרמב"ן ז"ל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
This brings us to the problem of why the Torah had held back with telling us of this legislation until now and had not revealed it after the wars against Sichon and Og (Numbers chapters 21-22) when the Israelites had also collected a great deal of loot which surely included cooking utensils (compare Deut. 2,35). The reason is that the war fought against Sichon and Og was fought on soil which G’d had designated as land of the Jewish people. Seeing this was so they were permitted to make full use of all the loot including matters totally forbidden under normal Torah law. The Torah itself recalls that the Jewish people would inherit in the land of Canaan, “houses full of everything that is good, i.e. desirable,” (Deut. 6,11). Our sages elaborated on this in Chulin 17 saying that even dried pork was allowed for the warriors at that time to be eaten as booty. Midian was not, however, a territory allocated to the Jewish people, and therefore the rules which applied to lands that were conquered at G’d’s command did not apply. 
 This is why in the case of the Midianites the Torah even forbade the victors to make use of the vessels of their adversaries until after they had been purified. This is also why in this instance the Torah stresses the fact that the warriors had (practically) all become ritually impure through contact with their (now) dead enemies, whereas not a word of this had been mentioned after the Israelites had killed the Emorites under Sichon and Og and taken over their lands. When Jews become involved in a situation which on an individual basis results in each one of them becoming ritually defiled, this law is set aside when the occasion which necessitated this impurity was one of conquering their own land at the behest of G’d.
 You will also observe that the spoils of war which were salvaged from the punitive expedition against Midian were also shared out to the Levites and the priests although the priests and the Levites have been described as being “G’d’s share” and not inheriting any part of the land of the Canaanites, etc., (Numbers 18,20). Seeing that the loot from the campaign against the Midianites had nothing to do with a war of conquest fought against the Canaanites, the Levites and priests were not excluded from sharing. The loot was the proceeds of a war avenging G’d’s vengeance, something everybody was equally involved in. When it came to the war against the Canaanites, not only were the priests and Levites not allowed to capture any, their brethren from the other tribes were even prohibited from giving them some of that loot voluntarily (compare Numbers 18,20).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:24:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:24:1)

**ואחר תבאו אל המחנה.** זה מחנה שכינה, שהרי טמא מת לא היה משתלח ממחנה לויה, כל שכן ממחנה ישראל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואחר תבאו אל המחנה, “and after (these procedures) you may enter the camp.” The reference is to the camp of the Shechinah. After all, a person who has “only” contracted ritual impurity through contact with a corpse does not have to leave any other parts of the camp.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:26:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:26:1)

**שא את ראש מלקוח השבי.** מלקוח הוא הבהמה והשבי הוא האדם, ושעורו מלקוח והשבי, כמו (חבקוק ג׳:י״א) שמש ירח. **וראשי אבות העדה,** הם הנשיאים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
שא את ראש המלקוח השבי, “count the total of the spoils of beast and humans.” The word מלקוח is a reference to the animals, the word שבי is a reference to the human prisoners. The two words fit together just as the words שמש ירח, “sun (and) moon,” without the conjunctive letter ו; (compare Chabakuk 3,11).


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:27:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:27:1)

**וחצית את המלקוח.** מלקוח שבכאן הוא שם כלל לאדם ולבהמה, וצוה הקב"ה שיחלקו הכל בין תופשי המלחמה ובין כל העדה, ושיתנו תופשי המלחמה מחלקם מכס לכהנים אחד מחמש המאות, ושישראל יתנו ללוים מכס מחלקם אחד מחמשים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וחצית את המלקוח, “and divide in half the spoils of beasts and humans.” The מלקוח here is a general term for both humans and animals. The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded that everything be divided between those who waged the war and the entire congregation, and that those who waged the war should give from their portion a tribute to the priests of one out of five hundred, and that Israel should give to the Levites a tribute from their portion of one out of fifty.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:32:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:32:1)

**ויהי המלקוח יתר הבז.** שבא לכלל חלוקה ולכלל מכס חוץ מהמטלטלין וממה שאכלו. והזכיר מספרם כי היה מספר רב ולא שמענו שלל כמוהו וכן הזכיר המכס כי גם הוא רב. ומלת מכס כמו חלק, מלשון (שמות י״ב:ד׳) תכסו על השה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויהי המלקוח יתר הבז, “after deducting the inert objects captured and the amounts the soldiers had consumed, the remainder of the animal loot amounted to, etc.” the reason the Torah gives us all these numbers is to enable us to picture the vastness of this victory, an amount of loot not paralleled elsewhere. The Torah mentions the מכס, tribute or tithe, given to the Levites separately as even this was a substantial amount. Our author understands the word מכס as being similar to חלק, share, as in Exodus 12,4 תכסו על השה "You shall participate in the lamb".


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:48:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:48:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:48:1)

**ויקרבו אל משה הפקודים.** כמו הפקידים, והם הממונים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויקרבו אל משה הפקודים, “the officers approached Moses, etc.” The word הפקודים here is the same as הפקידים, “the commanders.”


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:49:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:49:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:49:1)

**עבדיך נשאו את ראש אנשי המלחמה אשר בידנו.** ברשותנו. **ולא נפקד ממנו איש.** זה היה פלא עצום ומהנסים הגדולים שאירעו לישראל אירע להם בכאן במלחמת מדין, שהיו עם רב כחול אשר על שפת הים והרגו ישראל מהם ושבו מהם אלפים ורבבות והכתוב מעיד שלא חסר מישראל אחד במלחמה, זהו שאמר ולא נפקד ממנו איש, והנס הגדול הזה לפי שהיו שלמים בזכות והוא שדרשו רז"ל ולא נפקד ממנו איש, לדבר עבירה, אמר להן משה אם כן קרבן זה למה, אמרו לכפר עלינו מהרהור הלב.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
עבדיך נשאו את ראש אנשי המלחמה אשר בידינו ולא נפקד ממנו איש, “your servants have counted the heads of the warriors entrusted to us and not a single man is missing.” This was a remarkable miracle. In fact, it may be described as one of the greatest miracles amongst all the miracles which were performed for the Jewish people ever. When we consider the number of prisoners taken we can imagine how many adult males there must have been participating in this war. The Israelites killed each one of them without sustaining a single casualty. The reason why this miracle occurred was that every one of these 12,000 soldiers was a righteous individual who felt morally superior enough to take part in this punitive expedition. This is what our sages had in mind (Shabbat 64) when they said that the words ולא נפקד מהם איש mean that not one of them was guilty of a sin that would be held against him [the word being used as in Exodus 20,5. Ed.] When Moses heard this, he asked: ”if this is so why do you want to offer this sacrifice of gold, etc.?” They answered: ”we want to atone for lewd thoughts which we may have entertained.”


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:50:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:50:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:50:1)

**ונקרב את קרבן ה'.** במחשבה או בפה, ומכאן שהקדש דמים קרוי קרבן. **אצעדה,** הוא כלי על הרגל שצועדין בו. **וצמיד,** הוא על הזרוע, וזהו (בראשית כ״ד:כ״ב) ושני צמידים על ידיה. **טבעת,** באצבע. **עגיל,** על האוזן. **וכומז,** דפוס של בית הרחם במקום זמה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ונקרב את קרבן ה', “we have offered the sacrifice to the Lord.” This verse proves that when one vows to bring a sacrifice either in thought or word this already constitutes a sacrifice, i.e. that the money set aside with which to buy the animal is already sanctified (Yuma 63). 
 אצעדה, “anklet;” an ornament worn on the foot, the organ one makes steps with צעדים)
 צמיד, “bracelet;” an ornament worn on the arm. We have encountered the word when Eliezer put two such bracelets on Rivkah’s hands (Genesis 24,22).
 טבעת, “a ring;” for the finger;
 עגיל, “a ring worn in the ear.” 
וכומז, “a clasp;” something known as chastity belt in the middle ages, worn over the private parts.


###### Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:51:1
[Rabbeinu Bahya, Bamidbar 31:51:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rabbeinu%20Bahya/s/Bamidbar/r/31:51:1)

**ויקח משה ואלעזר הכהן את הזהב מאתם כל כלי מעשה.** למדך הכתוב שלא היה בהן כלי שבור, והביאהו אל אהל מועד לכלי שרת לזכרון לפני ה'.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויקח משה ואלעזר הכהן את הזהב מאתם כל כלי מעשה, “Moses and Elazar the priest took the gold from them, all items which had been fashioned into a complete article.” The Torah stresses that the offering did not contain broken items. They brought it to the Tabernacle to convert into כלי שרת, utensils to be used in the sacrificial rituals.