## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 31

###### Sforno on Numbers 31:5:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:5:1)

**וַיִּמָּסְרוּ.** לְמֹשֶׁה מֵאֵת כָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וימסרו, to Moses by the representatives of each tribe.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:6:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:6:1)

**וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה לַצָּבָא.** שָׁלַח אֶלֶף לְכָל מַטֶּה שֶׁיִּתְקַבְּצוּ יַחְדָּו לַצָּבָא.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וישלח אותם משה אלף אלף למטה לצבא, he sent one thousand men of each tribe.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:6:2
[Sforno on Numbers 31:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:6:2)

**אוֹתָם וְאֶת פִּינְחָס.** וְאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְקַבְּצוּ שָׁלַח אוֹתָם כֻּלָּם יַחַד, וְעִמָּהֶם שָׁלַח אֶת פִּינְחָס.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אותם ואת פינחס, after the 12.000 men had all been assembled he sent Pinchas to accompany them.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:6:3
[Sforno on Numbers 31:6:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:6:3)

**לַצָּבָא וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה בְּיָדוֹ.** שָׁלַח אוֹתוֹ לַצָּבָא לְרֹאשׁ וּמָשׁוּחַ מִלְחָמָה, וְשֶׁיִּהְיוּ כְּלֵי הַקֹּדֶׁשׁ וַחֲצוֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
לצבא וכלי הקודש וחצוצרות התרועה בידו, he sent him to the army, as head, i.e. as the priest especially appointed in every war involving invasion of foreign territory. The various holy vessels, including the trumpets would be at his disposal during that period.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:15:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:15:1)

**הַחִיִּיתֶם כָּל נְקֵבָה.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּמִלְחֶמֶת כָּל אֻמָּה חוּץ מִשֶּׁבַע אֻמּוֹת כָּתוּב ״רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר כָּל שְׁלָלָהּ תָּבֹז לָךְ״ (דברים כ:יד), לֹא הָיָה לָכֶם לְהַחֲיוֹת לְפָחוֹת אוֹתָם הַנָּשִׁים שֶׁהִכַּרְתֶּם שֶׁהָיוּ לָכֶם לְתַקָּלָה בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
?!החיים כל נקבה. Although it was a rule that in all wars not involving the seven Canaanite nations women, children, and livestock would be spared as we know from Deuteronomy 20,14, these soldiers should have at least killed the women whom they personally knew, seeing it had been the women who had caused the death of 24.000 Israelites by seducing them. [we have no evidence that any Midianite women seduced the Israelites with the exception of Cosbi, a Midianite princess. Numbers 25,1 reports only about sexual misconduct with the Moabite women. Ed.]


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:17:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:17:1)

**הִרְגוּ כָל זָכָר בַּטָּף.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין רְאוּיִים לְמִשְׁכָּב, וְזֶה לִנְקָמָה שֶׁלֹּא יִשָּׁאֵר לְמִדְיָן נִין וָנֶכֶד.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:21:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:21:1)

**זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה.** מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לָכֶם מֹשֶׁה שֶׁתִּתְחַטְּאוּ שְׁלִישִׁי וּשְׁבִיעִי, הוּא דִּין חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁל פָּרָה אֲדֻמָּה לְטַהֵר מִטֻּמְאַת מֵת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
זאת חקת התורה, the instructions you have received from Moses concerning your own purification rites, including being sprinkled with water containing ash from the red heifer, is a decree by the Torah. The institution known as פרה אדומה has as its purpose the purification of people afflicted with ritual impurity due to direct or indirect contact with the dead.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:22:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:22:1)

**אַךְ אֶת הַזָּהָב.** אֲבָל כְּלֵי מַתָּכוֹת מִלְּבַד אוֹתָהּ טָהֳרָה צָרִיךְ שֶׁתַּגְעִילוּ אוֹתָם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אך את הזהב, however, metal objects require an additional procedure before they are ritually clean, namely immersion in a ritual bath, (or rinsing in boiling water, or even making it red-hot, depending on how these utensils had been used.)


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:23:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:23:1)

**וְטָהֵר.** מִגִּעוּלֵי גוֹיִם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וטהר, it will have become decontaminated from the negative vibes attached to it as residue of idolaters.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:23:2
[Sforno on Numbers 31:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:23:2)

**אַךְ בְּמֵי נִדָּה יִתְחַטָּא.** שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא מִטֻּמְאַת מֵת בְּלִבּוּן, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה כְּמוֹ חָדָש.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אך במי נדה יתחטא, even making it red hot does not automatically remove its impurity, even if it looks as if new. It requires the waters and ash of the red heifer, i.e. מי נדה


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:27:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:27:1)

**וְחָצִיתָ אֶת הַמַּלְקוֹחַ.** מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיְתָה הַמִּלְחָמָה מִלְחֶמֶת נְקָמָה עַל מַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשָׂה נֶגֶד כֻּלָּם, רָצָה שֶׁיִּתְקַיֵּם בְּכֻלָּם ״וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת שְׁלַל אֹיְבֶיךָ״ (דברים כ:יד), כְּעִנְיַן דָּוִד בִּשְׁלַל עֲמָלֵק, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״הִנֵּה לָכֶם בְּרָכָה מִשְּׁלַל אֹיְבֵי ה׳״ (שמואל א ל:כו).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וחצית את המלקוח, seeing that this war was a war of revenge for something the enemy had done against the people as a whole, the Torah wanted that the principle of ואכלת את אויביך, “you will consume your enemies,” (Deuteronomy 20,14) be fulfilled. Something similar occurred with David and the loot taken from Amalek (Samuel I 30,26) when he distributed loot he personally had captured from the Amalekites.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:32:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:32:1)

**יֶתֶר הַבָּז אֲשֶׁר בָּזְזוּ.** כִּי נִכְסֵי הַבָּתִּים בָּזְזוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַצָּבָא לָהֶם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
יתר הבז אשר בזזו, for the property which was part of the houses, i.e. chattels the soldiers had taken for themselves.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:50:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:50:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:50:1)

**לְכַפֵּר עַל נַפְשֹׁתֵינוּ.** עַל דְּבַר פְּעוֹר, שֶׁלֹּא מָחִינוּ בַּחוֹטְאִים.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
לכפר על נפשותינו, for the sin at Baal Peor, as an act of gratitude for not having died in the plague that broke out then.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:51:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:51:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:51:1)

**וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה.** קִבֵּל מֵהֶם וְשָׁקַל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקח משה, he accepted it from them and weighed it.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:51:2
[Sforno on Numbers 31:51:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:51:2)

**כֹּל כְּלִי מַעֲשֶׂה.** כָּל מִין כְּלִי שֶׁהָיָה תַּכְשִׁיט שֶׁל נָשִׁים בְּמַעֲשֵׂה פְּעוֹר.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כל כלי מעשה, every kind of jewelry and decorative art employed by the women at Baal Peor.


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:54:1
[Sforno on Numbers 31:54:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:54:1)

**וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה.** אַחַר שֶׁשָּׁקַל הֵבִיא אוֹתוֹ אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויקח משה, after having weighed it he brought it to the Tabernacle,


###### Sforno on Numbers 31:54:2
[Sforno on Numbers 31:54:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/31:54:2)

**זִכָּרוֹן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.** לְכַפָּרַת עֲוֹן פְּעוֹר.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
as a remembrance for the Jewish people, to serve as expiation of the sin committed at Baal Peor.