## Tur HaArokh, Numbers

###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:2:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:2:1)

**נקם נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים.**כי הוא הראוי שיעשה נקמה בשונאי השם ומשה חלק כבוד לפנחס שהתחיל במצוה ועליו לגומרה ולכך עשאו משוח מלחמה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
נקום נקמת בני ישראל מאת המדינים, “Take vengeance for the Children of Israel against the Midianites.” Actually, it would have been appropriate for Moses to take this vengeance on this people who hated *Hashem*, but in view of Pinchas having been the one who commenced the reversal of the damage Midian had done to the Jewish people, Moses wanted him also to be the one who completed the *mitzvah.* (Compare verse 6)


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:6:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:6:1)

**וישלח אותם משה אלף למטה.**כתב הרמב"ן לא שלח שם לכל עם הצבא ואע"פ שהיו המדיני' עם רב והערים בצורות גדולות מאד והטעם כי הנכשלים בבנות מדין היו רבים ואינם ראויים לנקמת ה' על כן בחרו אנשים צדיקים וידועים לשבטיהם. והנה משה אמר להם לתת נקמת ה' ולא צוה אותם מה יעשו וחשב שלא ישאירו שריד ופליט כנקמת עמלק או כנקמת ז' עממים וכשראה שהשאירו הנשים והטף והבהמה קצף על הנשים היודעות משכב זכר כי היו ראוי להורגן תחלת כל דבר לנקמה גם לדין התורה דכתיב ואת הבהמה תהרוגו וכיון שראה שהעם חפץ בשלל מחל על הטף ועל השלל. ויתכן עוד לומר כי משה נצטווה צרור את המדינים ונקום נקמת בני ישראל ושלח שם אנשים מעטים רק להכות בערי הפרזי וכל עץ טוב להפיל וכל מעייני מים לסתום כמנהג השוללים כי לא צוה רק להנקם כאשר תמצא ידם והשם אשר לו המלחמה נתן מלכיהם ועריהם הבצורות בידם על כן לא קצף אלא על הנשים היודעות משכב זכר ולא על דבר אחר וצוה בטף הזכרים להרבות בנקמה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישלח אותם משה אלף למטה, “Moses sent them on the way, one thousand men from each tribe.” Nachmanides writes that the reason why Moses did not send out the whole army of Israel, even though the Midianites were a numerous people, seeing that they had five kings governing them and they lived in well fortified cities, he could not do so, because too many of the people had become victims of the seduction and as such were hardly qualified to endanger themselves in war and become an easy target for Satan to attack. Moses therefore decided to select few men, but men whose integrity had stood the challenge of seduction, men who were truly righteous. These men were known as righteous people, each within his tribe.
 Strangely, Moses reversed what G’d had said to him, i.e. to avenge the wrong done to Israel, and he instructed the soldiers to avenge the wrong done to G’d’s image. He did not issue any specific instructions concerning how to avenge that wrong. He took it for granted that these soldiers would not allow any living creature to remain alive, just as Samuel later on commanded that the Amalekites all be killed men women and children as well as all their livestock. Or, at least, he thought, they would be treated like the 7 Canaanite nations of whom G’d had instructed not to allow a single soul to survive. When Moses found out that these soldiers had allowed the women and children to survive, and that they brought home an immense amount of booty, he became very angry, especially that women who had already lost their virginity had been allowed to survive, as these types of women were the ones who had seduced the Israelites. He was less upset about the children being allowed to survive, and he did not mind the booty the soldiers brought home.
 It is further possible to assume that Moses was commanded to harass the Midianites in order to take the vengeance of the Israelites, and he dispatched only relatively few men, intending to smite only the cities of the Perisite (one of the Canaanite tribes) planning to destroy every tree, to seal off all the wells, as was the custom by ordinary invaders. Seeing that it is *Hashem* Who, -in the last analysis, conducts the fortunes of war,- delivered the cities into their hands as well as their kings, Moses certainly could not be angry at any of this. The only thing he was angry at was that the very category of women who had been the seductresses had been kept alive to become slaves in Jewish homes. His demand for male “innocent” children to be killed was part of the element of “vengeance” which G’d had commanded to be taken.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:14:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:14:1)

**ויקצף על פקודי החיל.**וחלק כבוד לפנחס כי ה' נתן לו את בריתו שלום:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויקצוף על פקודי החיל, “He was angry at the commanders of the troops.” He did not display anger at Pinchas seeing that *Hashem* Himself had granted him the covenant of peace.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:19:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:19:1)

**ואתם חנו מחוץ וגו' אתם ושביכם.**שגם השבי צריכים לחטא בגדיהם הנוגעים בחלל וכל בגד וכל כלי עור אשר בידם כדין ישראל שלא יטמאו העם בבגדיהם ובכליהם. ובהכי מתרצים מה שמקשים העולם למה לא הורה להם משה פרשת טהרת הטומאה במלחמת סיחון ועוג שקדמה למלחמת מדין בשלמא פרשת גיעולי כלים לא הוצרך לומר להם במלחמת סיחון כי לא נאמרו דאפילו כותלי דחזירי הותר להם בז' עממים כדדרשי' מואכלת את שלל אויביך עוד מתרצים על גיעולי כלים שלא היו צריכין במלחמת סיחון שלא היו בני יומן אבל בכאן היו בני יומן כי היו מבשלים בהם הנשים והטף ששבו מה שאין כן במלחמת סיחון ועוג שלא החיו מהם כל נשמה אבל מפרשת טהרה קשיא. והיינו טעמא שגם בכאן לא הוצרך להורות שנוגע במת טמא שכבר ידעו אלא אגב שהוצרך לומר להם שגם השבי יטהרו בגדיהם ועוד שהוצרך לומר להם בכאן חנו מחוץ למחנה שלא יטמאו האחרים מה שלא היה כן במלחמת סיחון ועוג שכולם היו במלחמה וכולם היו טמאים ובכאן לא הלכו אלא י"ב אלף והוצרך להזהירם שלא יטמאו האחרים ואגב זה אמר להם כל דין הטהרה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואתם חנו מחוץ למחנה...אתם ושביכם, ”as for you, encamp outside the camp, etc., you and your captives.” Also the captives were required to purify their garments that might have been in contact with the people slain during that campaign [after they were dead, of course. Ed.] All the clothing or vessels made of cloth or hide that were in their possession was subject to the same *halachic* restrictions as if they had belonged to Israelites in the first place. This was in order that these possessions in turn should not be capable of contaminating things belonging to the Israelites.
 This verse enables us to answer the question raised by everybody, why, after the wars against Sichon and Og when an immense amount of loot was captured, did Moses not already command these procedures of purification that the loot had to undergo. Granted that seeing those nations had been part of the seven Canaanite nations, concerning which in the wars against them even pig’s meat had become permitted, there was no need to purify their pots if even the contents of these pots had been permitted. (Compare ואכלת את שלל אויביך, “you may eat the loot captured from your enemies” Deut. 20,14). The Midianites not being Canaanites, the relaxation of these rules of ritual contamination did not apply to them. 
 Yet another answer to the question raised above, technical in nature, is that when such captured vessels have not been used for over 24 hours, any residue of food remaining in them is presumed to have become repulsive and certainly would not enhance the taste of anything cooked or baked in them now. Therefore, anyone eating from such vessels would not derive any benefit from the forbidden ingredients, the principal reason why these are forbidden. In this instance, the survivors who had been taken prisoners, had still been using their vessels on the way to where the Israelites were encamped, so that the fact that the remnants of food therein had already made the vessels repulsive did not apply. This is also why the Torah did not have to warn that anyone touching a dead body had become ritually contaminated and required seven days of remaining outside the camp of the Levites while undergoing purification rites. This law was well known, but seeing that this legislation was applied for the first time to gentiles, (captives) the Torah reiterated the laws [so that the gentiles would not feel discriminated against? Ed.] Seeing that only 2% of the people had been involved in the campaign it was important to issue the warning that they must not come into contact with their families until after they had completed the purification rites. The reason why these restrictions were not announced in the wars against Sichon and Og, was that when most or all the people have become ritually contaminated many laws of ritual contamination do not apply. [How can you exile most of the population from their homes for a week? Ed.] Seeing that in this instance only 2% of the arms-bearing men took part, things were different.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:21:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:21:1)

**ויאמר אלעזר הכהן אל אנשי הצבא.**משה אמר פרשת טהרה אל שרי האלפים והמאות אבל אלעזר שאמר דין טהרת הכלים אמר אל אנשי הצבא ששללו ובזזו מכלי התשמיש הנמצאים בבתים אבל שרי האלפים לא לקחו אלא בגדים חשובים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויאמר אלעזר הכהן אל אנשי הצבא, “Eleazar the High Priest said to the soldiers, etc.“ Moses, personally, conveyed the previous paragraph to the respective commanders concerning the ritual contamination of the people involved. Eleazar addressed the entire people who were all directly involved seeing that all received their respective shares of the loot and had to know how to purify the various vessels or garments. The only loot the commanders of 1000 troops each had taken for themselves were costly garments.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:23:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:23:1)

**תעבירו באש וטהר.**וכתב הרמב"ן אין כלי שנגע במת או בנבילה נטהר באש אלא במים ולכך הוצרכו רבותינו לפרש זו הטהרה להגעילם מאיסורי המאכלות שבלעו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
תעבירו באש וטהר, “you shall pass through the fire and it will become ritually pure.” Nachmanides writes that no vessel that had been in direct contact with a dead body, or an animal’s carcass, would become purified simply by passing through fire, as the Torah recognizes only immersion in a ritual bath as the way in which such vessels can become purified. As a result, we must understand what is written here concerning making the vessel red hot, i.e. “passing through fire” as referring only to purification from the type of impurity caused by the pores of the vessels in question having absorbed some of the forbidden food that had been cooked or fried in it.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:23:2
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:23:2)

**וכל אשר לא יבא באש תעבירו במים.**פירש"י שזו היא טבילה לכל כלי שלא בלע איסור ודיו בטבילה. והקשה הרמב"ן דאין לשון תעבירו נופל על טבילה אלא ובא במים דכתיב במים יובא וטהר. ועוד שאפילו כלים שתשמישן בצונן צריכין הכשר מהאיסור שבהם מלבד הטבילה. ועוד דטבילה דרשו מפסוק אחר אך במי נדה יתחטא. אלא פי' תעבירו במים לכבס ולשפשף אותו להעביר החלודה שנדבק עליו מאיסור וזהו הכשירו מהאיסור כמו הגעלה וליבון לכלים שתשמישן בחמין ועל ידי האור ולא הוצרך הכתוב להזכיר הטבילה שכבר הזכירה אך במי נדה יתחטא ואחר פליטת האיסור כולם שוים בדין טבילה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וכל אשר לא יבא באש תעבירו במים, “and everything that during its normal use would not directly be exposed to fire, you shall pass through water.” *Rashi* writes that this refers to immersion in a ritual bath. The reason that this is sufficient is that the forbidden particles of food that concern us had not been absorbed at all by the walls of the vessel in question.
 Nachmanides questions this point, as in his opinion the term מעביר, “making something pass through,” is not associated with a ritual bath at all. When the Torah speaks about a ritual bath, the term used is ובא במים וטהר, “when it is immersed in water it will be purified.” Furthermore, even vessels that are used only cold require to be purified from their contamination by something in addition to a ritual bath. Besides, the requirement of immersing oneself in a ritual bath, is derived by our sages from a different verse, אך במי נדה יתחטא, “however, it must be purified with the water of sprinkling.”
 We must therefore understand the words תעבירו במים to mean that the vessels under discussion must be thoroughly cleaned in water, rubbed, scrubbed, etc., to remove residual forbidden particles. This is the appropriate process of cleansing, parallel to making vessels used on the fire red-hot, so that the residual forbidden particles are destroyed. This is parallel to the manner in which we clean different categories of utensils before Passover to ensure that no vestige of *chametz* still is attached to them. Those that are normally used on the fire have to undergo a cleansing process at least equal to their normal usage, whereas those that are not used on the fire have to undergo brief immersion in boiling water or if they are too big must have boiling water poured over them. Once the vessels that had served idolaters have undergone the preparatory steps described, they are all equal in that they still require immersion in a ritual bath.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:28:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:28:1)

**והרמות מכס לה'.**כתב הרמב"ן טעם המכס מפני שהשלל הזה מנקמת השם בארץ לא להם אבל בארץ סיחון ועוג לא נתנו לכהנים ללויים כלום אלא אדרבה הוזהרו מהם שנאמר וחלק לא יהיה לך בתוכם אפי' בביזה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
והרמות מכס לה' “you are to impose a levy (tax) for *Hashem.”* Nachmanides writes that the reason for this levy is that the loot under discussion was secured from the vengeance due to *Hashem. W*hen similar or even larger quantities of loot were secured as a result of the wars with Sichon and Og, *Hashem,* i.e. the priests and Levites His representatives, did not receive any share of it at all, as the priests and Levites by definition had been excluded from sharing in the lands of the Canaanite nations. They had not been excluded from loot from any other people or tribes.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:30:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:30:1)

**מן הבקר ומן החמורים ומן הצאן מכל הבהמה.**פרט ואח"כ כלל. ור' אברהם פי' מכל הבהמה כמו גמלים ולא לקח אלעזר מהם חלק כי היו מעטים ע"כ לא נזכר מספר שהביאו ולא מספר שלקחו הלויים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
מן הבקר ומן החמורים ומן הצאן מכל הבהמה, “from the cattle, from the donkeys, from the flock- from all the livestock.” The system followed by the Torah here is known as פרט וכלל, listing individual items, all of which fit the heading mentioned afterwards.
 Ibn Ezra comments that the expression מכל הבהמה means, for instance, that Eleazar did not take any of the captured camels, as they were few in number. This is why no number was given as to how many such animals had been captured, and the share of the Levites among them was therefore not mentioned either.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:31:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:31:1)

**ויעש משה ואלעזר הכהן.**ולא הזכיר הנשיאים כמו שנאמר בפקודים ואלה הפקודים אשר פקד משה ואהרן ונשיאי העדה. וכתב הרמב"ן ואולי הטעם כי מה שהשם צוה שיהיו שם נשיאי העדה לא לחובה אלא בעבור שהוא דבר שבממון צוה שיהיו שם כדי שלא יחשדו לאלעזר שלקח יותר מן הראוי לו והם אמרו חלילה לנו כי מלאך ה' הוא ואין צורך להיותינו שם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויעש משה ואלעזר הכהן, “Moses and Eleazar the High Priest did, etc.” the princes are not mentioned here, as opposed to when the people were being counted. (Numbers 1,44) Nachmanides writes that possibly the reason is that the reason for the princes to be present during such a count, (31,13) is to ensure that Eleazar would not appropriate to himself an unfair amount for himself and the Levites. As soon as the princes and the community became aware that this could be perceived as the reason for their presence during the count, they refused to take part, as they trusted Eleazar implicitly and did not want to even give the impression that there was any possible suspicion that he would not share out the spoils fairly. Basically, whenever division of money, etc., is involved one must appoint additional witnesses in order to forestall such suspicions from being voiced. The people considered the High Priest as comparable to an angel whose motives in matters of money are beyond suspicion.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:36:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:36:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:36:1)

**ותהי המחצה.**כתב הרמב"ן הוצרך הכתוב לפרט הזה להזכיר כמה המחצה וכמה המכס להודיע כי מיום שלקחו המלקוח עד שמנו אותו וחצו אותו והפרישו ממנו המכס ונתנו לאלעזר הכהן לא מת מכל המקנה הגדול הזה אחד וכן במחצת העדה ללויים וזה נס:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ותהי המחצה, “the half amounted to, etc.” Nachmanides writes that there was a need to state what appears as obvious to the casual reader of the text. The Torah wanted to point out that since the day the loot was captured, and subsequently counted, and still later distributed, there had been zero shrinkage. None of the animals had died, and none of the silver, gold, etc., had disappeared. The levy was also handed over in accordance with the percentages specified by the Torah.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:49:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:49:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:49:1)

**עבדיך נשאו את ראש אנשי המלחמה.**לומר שלא מת אחד מהם במלחמה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
עבדיך נשאו את ראש אנשי המלחמה, “Your servants took a census of the men of war under our command;” they meant that not a single one had fallen, become a casualty during this campaign.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:49:2
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:49:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:49:2)

**ולא נפקד ממנו איש.**לומר שלא הוכה אחד בחרב בענין שיפקד מן הצבא:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ולא נפקד ממנו איש, “and not a single one of us is missing.” No one has even been injured so that he would be hospitalized, etc.


###### Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:54:1
[Tur HaArokh, Numbers 31:54:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Numbers/r/31:54:1)

**ויביאו אותו אל אהל מועד זכרון לבני ישראל.**פי' הרמב"ן שיעשו מהם כלים לעשות מהם עבודת השם לדורות שאם באו הכלים שהביאו לאוצר בית השם היה לו לומר זכרון להם פי' על המביאים אותם אבל אמר זכרון לבני ישראל שיהיה הזכרון לכל בני ישראל:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויביאו אותו אל אהל מועד זכרון לבני ישראל, “they brought it to the Tent of Meeting as a remembrance for the Children of Israel.” Nachmanides explains this verse as the Israelites constructing various vessels made from captured gold coins and jewelry, these newly made vessels to be used in the activities connected to the holy service in the Tabernacle. If these vessels would only have been stored in the Temple treasury, the Torah should have written זכרון להם, “as a remembrance for the people who had brought them to the Temple treasury.” The reason that the Torah wrote זכרון לבני ישראל was that by their being used in the Temple service they acted as a remembrance for the whole people.