Heichaltzu, like many chassidic maamarim, begins by referring to an episode in the Chumash, posing several questions concerning the narrative. Following the well-known axiom,1 “The Torah describes the supernal realms and alludes to this lowly earthly plane,” the maamar understands and explains that narrative as reflecting lofty spiritual concepts which were ultimately manifest in the events that occurred on this material plane. However, in the interim, the maamar spends a large amount of time explaining the spiritual concepts and only after they are thoroughly clarified does the maamar return and resolve the questions that it initially posed regarding the Biblical narrative.
The narrative here begins with G‑d’s charge to Moshe to wage war against Midian. Together with the Moabites, the Midianites had sent their daughters to seduce Jewish men and motivate them to serve the false divinity, Baal Peor. As a result, G‑d brought a plague upon the Jewish people.2
וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים
“G‑d spoke to Moshe,3 saying, ‘Exact the retribution of the Children of Israel from the Midianites;
אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף אֶל עַמֶּךָ,
afterwards you shall be gathered to your people.’ ”
“Gathered to your people” is a Biblical euphemism for death.4
וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה כוּ' הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם כוּ' וְיִהְיוּ עַל מִדְיָן
In response to G‑d’s command, “Moshe spoke to the people saying, ‘Arm men for the army from among yourselves, so that they may go against Midian,
לָתֵת נִקְמַת הוי' בְּמִדְיָן
to exact the retribution of G‑d from Midian.
אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה כוּ' לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל כוּ'.
One thousand per tribe... for all the tribes of Israel.’ ”5
וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מַה שַּׁיֶּכֶת מִלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן לְהִסְתַּלְּקוּת מֹשֶׁה,
It is necessary to understand the relationship between the war against Midian and the passing of Moshe:
מַה שֶּׁתָּלָה אוֹתָם זֶה בָּזֶה,
Why does the above verse indicate that the two are interdependent,6
שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁיִּנְקוֹם מֵהַמִּדְיָנִים אָז יֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמּוֹ כוּ'.
so that only after Moshe exacts retribution from the Midianites will he be “gathered to his people?”
וּמַשְׁמָע מִזֶּה ב' דְבָרִים.
Two inferences can be drawn from this verse:
הָא', דְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה דַוְקָא.
First, the war against Midian had to be waged specifically by Moshe.
וְלָכֵן גַּם שֶׁנִּקְנְסָה עָלָיו מִיתָה,
Therefore, although his death had already been decreed,
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב קוֹדֶם לָזֶה בְּפָרָשַׁת פִּנְחָס
as stated previously in Parshas Pinchas,
עֲלֵה אֶל הַר הָעֲבָרִים כוּ' וְנֶאֱסַפְתָּ כוּ' כַּאֲשֶׁר נֶאֱסַף אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ,
“Go up to Mount Avarim... and be gathered... as Aharon your brother was gathered,”7
וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם הִמְתִּין לוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּלְחוֹם תְּחִלָּה בְּמִדְיָן,
he was nevertheless given time to first wage war against Midian.
וְלֹא הִנִּיחוּ מִלְחָמָה זוֹ לִהְיוֹת אַחַר פְּטִירָתוֹ
This war was not delayed until after Moshe’s passing
כִּשְׁאָרֵי הַמִּלְחָמוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ עֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת עַל יְדֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ,
as were the other wars that Yehoshua would wage in the future.
כִּי הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּמִדְיָן עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה דַוְקָא,
This implies that the war against Midian had to be conducted by Moshe personally.
שֶׁהוּא יִפְקוֹד אֲנָשִׁים לַצָּבָא כוּ'.
It was he who had to muster the men for the army, and so on.
(וְעַל פִּי פָּשׁוּט יֵשׁ לוֹמַר דְּעַד הַכְּנִיסָה לָאָרֶץ נַעֲשָׂה הַכֹּל עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה,
(Based upon a straightforward understanding of the Torah,8 one might explain that all matters that preceded the entry into the land of Canaan had to be directed by Moshe,
וּכְמוֹ מִלְחֶמֶת סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, וַחֲלֻקַּת אַרְצָם לִרְאוּבֵן וְגָד כוּ'.
e.g., the war with Sichon and Og, the distribution of their land to the tribes of Reuven and Gad, and the like.
וְלָכֵן גַּם הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּמִדְיָן הָיָה עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה כוּ'.
Therefore, the war against Midian was also waged by him.
אָמְנָם מִמַּה שֶּׁכָּתוּב נְקוֹם כוּ' אַחַר תֵּאָסֵף,
However, the verse that commands him to “exact the retribution [of the Children of Israel]... afterwards you shall be gathered”
מַשְׁמָע שֶׁיֵּשׁ קְפֵידָא בָּזֶה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַמִּלְחָמָה בְּחַיָּיו דַּוְקָא כוּ'.)
implies that it was of particular significance that this war take place in his lifetime, that he specifically be the one to command that it be waged.)
וְעוֹד מַשְׁמָע שֶׁעַל יְדֵי מִלְחָמָה זוֹ נִשְׁלַם שְׁלֵמוּת שֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ,
Moreover, the verse seems to imply that the root of Moshe’s soul would attain perfection as a result of this war.
Since G‑d connected Moshe’s passing with war against Midian, the implication is that one was dependent on the other. By waging the war against Midian, Moshe would complete his Divine service in this world and be prepared to pass into the next.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתוּב שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁיִּנְקוֹם מִמִּדְיָן יֵאָסֵף אֶל עַמּוֹ,
Hence, the Torah states that after he exacts retribution from Midian, he will be “gathered to his people.”
וְיָדוּעַ דְּהִסְתַּלְּקוּת הוּא תַּכְלִית הָעֲלִיָּה,
It is known that the passing of a tzaddik represents his attainment of the highest possible level of elevation,9
וּבָא דַוְקָא בִּשְׁלֵמוּת עֲבוֹדָתוֹ בָּעוֹלָם,
which is reached after his work in the world has been completed.
לְאַחַר שֶׁגָּמַר עֲבוֹדָתוֹ כְּפִי שֶׁנִּקְצַב לוֹ עַל פִּי הַדֵּעָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה,
Upon finishing the task ordained for him by the Divine Wisdom,
אָז הוּא עוֹלֶה בְּתַכְלִית הָעֲלִיָּה בְּעֵת הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ כוּ'.
the tzaddik’s soul rises to the ultimate spiritual heights at the moment of his passing.
וְעַל זֶה אוֹמֵר נְקוֹם נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֵת הַמִּדְיָנִים, וְאַחַר תֵּאָסֵף כוּ',
On this basis, it is possible to understand the implications of the verse, “Exact the retribution of the Children of Israel from the Midianites..., afterwards you shall be gathered….”
שֶׁבָּזֶה נִשְׁלַם שְׁלֵמוּת שֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּחַיָּיו, שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה בְּעִלּוּי אַחַר עִלּוּי כוּ'.
Through this war, the perfection of the root of Moshe’s soul through his service throughout his lifetime will be reached, enabling him to rise from one spiritual level to another in the heavenly realms above.
וְכָל זֶה צָרִיךְ לְהָבִין,
All of this, then, must be understood:
לָמָה הָיְתָה צְרִיכָה לִהְיוֹת הַמִּלְחָמָה עַל יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה דַוְקָא,
a) Why did the war have to be waged specifically by Moshe?
וּמַהוּ שֶׁנִּשְׁלַם נִשְׁמָתוֹ עַל יְדֵי זֶה כוּ'.
b) Why would his soul attain perfection through this?
קִצּוּר.
Summary:
מִלְחֶמֶת מִדְיָן
The war against Midian;
שַׁייֶּכֶת לְמֹשֶׁה וְהִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ.
its connection to Moshe and his passing.
This chapter introduces G‑d’s command to Moshe to take the revenge against Midian. The Rebbe Rashab poses questions that require us to dig deeper in order to understand the inner meaning and spiritual significance of the conflict against Midian, why Moshe had to lead the war against them, and its relevance to our lives. These questions — and those raised in ch. 2 — are the gateway through which we will begin to explore the concepts which lie at the heart of this maamar.
