Midyan and Not Moav

The last task given to Moshe Rabbeinu was to make war with Midyan to take revenge for causing the Jewish people to sin.

The question was asked as to why they were only meant to fight against Midyan and it does not mention Moav. They also caused Israel to sin.

The Alshich claimed that Moav was not punished because of the merits of Ruth, who came from Moav. She was also a princess who chose to embrace Judaism rather than live a life of luxury.

A second reason given was that the Moabites were much primitive than the Midyanites. They went after the commoners rather than the elite. Midyan was punished because they caused the elite of Israel to sin with idol worship and promiscuous behavior.

It also demonstrated the extent as to how much they hated the Jewish people. They were willing to defile their princesses as long as it meant that it would cause harm to Israel.

We have been witnessing the insane amount of money spent by Iran and the enemies of Israel, to do everything possible to destroy Israel. The elaborate tunnel system in Gaza, has cost billions and billions of dollars. The same is true in Lebanon which includes the thousands of rockets aimed at Israel. This hatred of Israel overrides the need to feed their own starving citizens.

We see that “there is nothing new under the sun.”
Midyan tried to take away our spirit and holiness as a people. Today our enemies want nothing less than our total destruction.

Moav was bad, but Midyan was far more dangerous. Moshe Rabbeinu needed to teach them a lesson. It is upon us to learn the lesson as well. Jew hatred still exists today and comes in different forms. Until Mashiach comes, this is the reality that we must face. We must stand together united, for we have no one to rely on but ourselves and the G-d of Israel.