742. The Lord’s Revenge Against Midian

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying ‘Avenge the vengeance of the children of Israel on the Midianites’ … and Moses spoke to the people, saying … to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian.” The famous question is why Moses changed the words of the Creator.

The thing is that the purpose of the Creator is to do good to His creations, meaning that Israel will receive the benefit. It follows that the vengeance against Midian is for the sake of Israel, for by this, Israel would receive the benefit.

But Moses, as the leader of Israel, instructs them the way of the work, that all the vengeance against Midian should be for the sake of the Creator, meaning to bestow upon the Creator and not for self-reception. Otherwise, they will become remote from the Creator and will not be rewarded with any wholeness. This is why Moses changed and told the people, “to execute the Lord's vengeance on Midian.”