From the Or HaChaim’s commentary on the Torah, we can learn several principles that are worth applying today in our war against the enemies of Israel:
In the Torah portion of Pinchas, God said to Moses, "Harass the Midianites and strike them. For they harassed you through their conspiracy which they conspired against you in the matter of Pe’or and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the leader of Midian, their sister, who was struck down on the day of the plague because of Pe’or."[1]. The command "harass… and strike them" has several interpretations, all of which are relevant to us:
- "From here the Sages said, 'If someone comes to kill you, rise early to kill him first.'"[2] Since they are harassing you, be proactive and go out to war first! The lesson for our times is simple and clear: Do not wait for the enemy to come to you, go out to him and strike!
- In a regular war it is said, "Do not destroy its trees,"[3] but in this war against the harassers, one must damage the infrastructure, "destroy their trees,"[4] as the prophet said in a similar war, "And every good tree you shall fell, and all wells of water you shall stop, and every good piece of land you shall mar with stones."[5] Even today, there should be no hesitation to damage the enemy's infrastructure to retaliate and force him to surrender.[6] For example, cutting off water and electricity to hostile villages that harbor terrorists, and the like.[7]
- The Or HaChaim explains: Since the Midianites led Israel to sin through immorality, the first step in rectification is to hate – to harass – those who cause sin, to mentally detach from the alluring and enticing immorality. This is a necessary prelude before going out to war itself (and this is also the reason for destroying the trees, so as not to derive any pleasure or sense of sweetness). In a broader sense, the moral strength to fight the enemies of Israel stems from our holiness and modesty. The more we strengthen ourselves in “guarding the covenant,” distancing ourselves from immorality and licentiousness (which are prevalent in Western culture), the more we will have the courage and strength to fight and defeat the enemies of Israel, as we are promised: “For Havayah your God walks in the midst of your camp, to save you and to deliver your enemies before you; therefore your camp shall be holy [especially by distancing from immorality], that He see no unclean thing in you and turn away from you.”[8]
Strike the Leaders
In the war against Midian it is said, "And they killed the kings of Midian along with the rest of their slain, Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; and Balaam the son of Beor they killed with the sword."[9] The Or HaChaim explains: The verse mentions "the kings of Midian" twice to emphasize "that they killed them with the knowledge that they were the kings of Midian and not inadvertently."
The lesson is: It is not enough to eliminate terrorists carrying weapons and posing a direct threat to our lives. It is not enough to target the middle ranks, such as cell commanders and terrorist dispatchers. It is necessary to eliminate the leaders, the highest-ranking individuals, the heads of terrorist organizations, through targeted strikes against the enemy's leaders! The snake must be killed from the head, and fulfill "The best of snakes [even if he wears a suit and tie] crush his head."[10]
[1] Numbers 25:17-18.
[2] Bamidbar Rabbah 21:4 and also in Tanchuma, and see Meiri on Sanhedrin 72a: “The Torah said, ‘If someone comes to kill you, rise early to kill him,’ and where did it say this? It was explained in Midrash Tanchuma on ‘Harass the Midianites because they harass you,’ and the term ‘harass’ means they constantly harass you, and from now on, you should harass them, since their intention is to harass you.”
[3] Deuteronomy 20:19.
[4] Bamidbar Rabbah 21:6.
[5] 2 Kings 3:19
[6] See Sefer Amud HaYemini, Siman 16, which suggests learning from the war against Midian for our times, “that there is a place for acts of retaliation and vengeance against the enemies of Israel… and there is no obligation to refrain from retaliatory actions due to concerns that innocent people may be harmed, for it is not we who are causing it, but they themselves, and we are blameless.”
[7] Regarding causing harm to trees that produce food, a halachic expert should be consulted.
[8] Deuteronomy 23:15
[9] Numbers 31:8
[10] Mechilta on the verse “And he took six hundred” (Exodus 14:7), Yerushalmi end of Kiddushin.
