Following the slaughter of the Midianites, we’re given an inventory of the plunder of livestock as follows: “The booty, over and above the portion which the soldiers took, came to 675,000 sheep, 72,000 cattle, 61,000 donkeys, and 32,000 persons in all, consisting of the women who had never slept with a man.”-Numbers 31:32-35 These figures […]

Adonai said to Moshe, “Take all the booty, both people and animals, you, El‘azar the cohen and the leaders of clans in the community; and divide the booty into two parts: half for the experienced soldiers who went out to battle, and half for the rest of the community.”-Numbers 31:25-27 In the latter half of […]

“Pitch your tents outside the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed a person or touched the corpse of someone slain, purify yourselves on the third and seventh days, you and your captives.  Also purify every garment, whether of skin or goat’s hair, and everything made of wood.”-Numbers 31:19-20 When the Hebrew army returned to […]

“But Moshe was angry with the army officers, the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds coming in from the battlefield. Moshe asked them, “You let the women live?  Why, these are the ones who — because of Bil‘am’s advice — caused the people of Israel to rebel, breaking faith with Adonai in the […]

“They fought against Midyan, as Adonai had ordered Moshe, and killed every male.  They killed the kings of Midyan along with the others who were slain — Evi, Rekem, Tzur, Hur and Reva, the five kings of Midyan. They also killed Bil‘am the son of B‘or with the sword.  The people of Israel took captive […]