By Rabbi Stephen M. Wylen
Temple Beth Tikvah, Wayne, NJ
TORAH:
Ad-nai spoke to Moses saying, “You shall avenge the Israelites against the Midianites ....”
(Nu. 31:1-2)
COMMENTARY:
The Midianites conspired with the Moabites to destroy Israel. Why, then, does God command Israel to fight the Midianites, but God commands Israel not to attack the Moabites (Dt. 2:9)? One possible answer is that Ruth, the grandmother of King David, was destined to be born among the Moabites. God said, “If Israel goes to battle against the Moabites the ancestor of Ruth might be killed, and then the Israelites will be deprived of their future salvation.”
- multiple sources
Read more of this article.
Current Faith Issues and Controversies
Complete Blog Index
Sunday, July 31, 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
