Spoils from the War against Midian

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1. The Inauguration

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   This lesson discusses two issues: 1. The significance of the Midian War in light of the detailed description of the loot gathered after the battle; 2. The reason half the tribe of Menashe was added to Gad and Reuven, after they requested land on the eastern side of the Jordan (the Transjordan).

2. Parshat Mattot - War Ethics

   Rabbi Alex Israel | 37 minutes

   Parashat Mattot presents us with considerable challenges. Much of it is very technical in nature, and seems to contain three distinct, seemingly disconnected chapters: Chapter 30 discusses laws of vows, chapter 31 deals with the war against the Midianites and the spoils from the war, and chapter 32 narrates the request and plan for the tribes of Reuven, Gad, and Menashe to act as shock-troops and then settle land on the eastern side of the Jordan.

   Our focus in this shiur is the equal division of the spoils of war, which ultimately connect the three chapters of this parasha. Why does Judaism devote so much energy to this topic? Why do we need organized legal arrangements about the spoils of vanquished enemies? We explore ethical, tactical, and theological approaches to this question.

3. What's Wrong with Taking Spoils?

   Rabbi Alex Israel

4. Short Thoughts on Matot - Masei - Moshe's Log Book and the Spoils from the War with Midian

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 15 minutes

   We look at the introduction the list of the encampments of Bnei Yisrael during the desert journey. The first pasuk has the phrase "in the hand of Moshe and Aharon." What is the role of Moshe in the encampments? Surely it is not Moshe who is taking Bnei Yisrael through the desert, but God! Moshe is the writing the log book. 

   We move back to Parashat Matot and look at the spoils episode after the War with Midian.