Parashiyot Matot-Masei - Hashem’s Hand in War: Then and Now

In Parashat Matot, Moshe Rabbeinu is commanded by Hashem to avenge the Midyanim for causing Bnei Yisrael to stumble in the most severe sins. Moshe responds by selecting one thousand tzaddikim from each shevet, totaling 12,000 men. He sent them off to war along with Pinchas, the Aron HaKodesh, and the special trumpets used in battle to invoke Hashem's favor and bring victory. The Torah then states: " וַיִּצְבְּאוּ עַל־מִדְיָן " – They encamped against Midyan. Ramban explains that this means the Jewish army surrounded Midyan on three sides, leaving one side open. This was a direct command from Hashem, meant to offer the enemy a chance to flee. Even in war, we are commanded to show mercy. And Ramban adds that this wasn't a one-time instruction—this principle of compassion applies to all future optional wars. Later, the Torah testifies that the Jewish army wiped out Midyan without losing even one soldier. It was openly miraculous. To confront such a large enemy with only 12,000 men and suffer no casualties was clearly the hand of Hashem. This pattern has repeated itself throughout Jewish history. We show compassion to our enemies—and we experience miraculous victories. In a recent conflict, the Israeli Air Force flew nearly 400 warplanes over Iran. Not a single jet malfunctioned. There were no mechanical failures, no planes struck by enemy fire, and not one pilot was injured or captured. Before the operation, Israeli defense officials estimated that between 400 and 800 civilians could be killed in Iranian missile assaults. Some projections feared that if Iran fired all of its 2,000+ ballistic missiles, the death toll could rise to 4,000. In the end, only 687 missiles were fired. Of those, 97% were intercepted. Iran also launched 1,200 drones—99% of which were downed by Israeli defensive systems. According to military experts, these numbers are almost statistically impossible. But when Hashem is protecting us, statistics do not apply. Although we did not merit a completely casualty-free outcome like the war against Midyan, we witnessed an unmistakable miracle. And it wasn't only us who saw it. Even non-Jewish journalists around the world began to acknowledge that something beyond nature is protecting the Jewish people. A British journalist by the last name Heath recently wrote an article exploring the world's irrational hatred for the Jews. He asked: Why does a nation this small inspire so much hostility? In his own words: A nation this small should not be this strong. Surrounded by enemies, condemned in the UN, targeted by terror, boycotted, slandered, and attacked—and yet, the Jewish people thrive in every area: military, medicine, technology, agriculture, security, intelligence, morality, and resilience. They turn desert into farmland. They make water from air. They intercept rockets midair. They rescue hostages from the heart of enemy territory. They survive wars they are supposed to lose—and they win. The world watches and can't explain it. So they grasp for explanations: American aid, high-tech trickery, some hidden secret—anything but the truth. Because the truth means admitting it's Hashem. By all logic, the Jewish people should have disappeared long ago. That's how the story of every exiled, enslaved, and persecuted minority ends. But the Jews didn't disappear. We are stronger than ever. There is no cheat code that can explain how a nation returns to its homeland after 2,000 years. There is no rational explanation for how a people go from gas chambers to global influence. There is no historical precedent for surviving the Babylonians, Romans, Crusaders, Inquisitions, Pogroms, and Holocaust—and still standing strong today. Israel doesn't make sense—unless you believe in something higher. And that's what drives the world crazy. Maybe history isn't random. Maybe evil doesn't have the last word. Maybe the Jewish people aren't just a nation—but a living proof that there is a G-d in the world. Once a person admits that Israel's survival is divine, his entire moral compass has to reset. Because then he is not watching the final chapter of a fallen people, but rather the unfolding of something eternal. So the world tries to deny it—but it is becoming more and more obvious. We are incredibly fortunate to be the Am Hashem. We must appreciate that privilege and honor it by living as true representatives of Hashem—through our Torah and our mitzvot.. Shabbat Shalom.