Parashat Matot

In this week’s Parashah, God orders Moshe before his death to take revenge on the people of Midian for inciting Am Israel to engage in idolatry and promiscuity, which led to the death of 24,000 members of Am Israel. The Midianim and their cities were destroyed. Subsequently, God orders Moshe to divide the spoils, one half for the soldiers and the other for Am Israel. But surprisingly, the soldiers express to Moses their desire to donate the gold and silver jewelry as a sign of gratitude to God for saving them during the war. But if God had commanded them to fight, it was obvious that He would protect them, why then should they thank Him? It is known that the victories of all the wars of Am Israel depended on the spiritual level in which they were. In fact, if any soldier felt insecure because of his sins, he was exempted from going to fight. The Midianites had caused great spiritual damage leaving their sinful mark in Bnei Israel, which could have culminated with the defeat in the war. The thanksgiving to God was for keeping them spiritually stable before the war. Our lives are a permanent war, against our ego, envy, anger, sadness. To win the battle, it is essential to connect whith our Divine compass.