Matot-Masei | The Detailed Tax on the Spoils of Midian, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Why were the spoils of the war with Midian divided in such an unusual manner? 

In Bamidbar 31, the Torah presents, in exact (and seemingly superfluous) detail, the spoils of the war against Midian, along with an exact accounting of the Divinely mandated levy placed upon the nation (2%) and the warriors (.2%) for their respective halves of the Midianite spoils. This detailed accounting, including some simple division, would seem to be unneeded and strains our general assumption of the Torah's avoidance of verbosity. Exploring the nature of this war, along with the double-edged vengeance - on behalf of God as well as on behalf of the people - we suggest an approach to understanding this "wordy" presentation that is instructive for generations.

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