והנה איש מבני ישראל בא ויקרב אל אחיו את המדינית (שם שם ו). מה ראה לעשות כן, ללמדך שלא חלק כבוד לא לשמים ולא לבריות, ועליו נאמר זד יהיר לץ שמו עושה בעברת זדון (משלי כא כד), אמרה לו איני נשמעת אלא למשה, או לאלעזר, שהיא בת מלך, אמר לה אף אני גדול כמותן שלעיניהם אני מביאך, תפשה בבלוריתה והביאה אצל משה, אמר לו בן עמרם זו מותרת או אסורה, ואם תאמר שהיא אסורה, זו היא מדינית אותה שתחתיך מדינית, ומי התירה לך, נתעלמה ממנו הלכה, געו כולם בבכיה, היינו דכתיב והמה בוכים פתח אהל מועד (במדבר כה ו), למה בוכים, שנתרפו ידיהן באותה שעה, משל למה הדבר דומה, לבת מלך שנתקשטה ליכנס בחופה, לישב באפריון, ונמצאת מקלקלת עם אחר, נתרפו ידי אוהביה וקרוביה, כך ישראל בסוף ארבעים שנה חנו על הירדן לעבור אל ארץ ישראל, ושם נפרצו בזנות, ורפו ידי משה ויהי צדיקים עמו, ולמה נתעלמה הלכה ממנו, אלא כדי שיבא פינחס ויטול את הראוי לו, ולפי שנתעצל לא ידע איש את קבורתו, ללמדך שצריך אדם להיות עז כנמר וקל כנשר, לעשות רצון קונו שבשמים, ומיכאן אתה למד שמדקדק הקב"ה עם הצדיקים כחוט השערה.
(Numb. 25:6:) JUST THEN ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME AND BROUGHT A MIDIANITE WOMAN UNTO HIS FAMILY < BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. What reason was there for him doing so?121Tanh., 7:20; Numb. R. 20:24. <The incident serves> to teach you that he had respect neither for heaven nor for mortals. It is also stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24): AN INSOLENT122Heb.: Zed. Cf. above, Lev. 3:7, which argues that this word implies idolatry and the uncovering of nakedness. AND ARROGANT ONE, SCORNER IS HIS NAME; HE ACTS WITH ARROGANT WANTONNESS. Because <the woman> was a king's daughter, she said to him: I am surrendering to no one but Moses or Eleazar. He said to her: I also am as great as they are, in that I bring you before their eyes. <Then> he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him: Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden? Now if you say that she is forbidden, <because> this woman is a Midianite, <remember that> the very woman who is under you (as your wife) is a Midianite; and who permitted you to have her? The ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6): <BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, > AS THEY WERE WEEPING AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. Why were they weeping? Because they were discouraged for the time being. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy <and> for sitting in the <bridal> palanquin.123Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her beloved and her kinsfolk became discouraged. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years they had camped by the Jordan to cross into the land of Israel, and there they became lawless through whoredom. They made Moses discouraged and the righteous who were with him. But why did the ruling (halakhah) slip from his mind? It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because <Moses> had been indolent (in the execution of justice), (according to Deut. 34:6) NO ONE KNOWS HIS BURIAL PLACE. <This fact serves> to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator that <dwells> in the heavens. Moreover, from here you learn that the Holy One is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.
והנה איש מבני ישראל בא ויקרב אל אחיו את המדינית (שם שם ו). מה ראה לעשות כן, ללמדך שלא חלק כבוד לא לשמים ולא לבריות, ועליו נאמר זד יהיר לץ שמו עושה בעברת זדון (משלי כא כד), אמרה לו איני נשמעת אלא למשה, או לאלעזר, שהיא בת מלך, אמר לה אף אני גדול כמותן שלעיניהם אני מביאך, תפשה בבלוריתה והביאה אצל משה, אמר לו בן עמרם זו מותרת או אסורה, ואם תאמר שהיא אסורה, זו היא מדינית אותה שתחתיך מדינית, ומי התירה לך, נתעלמה ממנו הלכה, געו כולם בבכיה, היינו דכתיב והמה בוכים פתח אהל מועד (במדבר כה ו), למה בוכים, שנתרפו ידיהן באותה שעה, משל למה הדבר דומה, לבת מלך שנתקשטה ליכנס בחופה, לישב באפריון, ונמצאת מקלקלת עם אחר, נתרפו ידי אוהביה וקרוביה, כך ישראל בסוף ארבעים שנה חנו על הירדן לעבור אל ארץ ישראל, ושם נפרצו בזנות, ורפו ידי משה ויהי צדיקים עמו, ולמה נתעלמה הלכה ממנו, אלא כדי שיבא פינחס ויטול את הראוי לו, ולפי שנתעצל לא ידע איש את קבורתו, ללמדך שצריך אדם להיות עז כנמר וקל כנשר, לעשות רצון קונו שבשמים, ומיכאן אתה למד שמדקדק הקב"ה עם הצדיקים כחוט השערה.
(Numb. 25:6:) JUST THEN ONE OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CAME AND BROUGHT A MIDIANITE WOMAN UNTO HIS FAMILY < BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. What reason was there for him doing so?121Tanh., 7:20; Numb. R. 20:24. <The incident serves> to teach you that he had respect neither for heaven nor for mortals. It is also stated concerning him (in Prov. 21:24): AN INSOLENT122Heb.: Zed. Cf. above, Lev. 3:7, which argues that this word implies idolatry and the uncovering of nakedness. AND ARROGANT ONE, SCORNER IS HIS NAME; HE ACTS WITH ARROGANT WANTONNESS. Because <the woman> was a king's daughter, she said to him: I am surrendering to no one but Moses or Eleazar. He said to her: I also am as great as they are, in that I bring you before their eyes. <Then> he seized her by her braid and brought her to Moses. He said to him: Son of Amram, is this woman permitted or forbidden? Now if you say that she is forbidden, <because> this woman is a Midianite, <remember that> the very woman who is under you (as your wife) is a Midianite; and who permitted you to have her? The ruling (halakhah) slipped from his mind. They all wept bitterly. That is what is written (in Numb. 25:6): <BEFORE THE EYES OF MOSES AND THE EYES OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, > AS THEY WERE WEEPING AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING. Why were they weeping? Because they were discouraged for the time being. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king's daughter who had adorned herself for entering the wedding canopy <and> for sitting in the <bridal> palanquin.123Gk.: phoreion. When she was found indulging in immorality with another, her beloved and her kinsfolk became discouraged. So it was with Israel. At the end of forty years they had camped by the Jordan to cross into the land of Israel, and there they became lawless through whoredom. They made Moses discouraged and the righteous who were with him. But why did the ruling (halakhah) slip from his mind? It was simply so that Phinehas would come and receive his due. Moreover, because <Moses> had been indolent (in the execution of justice), (according to Deut. 34:6) NO ONE KNOWS HIS BURIAL PLACE. <This fact serves> to teach you that one must be as strong as a leopard and as swift as an eagle to do the will of his Creator that <dwells> in the heavens. Moreover, from here you learn that the Holy One is as meticulous with the righteous as a thread of hair.