Loyalty & Mashiach

As we complete Sefer Bamidbar, we finish the portion of the Torah directly dictated by Hashem to Moshe Rabbeinu. Sefer Devarim begins with Moshe's own words, reviewing the entire Torah with klal Yisrael.

How does Bamidbar end? With the daughters of Tzelafchad being instructed to marry within their own shevet, ensuring that their father's land remains within the tribe. What makes this the closing message of Bamidbar? What’s so special about the Bnot Tzelafchad?

Let’s rewind to the start of the parshah, when klal Yisrael carried out Hashem’s command to wage war against Midyan. All the men were killed; the women and girls were captured. Moshe then commanded the soldiers to kill all the women and girls over age three. Only 32,000 girls under three remained. That means hundreds of thousands of Midyanim were killed—men, women, and children over three. It’s a startling scene by modern standards—but this was commanded by Hashem through Moshe.

Why such severity? Rashi brings Midrashim that explain why Pinchas led the battle. One reason: he was taking revenge for his ancestor, Yosef HaTzaddik, who was sold by the Midyanim.

Why now? Why take revenge centuries later—and only on Midyan?

Midyan, or Midan, means machloket—division and strife. In Parshat Vayeishev, the Torah uses both “Midyan” and “Midan” during the sale of Yosef. Metzudat Tzion in Mishlei (6:14, 10:12) defines midan as argumentative. Midyan inserted themselves into Yosef’s sale. He didn’t look too different from his brothers and pleaded not to be sold. Midyan couldn’t resist jumping into a family dispute.

Fast forward 250 years: Midyan again interferes, drawing Klal Yisrael into sin. Bilam had advised Balak that Hashem despises immorality. Moav was understandably threatened by Bnei Yisrael. But Midyan had no reason to get involved—except that they thrived on conflict. It was their nature.

What’s more, Midyan was steeped in immorality. Offering their women—princesses even!—to cause klal Yisrael to sin showed how deeply corruption had spread. Even their children were influenced. Only those under three were deemed untainted.

Two traits defined Midyan: machloket and arayot (immorality). Chazal teach that Hashem desires to dwell among us like a chatan with a kallah. Matan Torah was our chuppah, and entering Eretz Yisrael was the culmination—bringing the kallah home.

But machloket destroys this union. It begins with complaints against Hashem (“It’s not fair...”), then spreads. It signals a lack of emunah—a breach in loyalty.

Immorality is even more severe—a total betrayal. In Egypt, during makat bechorot, multiple children in one home died. Why? Because families were riddled with disloyalty. Immorality drove away the Shechinah.

That’s why, in Parshat Pinchas, each family name was written with a “yud” and “hei”—Hashem’s Name—to signify that Bnei Yisrael remained pure in Egypt. Their loyalty ensured the Shechinah rested among them.

The Maharal writes that women are naturally more loyal than men. Why? Because Chavah was created from Adam—naturally connected to her source. Loyalty is her essence.

Midyan embodied the opposite: machloket and arayot. They sought to infect Klal Yisrael with these flaws to block the Shechinah and delay entry to Eretz Yisrael. This warranted their near-total destruction.

In contrast, the women of Klal Yisrael were loyal. All, except for Miriam, left Egypt and entered the Land. They trusted Hashem unwaveringly. Chazal say that in the merit of righteous women, we were redeemed from Egypt—and in their merit, we will be redeemed again.

We saw this contrast during the sin of the meraglim. The men listened. The women didn’t. To visualize: imagine a chatan escorting his kallah to the dream home he promised. Just before entering, her friend calls and warns, “It’s a haunted house! Danger lurks inside!” If the bride listens, that’s not loyalty—it’s betrayal.

The Torah ends with the Bnot Tzelafchad. They epitomize loyalty and emunah. They longed to enter Eretz Yisrael and trusted that Hashem’s plan was perfect.

With Tisha B’Av approaching, we daven that it transforms into a Yom Tov. The suffering of Klal Yisrael—the attacks on Torah, on Talmidei Chachamim, on Jews—are symptoms of galut.

But do we really want Mashiach? Some are afraid of change. Others hesitate for personal or material reasons. That hesitation reveals a lack of bitachon—a crack in our loyalty.

We must renew our trust in Hashem. To declare, “Everything He does is good.” To live with emunah, and to proudly stand as His loyal people.

May we be zocheh to greet Mashiach soon—and celebrate this Tisha B’Av as the ultimate redemption.

R’ Dovi Chaitovsky and his family have the zechut to live in Eretz Yisrael, where he dedicates himself to Torah learning and teaching in Yerushalayim Ir HaKodesh. His divrei Torah often draw from the shiurim of Rav Yisrael Altusky, shlit"a, which can be heard at kolhalashon.com.