ספר במדבר

‎ויהיו על מדין‎, a very unusual expression. It will help us to ‎understand this wording when we remember that it is a rule that ‎in our imperfect “lower” part of the universe, someone who is ‎morally inferior to an adversary who is superior will not be able to ‎successfully fight against the person on top of him. In the ‎scenario described in the Torah here, the Israelites had recently ‎sinned with the Moabite women, sleeping with them and, ‎according to our tradition, even indulging in idolatrous behaviour ‎prior to doing this. The Midianites were aware of this, and ‎therefore felt that they would have the “upper” hand in such a ‎confrontation. In order therefore to overcome the Midianites in a ‎‎“punitive” expedition such as the Torah decrees, the Israelites ‎had to quickly acquire great merits as a counterweight. This is ‎hinted at by Moses when he says: ‎ויהיו על מדין‎, “so that they can ‎overcome Midian,” i.e. occupy moral high ground.‎