1. The Two Procedures for Making Midianite Vessels Usable
After the war with Midyan, the Jewish people brought back vessels from the spoils. In order to use these vessels, two distinct procedures were required. The first was the sprinkling of mey chattas—the water mixed with the ashes of the por aduma, or red heifer. This process was necessary because anything that came into contact with a corpse became spiritually impure and needed this special purification, as previously discussed in relation to por aduma. Moshe Rabbeinu instructed them regarding this purification process. The second procedure was introduced by Elozor, who had taken over certain priestly functions after Aharon’s passing. Elozor taught that before using these vessels, they also needed to be koshered—purged of any absorbed non-kosher food. This requirement is based on the posuk here: any vessel that had absorbed non-kosher food through use must be purged, either by fire or water, depending on how it was used.2. The Process and Reason for Koshering Vessels
The reason for koshering is straightforward: when a vessel is used with non-kosher food, it absorbs some of that food into its walls. To prevent this absorbed non-kosher residue from mixing into future kosher food, the vessel must be purged according to halacha. There are various methods for doing this, depending on how the vessel was used—for example, if it was used over fire or with boiling water. Rashi points out an interesting detail: while Moshe Rabbeinu taught about removing spiritual impurity through sprinkling, it was Elozor who taught about koshering the vessels. This division raises a question: why didn’t Moshe Rabbeinu teach both laws?3. Moshe Rabbeinu’s Forgetfulness and Rashi’s Explanation
Rashi explains that Moshe Rabbeinu actually forgot the laws of koshering vessels at this moment. He did not teach them because he forgot—a mistake attributed to him becoming angry. Rashi notes that whenever Moshe Rabbeinu became angry in the Chumash, he made mistakes or forgot halachos. This is not an isolated incident; Rashi cites several places where Moshe Rabbeinu’s anger led to error. In our case, his anger stemmed from seeing that Bnei Yisrael allowed all the Midianite females to live after battle, even though they were responsible for causing Bnei Yisrael to sin through Bilaam’s scheme involving Midianite women.4. The Justification and Consequences of Moshe’s Anger
Moshe Rabbeinu had a legitimate reason for his anger: allowing these women to live contradicted Hashem’s command and led directly to previous tragedies among Bnei Yisrael due to sinful relationships. He instructed that all women of age should be put to death along with all male children; only young girls not yet of age could be spared. This scenario parallels King Shaul’s story in Tanach when he failed to completely destroy Amalek as commanded by Hashem. Shaul had good intentions but did not follow Hashem’s instructions precisely, leading Shmuel Hanavi to rebuke him harshly—demonstrating that listening exactly to Hashem outweighs personal reasoning or good intentions. Despite Moshe being correct in his anger and rebuke, Rashi still highlights that anger led him to forget halacha—a critical lesson about emotional control even when justified.5. Lessons About Anger and Mistakes in Leadership
The Rebbe elaborates on why Rashi singles out this episode: here, Moshe Rabbeinu forgot an actual halacha due to his anger—a more significant mistake than in other cases where perhaps only a ruling went against him but his reasoning remained sound. In this instance, Moshe assumed that sprinkling mey chattas would suffice both for removing impurity and for purging non-kosher absorption from vessels. This was a bigger error than previous ones because it involved forgetting a practical halacha entirely. Even though Moshe’s anger was justified (unlike other episodes such as when Bnei Yisrael wanted water in the desert), we learn an important lesson: even justified anger can lead one astray and cause mistakes in judgment or memory.6. Practical Applications: Handling Anger Constructively
This narrative teaches us a powerful message about discipline and emotional control in our own lives. Whether disciplining children or dealing with disagreements (such as between spouses), it is crucial not to act or speak while angry. If you feel anger rising, it is best to pause and refrain from saying anything until you have calmed down. Both sides in any conflict are susceptible to saying hurtful things when angry—words they might regret later if they had taken time to reflect first. Even when one is justified in their feelings (as Moshe Rabbeinu was), acting out of anger can lead to real mistakes. Therefore, we see from Moshe Rabbeinu himself how essential it is not only to be right but also to maintain composure so as not to err in judgment or action due to emotion. This lesson applies all the more so when our own reasons for anger may be less justified than his were.