The Plunder of Midian

המלקוח של מדין

B'Midbar 31. 32

32. ’Now the plunder was, over and above the spoils which the men of army took, sheep six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand-וַיְהִי הַמַּלְקוֹחַ יֶתֶר הַבָּז אֲשֶׁר בָּזְזוּ עַם הַצָּבָא צֹאן שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים (4328=17=8).

The verse can be divided so:

·         Now the plunder was, over and above the spoil which the men of army took-וַיְהִי הַמַּלְקוֹחַ יֶתֶר הַבָּז אֲשֶׁר בָּזְזוּ עַם הַצָּבָא (1575=18);

·         Sheep, six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand- צֹאן שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים (2753=17=8).

Rashi comments here that as there was no command to give a “Tribute to Hashem”-תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה from the non-animate movable property (“the spoil”- הַבָּז) but only from “the plunder”- הַמַּלְקוֹחַ (people and animals) the Torah only lists the plunder which is considered over and above (beyond) the spoils that the army took “each man for himself” (see verses 48-53 below as to the spoil- הַבָּז).

The verses of this passage detail the division of "the plunder"- הַמַּלְקוֹחַaccording to the ratios above.

The plunder

הַמַּלְקוֹחַ

189=18 or + 1 word=190=10=1

The total amount of plunder was:

675,000=18

Six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand

שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

2612+7 words=18

Divided so:

Six hundred thousand

שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף

1878+3 words=1881=18 (Peh 800)

And seventy thousand

וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף

539=17=8 or + 2 words=10=1

And five thousand

וַחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים

915+2 words=17=8

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675,000=18

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