A short Insight into SHOFTIM, Chapter 20 By Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller

The Zohar in Parshas Sh'mini gives us an insight into why so many of B'nei Yisrael died before wiping out most of the males of the tribe of Binyamin. Hashem as many messengers, the Zohar relates, to fulfill His mandates. Even the wild animals are his agents. As the possuk says, (Vayikra 26), “I will send the animals of the field onto you and they will leave you bereft of your children.” Even the non Jews and even the Jews are the agents of Hashem. Sometimes a rasha is handed over to a tzadik. However, a rasha is never sent as an agent to punish another rasha. How do we know this? We know this from the story of “Pilegesh B'givah”. Even though the tribe of Binyamin was liable, many battles were fought. Many from the other tribes perished in the initial battles before the tribe of Binyamin was almost wiped out. Why did so many die first? They also were liable. Because they had significant liabilities in Hashem's ledger, they were not fit to be agents for punishment. However, once the other tribes were left with only those that were meritorious and thus fit to be agents of Hashem, did the tribe of Binyamin succumb.