So there were delivered from the thousands of the Bnei Yisrael a thousand from each shevet.[1]
Rashi explains the significance of this “delivery.” We are told about it, he says (citing Chazal), to show the praiseworthiness of the great shepherds of Israel. Before Moshe received word of his impending death, he faced so much resistance, that he thought his life was in danger. “A bit more, and they will stone me.”[2] However, once the people learned that Moshe would die after concluding the military campaign against Midian, they balked at showing up for service. They had to be delivered – coerced by Moshe to participate.
Now, this certainly speaks well of Moshe. But it indicates how beloved he was to the people, not so much about his praiseworthiness. Additionally, Chazal could have left out the line about the earlier tensions between Moshe and the people. They could have simply stated that when the people heard that the very last thing that Moshe would do was lead the battle against Midian, they refused to go out to battle – showing their deep affection for him.
An observation of Ramban will begin our unravelling of the mystery. He points out that Moshe was dogged by the suspicion of many that he sometimes acted in his own self-interest, rather than that of the people. They saw him as seeking his own honor, or some similar consideration. This ended in our parsha. Acting expeditiously against Midian to avenge the honor of the people would bring his life to an end. A lesser person would have found reason to procrastinate. Moshe didn’t. He put the honor of the Bnei Yisrael ahead of his own life. This left no room to doubt his devotion to the people, and his selflessness. The people got the memo.
I believe that it was for this very reason that Hashem made Moshe’s death contingent on his prosecution of the war against Midian. Hashem wanted to demonstrate to the entire people that their suspicions were unfounded. Moshe was the most devoted leader that could be found.
When this realization set in, the people responded with an outpouring of love. And they refused to contribute to the war effort. They had to be delivered by Moshe’s order to the fighting force.
When a person tries to act selflessly on behalf of another, and the beneficiary reacts with suspicion and hostility, the benefactor is greatly pained. He usually reacts by withdrawing. Having his good intentions questioned and rejected, he draws back, not wishing to be further injured. Moshe, however, loved his people so intensely, that even when they reacted to his love with hatred, he nonetheless placed their interests ahead of his own. He saw them ready to stone him – and moved forward nonetheless with unflagging devotion to them.
This, then, was Moshe’s praiseworthiness that Chazal spoke of. His early devotion to his people had been met with the cruelest response – that Moshe acted for his own kavod. Moshe was not fazed by the sting, and continued his selfless tending to their needs. He persisted long enough that his opponents regretted their earlier assessment, did an about-face, and became his devotees.
So devoted, that they had to be dragged to the battle, because they wanted to delay Moshe’s death.