Timeless Torah

He had led them out of Egypt. He had nourished them body and soul for forty years. He had brought them the Torah from heaven. He had squashed the rebellion of Korach, battled the giant of Bashan, and now he had brought them to the edge of the Promised Land. One would think that this consummate Jewish leader could finally rest easy. But Moses was given one final task; to lead the war against Midian.
Not only Moses, but all the tribes, even his own brethren, the Levites, were ordered to participate. This was highly unusual. Since the tribe of Levi had no portion in the Land of Israel, they had no reason to actively take part in the conquest. In contrast to the rest of the nation that was consigned to grapple with the challenges of material life, the Levites were the spiritual flank in the army of G-d. As such, they were to be separated from the harsh demands of this world and to spend their days, “Serving G-d and teaching His...laws to the community.”
Midian however, was different. It was not war to conquer territory or counter a threat, but a war to avenge the moral damage that had been inflicted.
Our Sages teach us that each person is a virtual universe consisting of diverse traits constantly at battle. Love battles pride, anger assaults empathy, and mind struggles with heart. Usually the internal, moral struggle of man is directed against a specific character flaw.
Once again, Midian is different. Unlike any other skirmish waged on the battleground of the soul, Midian is a war on war itself. The Hebrew word Midian means strife. The war on Midian is not a conflict involving some specific concern of the human drama. Instead, it attacks the actual discord within man. For man was meant to be a unified, harmonious creature. It is the Midian in man that is source of all dissension and the cause of all the fragmentation of the soul.
As a rule, the Tribe of Levi remains aloof from the physical struggles of life. Within each individual there is a little Levite. It is that sanctum of spirituality we each harbor in the essence of our souls. So while no life is free of struggle, we insist on an inviolable island of sacredness in our lives. This retreat is the core of our beings, the inner refuge that remains unsullied by the never-ending conflicts that are a part of our daily landscape.
But when it comes to Midian, every tribe and facet of the soul must take up arms. Indeed, it is only with the participation of the Levite within, that the war on strife can be waged.
How does one fight Midian? How does one restore unity to a person or world fraught with dichotomy? By delving even further into plurality. For such is the paradox of life: the more something is broken down to its particulars, the more we uncover opportunities for unity.
Take, for example, two physical substances. Your five senses perceive them as different and unconnected. Place them under a microscope however and you will discover that they probably share common elements.
The same principle holds true for the various dimensions of a person's character. The heart desires one thing, while the mind thinks it wishes another. But on a deeper level, their true motivation is what they believe is best for the person involved. On that they agree. This is the purpose of, “Moses, the Levite” within; to help us discover the harmony we were created for.