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The Hebrew word for woman is "isha", which includes both strict judgment and mercy. Every woman is called "judgment" until she grows to become a married woman, when she combines the feminine aspect of gevura with the masculine aspect of chesed.

"Separate [moblize] from amongst you men...and they will be against Midian."

According to the Midrash, these men were all righteous. Moses had to mobilize the kind of soldiers who had not indulged in sinful thoughts of illicit sex. Only those who knew that they could qualify under this heading would be considered for the contingent of 1,000 per tribe.

"If a person will make a vow to G-d"

These words can also be interpreted to mean "to create a dwelling place". Every Jew has a soul which is descended from the source of all Holiness and is intrinsically G-dly and he must prepare a dwelling place for this G-dly soul in the upper worlds.

In the First Temple era the Jews committed major sins that were clearly evil and therefore easily recognized and repented of. Their exile lasted only seventy years.

But during the Second Temple era, the primary sin of the Jews was senseless hatred; subtler and more difficult to correct. Thus the second exile lasts much longer, due to the length of time necessary to recognize the evil and repent.

When a person benefits from something in the world for the sake of Heaven, that object is transformed from mundane to holy. But there is a distinct risk that the actions of a person not on the proper spiritual level will lower him deeper into the malaise of the world. It is recommended for him to use oaths as a weapon to protect himself.