Jill Levy writes about the difficulty in reading this text—the killing of the Midianite men, capturing women and children, plundering, and then killing all women of the age of intimacy.  She proposes that a study of such challenging texts can enable us to navigate the disturbing realities of our own world.  For instance, while Moses was angry at Reuben and Gad for choosing to remain on the east side of the river.  However, they did not deny their responsibility to the people, but were traumatized by war and needed to protect themselves.