The Jewish people have seen the fall of many of its enemies. Although many of them had commonalities, each one still had their own unique nature.

King David says in Tehilim “from my enemies I will become wiser.” Indeed, we can observe the evil conduct of our enemies and learn how to not to behave.

In this week’s Parsha, Moshe recounts the attack from Midian against the Jewish People. Midian did not target the Jewish people for strategic reasons. In fact, there would be no reason for them to feel threatened by the Jewish people. They attacked simply because of “baseless hatred.”

This baseless hatred stems from the ego. What we learn from this story, is to avoid this type of hatred at all costs.

Midian represents moments when we can have an inflated sense of self-importance. This can often make us feel intimidated by others, as the presence of others poses a threat to our own ego. As a result, while we may not intentionally wish harm on others, we may derive a sense of satisfaction or indifference when others face misfortune.

We contrast this when we focus less on our ego, and instead focus on our unique role and responsibilities, striving to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others and in the world at large.

Jewish Mysticism teaches us that we all have a G-dly soul which is pure, selfless and truly humble. The more we tap into that true part of ourselves, the more we move away from baseless hatred.

With this mindset, we feel others are not a threat to our existence, rather they are a golden opportunity for more growth. We can then take joy in the success of others, and become truly pained by other people’s moments of failure.

Let’s not choose the path of Midain, but rather we should follow the humble path that G-d has taught us in his Holy Torah.