Physical versus Spiritual Giants

And God said to Moses: do not fear him.

                                                    Numbers 21:34    

Our Sages wonder why Moses feared Og but not Siḥon, whom he fought shortly before his battle against Og.

Rabbi Yochanan, quoting Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai, says… [Moses said] perhaps the virtue of Abraham will stand for Og, as the verse [Genesis 14:13] says: “and the one who escaped came and informed Abraham the Hebrew” [of his nephew Lot’s captivity]. And “the one who escaped” is Og. Babylonian Talmud, Nidda 61a

The Talmud’s wording (“the virtue of Abraham will stand for Og”) seems odd as it does not impute affirmative merit to Og for having informed Abraham of Lot’s plight. It would seem that our Sages wish to convey that Og, being less than righteous, had no independent merit. Having done a favor for Abraham, Og would have “cashed in” on Abraham’s merit, but would not have achieved the level of having his own merit.

Midrash Breishit Rabba [42] states that Og, who hoped to be able to take Sarah if Abraham were killed attempting to rescue Lot, was selfishly motivated to inform Abraham of Lot’s capture. Tosafot [Zeh Og, Nidda, ibid.] note that despite Og’s impure motives in performing a favor for Abraham, the mere fact that he had done so would allow Og to benefit from Abraham’s merit. The essential lesson is that one must appreciate the positive things others have done for him, even if those things were done out of selfish motivation.

Maharal of Prague expresses amazement at the Talmudic comment: how is it possible that Abraham’s merit would serve Og and not Abraham’s own descendants?

Maharal explains the Torah’s description of Og as a giant to mean that he was a physical giant. By contrast, Moses was a spiritual giant. In a clash between the physical and the spiritual, it is the spiritual which will prevail. However, when a physical giant also has a spiritual aspect, a most powerful combination is created. Thus, Moses feared that Og, having helped Abraham, may have taken on some of Abraham’s merit. Og may have added a spiritual dimension to his physical prowess, allowing him to overcome Moses’ spiritual superiority. However, as Og had not integrated any of Abraham’s spiritual merit, G-d assured Moses that he need not fear Og.