Dedicated to the refuah shelaima
of Moshe Aaron ben Necha Itta, Binyamin ben Simcha, Chaya Sara bas Esther Leah,
and Sharon bas Shoshana.
One of the discoveries I made
when I began studying Torah as an adult was that war was not something contradictory
to Torah - that it is something which the Torah actually commands of us, at
appropriate times. To be honest, I remember the first time I truly paid
attention to the final chapters of Megilas Esther and realized just how many
people were killed and I was truly taken aback. War, it seems, is a human
condition that Hashem does not expect people will live without.
Why this is so is, perhaps, an
impossible question to answer. And there are many life-realities that are
discussed in the Torah that we today find difficult to swallow – such as the fact
that slavery is not only not prohibited but is regulated within Torah law. It
is the tendency of every generation, of course, to believe that they have
reached the pinnacle of civilized thought, that they know better then those who
came before them, and that they will be able to live differently then the “barbaric”
ways of former generations.
If only that were so. And if only
the world did not see, time and time again, that the Torah’s dictates and boundaries
are astonishingly prescient of the needs of the Jewish people
War is the subject of the final
aliyah of Parshas Shoftim, and it is disturbingly appropriate for the final
weeks of 5785. Devarim 20, verses 10-21, discuss some of the most direct laws
of warfare. Before attacking a city not within the area which Hashem specifically
instructed Bnei Yisrael to conquer, the Israelite army must offer terms of
peace. If they do not accept peace and subjugation, the Israelite army should lay
siege. In foreign towns, the innocents (women and children) were to be allowed
to live, while in the cities of the land, total conquest was warranted “lest
they lead you into doing all the abhorrent things that they have done for their
gods and you stand guilty before Hashem your God.” The section concludes with the law not to cut
down fruit trees when besieging a city, but trees that do not produce fruit
might be cut down.
It seems unnecessary to point out
the relevance of the laws of siege to current history. However, we might need
to remember that the goal of siege is for there to be less warfare and more
surrender, and today we have both siege and warfare.
Perhaps though, the most
important part of Parshas Shoftim is that which comes before the last aliyah,
in the first 10 verses of Perek 20. Before the Israelite army goes to war, they
are to be addressed by a kohein, who shall say: “Hear, O Israel! You are about
to join battle with your enemy. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear,
or in panic, or in dread of them. For it is Hashem your God who marches with
you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory.” He then
calls forth those who can be exempted from armed service, allowing those who
are afraid or lacking in faith, to slip away.
The first section of Perek 20 drives
home several important points. Critical to how we behave is remembering our
relationship with Hashem. Our strength comes from our belief in Hashem. Additionally,
not forgetting that bein adam l’chavero is almost always as important as bein
adam l’Makom, and whether a comrade fights alongside or goes home to his
freshly planted vineyard, he is still part of the nation.
Here in the month of Elul, as we
reflect on that which is important heading into the Days of Awe, we can
remember that Am Yisrael’s strength – no matter whether in Israel or in chutz l’aretz
– is putting Hashem first in our vision and respecting our brethren.
Wishing you a good Shabbas.
No comments:
Post a Comment