Parshas Shoftim 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Aug 29
- 2 min read
מי האיש הירא ורך הלבב ילך וישב לביתו ולא ימס את לבב אחיו כלבבו ... (כ-ח)
The Torah says that one who is afraid and soft-hearted is exempted from the army. Rashi quotes Rav Yosi HaGlili, who says that this refers to those who are afraid of the עבירות שבידם. Because Klal Yisroel’s wars are not fought by conventional rules of war, but through Divine providence, and to merit that, our soldiers must not have even the slightest transgression to their name.
The Maskilim in the city of Brisk once staged a parody in which they mocked the Torah’s way of waging war. A group of men wrapped in tallis and tefillin walked onstage and made a few announcements: “Whoever built a house and did not dedicate it should go back to his home!” A few men left the stage. “Whichever man planted a vineyard and didn’t benefit from it should return to his vines!” A few more soldiers left. “Whoever betrothed a woman but did not marry her yet should return to his wife!” Yet another bunch of soldiers deserted the battlefield. When the commander announced, “Whoever is afraid and of soft heart should go back to his home!” the rest of the platoon left, leaving but two people, mockingly costumed as the elderly Chofetz Chaim zt”l and R’ Chaim Brisker zt”l, to fight the battle alone. A group of local Jews, enraged at the affront to the Torah and to the two Gedolei Hador, went to R’ Chaim himself to inform him of what had happened. To their surprise, R’ Chaim replied that everything in the play was true! That is exactly how going to war would look like according to the Torah.
“But,” R’ Chaim added, “the Maskilim forgot to finish the story. Indeed, only the tzaddikim went to war - and they won!”
This basic hashkafah is lost on many people today, who speak of drafting Yeshivah bachurim against the daas Torah of Gedolim of our and previous generations, into an army which is not known to care much about the עבירות שבידם. We can only pray that Hashem will return all the Yiddishe soldiers who are fighting in the current war, safely home and that the Jewish people merit the ultimate victory through the Hand of Hashem and bring Mashiach tzidkeinu bekarov.