Our
parasha presents the laws of those soldiers who are sent back from the
front, among them one who “is afraid or faint-hearted” [Deuteronomy 20:8]
The
Mishna [Sota 44a] presents a difference of opinion concerning the
definition of one who is afraid and faint-hearted:
Rabbi Akiva says “afraid
and faint-hearted” is to be understood literally, one who is unable to stand in
to stand in battle ranks and see a sword drawn. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says
“afraid and faint-hearted” refers to one who is fearful because of his transgressions
… Rabbi Yose says a high priest who married a widow, an ordinary kohen
who married a divorcee… (that is, only if the transgression is forbidden by the
Torah, not by rabbinic injunction, as opposed to the opinion of Rabbi Yose the
Galilean)
The Talmud [ibid.] explains that Rabbi Yose
the Galilean [and presumably Rabbi Yose as well] agrees with Rabbi Akiva that
one who is literally afraid of going into battle is sent away from the front.
This, indeed, is the simple implication of the words “lest he melt his
brethren's heart as his own heart,” or as the Talmud phrases it “the beginning
of defeat is in running away.”
The
Halacha explicitly limits the return of soldiers from the front to a
permissible war (against nations other than the nations of Canaan, in order to
expand the borders of Israel and to increase the fame of the king: Maimonides
Laws of Kings and Their Wars 5:1), whereas in a mandatory war (against the
seven nations of Canaan, against Amalek or to rescue Israel from an adversary
who attacks: Maimonides, ibid.), “all go to war, even the groom from his room
and the bride from her canopy.” [Maimonides Laws of Kings 7:4]
The
question which begs asking is: what difference does it make that the war is
mandatory, one who is afraid or faint-hearted will still run from the battle
and “the beginning of defeat is in running away.”
My
father answered that in a permissible war it is possible for a soldier to
question whether the war is truly justified, and therefore he can be fearful;
however, in a mandatory war there should be no fear. That is, there is an
aspect of faith involved: in a mandatory war it should be clear that Israel is
following God’s will, and therefore the soldiers can rely on divine providence.
This being the case, there should be no reason to be fearful.
The
aspect of faith is inherent in the negative mitzva “by which we are
forbidden to fear heretics in time of war or to retreat before them.”
[Maimonides Book of Mitzvot, negative mitzva #58]
Thus
Maimonides phrases the mitzva in Laws of Kings 7:15]:
Once the soldier enters
battle, he must rely on the Hope of Israel [Jeremiah 17:13] and the nation’s
Savior in times of need, and realize that he is fighting for the unity of God’s
name, and he should place his life in his hands and he should not fear nor
dread, and not think of his wife nor his children, but wipe their memory from
his heart and free himself from everything else to do battle. Anyone who begins
to think [such thoughts], reflect on them during war and frighten himself has
violated the negative mitzva, as is stated [Deuteronomy 20:3]: “Do not
be faint-hearted,
do not be afraid, do not panic, and do not break ranks before them.”
Furthermore, the blood of all Israel is upon him, and if he does not wage war
with all his heart and soul, it is considered as if he shed the blood of the
entire people, as the verse [ibid.] states: “lest he melt his brethren's heart
as his own heart.”
The
Torah does not expect us to achieve super-human levels, and if the Torah
forbids being afraid during battle, clearly the soldier has the ability to
overcome his fear by focusing his thoughts on the fact that he is doing God’s
will and “fighting for the unity of God’s name” and on behalf of His people.
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