Overcoming The Side Effects of War

The Parasha begins with the law of yefat toar, a woman taken captive in war who is desired by an Israelite soldier [v.10-14], and continues with matters which are apparently unrelated: a man who has two wives, one loved, the other hated [v.15-17]; the rebellious son (ben sorer umoreh); [v.18-21] and, then one who has been executed, whose body may not be hanged overnight [v.22-23]. Our Sages noted a causal connection: the law of yefat toar is a concession to human frailty, it is not the way of Torah. [see Rashi on verse 11] In turn, taking the yefat toar can lead to hating her, and the hatred between parents can lead to the rebellious son, and even to a murderer, as our Sages note that the rebellious son is executed as a pre-emptive measure to prevent his committing an act of murder. [Rashi v.18, quoting the Talmud and Midrash Sifrei]

My father explained that the Torah teaches the indirect effects of war: the negative impact upon the moral fabric of society. War can lead to the breakdown of family life, and with the loss of cohesiveness of the family, children drift away into delinquency. Human life can be cheapened by war, and often hatred of the enemy is not left on the battleground, but is brought home, thus in the aftermath of war there may be an increase in murder.

In its choice of words (the root word of “teitze” also provides the word which means “cost”), perhaps the Torah hints that before going to war, not only the cost in lives lost on the battlefield, but the indirect cost as well must be considered.

          As Rashi notes [v.10], the law of yefat toar applies only in a war which is permissible, but not mandatory. The Parasha ends with a mandatory war, that against Amalek. Perhaps the Torah wishes to teach that the motivation for a mandatory war (which Maimonides in Laws of Kings and Their Wars [5:1] defines as a war to save Israel from its enemies) will help overcome the potentially devastating side-effects of war.