Parashat Shoftim

(ג) וְאָמַ֤ר אֲלֵהֶם֙ שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתֶּ֨ם קְרֵבִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֑ם אַל־יֵרַ֣ךְ לְבַבְכֶ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֧וּ וְאַֽל־תַּחְפְּז֛וּ וְאַל־תַּֽעַרְצ֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם׃ (ד) כִּ֚י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּכֶ֑ם לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם עִם־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֖ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם׃

(ה) וְדִבְּר֣וּ הַשֹּֽׁטְרִים֮ אֶל־הָעָ֣ם לֵאמֹר֒ מִֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר בָּנָ֤ה בַֽיִת־חָדָשׁ֙ וְלֹ֣א חֲנָכ֔וֹ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יַחְנְכֶֽנּוּ׃

(ו) וּמִֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־נָטַ֥ע כֶּ֙רֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א חִלְּל֔וֹ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יְחַלְּלֶֽנּוּ׃

(ז) וּמִֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־אֵרַ֤שׂ אִשָּׁה֙ וְלֹ֣א לְקָחָ֔הּ יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ פֶּן־יָמוּת֙ בַּמִּלְחָמָ֔ה וְאִ֥ישׁ אַחֵ֖ר יִקָּחֶֽנָּה׃

(ח) וְיָסְפ֣וּ הַשֹּׁטְרִים֮ לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־הָעָם֒ וְאָמְר֗וּ מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִמַּ֛ס אֶת־לְבַ֥ב אֶחָ֖יו כִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃

(ט) וְהָיָ֛ה כְּכַלֹּ֥ת הַשֹּׁטְרִ֖ים לְדַבֵּ֣ר אֶל־הָעָ֑ם וּפָ֥קְד֛וּ שָׂרֵ֥י צְבָא֖וֹת בְּרֹ֥אשׁ הָעָֽם׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 20:3-9

(3) He shall say to them, “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. (4) For it is your God Adonai who marches with you to do battle for you against your enemy, to bring you victory.”

(5) Then the officials shall address the troops, as follows: “Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it.

(6) Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but has never harvested it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another harvest it.

(7) Is there anyone who has paid the bride-price for a wife, but who has not yet taken her [into his household]? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another take her [into his household as his wife].”

(8) The officials shall go on addressing the troops and say, “Is there anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades flag like his.”

(9) When the officials have finished addressing the troops, army commanders shall assume command of the troops.

Read Deuteronomy 20:1–4, which introduces the procedures for going to war.
1. According to verse 1, what is God’s role when an Israelite warrior takes the field against his enemies? Why does the text, in your view, remind the Israelites that God “brought you from the land of Egypt”? What does this reminder suggest about the challenge confronting the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land?
2. What is the role of the priest in preparing the people for battle? In your view, what are the reasons for the priest’s involvement?
3. According to verses 1–4, what are the various roles God will play in the Israelites’ battles? What images of God are presented in these verses?

Read Deuteronomy 20:5–8, which concerns exemptions from war.
1. What are the exemptions from battle discussed in verses 5–7? What do these exemptions have in common? In your view, what is the purpose of these exemptions? What are the values at the root of these exemptions?
2. What is the exemption for a man who has “paid the bride-price for a wife, but who has not yet married her” (v. 7)? In your view, why is this exception important?
3. What does the exemption in verse 8 tell us about how the authors of the biblical text understood human psychology and its impact on troop cohesion?

https://wrj.org/learning/torah-study/torah-commentary/parashat-shoftim
***p.1158 text by Nili Wazana- perfect explanation

דברים כ׳:י״א-י״ב

(יא) וְהָיָה֙ אִם־שָׁל֣וֹם תַּֽעַנְךָ֔ וּפָתְחָ֖ה לָ֑ךְ וְהָיָ֞ה כׇּל־הָעָ֣ם הַנִּמְצָא־בָ֗הּ יִהְי֥וּ לְךָ֛ לָמַ֖ס וַעֲבָדֽוּךָ׃ (יב) וְאִם־לֹ֤א תַשְׁלִים֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ וְעָשְׂתָ֥ה עִמְּךָ֖ מִלְחָמָ֑ה וְצַרְתָּ֖ עָלֶֽיהָ׃

Deuteronomy 20:11-12

(11) If it responds peaceably and lets you in, all the people present there shall serve you at forced labor. (12) If it does not surrender to you, but would join battle with you, you shall lay siege to it;

רש"י על דברים כ׳:ג׳:א׳

שמע ישראל. אֲפִלּוּ אֵין בָּכֶם זְכוּת אֶלָּא קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע בִּלְבַד, כְּדַאי אַתֶּם שֶׁיּוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 20:3:1

שמע ישראל [AND HE SHALL SAY UNTO THEM] HEAR O ISRAEL — Even though you have no other merit than the fulfilment of the command of “Reading the Shema” you would deserve that He should help you (Sotah 42a).

רש"י על דברים כ׳:ה׳:א׳

ולא חנכו. וְלֹא דָּר בּוֹ, חִנּוּךְ לְשׁוֹן הַתְחָלָה:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 20:5:1

ולא חנכו [WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT HATH BUILT A NEW HOUSE] AND HATH NOT DEDICATED IT — i.e. has not yet dwelt in it. The term חנך denotes beginning a thing (here, it means beginning to live in it; cf. Rashi on Genesis 14:14).

חזקוני, דברים כ׳:ה׳:א׳

אשר בנה, אשר נטע אשר ארס, תנו רבנן למדה תורה דרך ארץ שיבנה אדם בית ויטע כרם ואחר כך יארש אשה וכן אמרו רבותינו במקום אחר הכן בחוץ מלאכתך זו בית ועתדה בשדה לך זו כרם אחר ובנית ביתך זו אשה וכדי ליראם במלחמה הזכיר משה שלשה אלו ולפי שמשלשה אלו הוכיחם בפרשת תבא אשה תארש בית תבנה כרם תטע ויהרהרו בלבם אם יארע להם תקלה במלחמה בשביל קללת משה הוא ולתת בלב החוטאים לשוב.

Chizkuni, Deuteronomy 20:5:1

אשר בנה, “who has built;” the Torah here teaches the correct order in which young men are to approach the subject of matrimony; first they have to make a commitment to the woman they have chosen; then they have to provide for their bride a place to live in; then they have to establish a sound economic base, such as planting a vineyard. Having done so, they may proceed to complete the wedding ceremonies. The reason why such people are excused from fighting in an expansionary war, is that their worries about if they will be able to complete their plans for the future will distract them from performing their military duties to the best of their abilities. They will worry that in spite of promises from G-d they may be or have been guilty of sins which will be used by G-d to withdraw His protection from them when they are facing danger.

רש"י על דברים כ׳:ו׳:א׳

ולא חללו. לֹא פְּדָאוֹ בַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית, שֶׁהַפֵּרוֹת טְעוּנִין לְאָכְלָן בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם אוֹ לְחַלְּלָן בְּדָמִים וְלֶאֱכֹל הַדָּמִים בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם:

Rashi on Deuteronomy 20:6:1

ולא חללו [AND WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT HATH PLANTED A VINEYARD] AND HATH YET NOT EATEN OF IT — לא חללו means, has not yet redeemed it in the fourth year of its growth, for the fruits had either to be eaten in Jerusalem or to be given a non-holy character (חולין), by exchanging them for money and the money’s worth to be consumed in Jerusalem (The phrase therefore means no more than: who hath not eaten of it).

רש"י על דברים כ׳:ח׳:ב׳

הירא ורך הלבב. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד בְּקִשְׁרֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְלִרְאוֹת חֶרֶב שְׁלוּפָה; רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר הַיָּרֵא מֵעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ, וּלְכָךְ תָּלְתָה לוֹ תוֹרָה לַחֲזֹר עַל בַּיִת וְכֶרֶם וְאִשָּׁה, לְכַסּוֹת עַל הַחוֹזְרִים בִּשְׁבִיל עֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבְּיָדָם שֶׁלֹּא יָבִינוּ שֶׁהֵם בַּעֲלֵי עֲבֵרָה, וְהָרוֹאֵהוּ חוֹזֵר אוֹמֵר שֶׁמָּא בָּנָה בַיִת אוֹ נָטַע כֶּרֶם אוֹ אֵרַשׂ אִשָּׁה (סוטה מ"ד):

Rashi on Deuteronomy 20:8:2

הירא ורך הלבב [WHAT MAN IS THERE] WHO IS FEARFUL AND FAINT-HEARTED — Rabbi Akiba said, Take these words as what they literally imply; they mean that he cannot stand in the dense ranks of battle and look on a naked sword. Rabbi Jose, the Galilean, said that it means one who is afraid of the sins he has committed, and therefore Scripture gave him the opportunity of attributing his return home to his house, his vineyard, or his wife, in order to veil the motives of those who really returned because of the sins they had committed, so that people should not know they were great sinners, and whoever saw a person returning would say, “Perhaps he has built a house, or planted a vineyard or betrothed a wife” (Sotah 44a).