Parshat Shoftim: "A Time NOT For Fear"

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August 13 2010
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U-mi ha-ish ha-yare ve’rach ha-levav,” whoever is fearful and fainthearted, “yelech ve’yashov le’veiso,” let him go and return to his house, “ve’lo yi’mas es le’vav echav kilvavo,” and that way he won’t melt the heart of his brothers (Devarim 20:8). 


With all of the soldiers standing at attention and ready for war, the kohen mashu’ach milchamah would announce a number of “deferments” from army service.  


Individuals who had either built a house but not yet dedicated it, or who had planted a vineyard and not yet redeemed it, or who had betrothed a woman but not yet married her were all exempt from battle. Additionally – and most intriguing – “ha-yare ve’rach ha-levav,” any soldier who was “afraid” was also discharged.  


The Mishna (Sota 44a) quotes a machlokes regarding the nature of this final deferment. Rabbi Akiva understands, simply, that it refers to the fear of battle. Rabbi Yossi Ha-Galili, however, disagrees, and claims that it refers to “ha-misyare min ha-averos she’biyado,” those individuals who feared that their spiritual shortcomings would make them especially vulnerable to the ravages of war. 


Elaborating on the opinion of R Yosi Ha-Galili, the Gemara explains that this fear could even be the result of an individual transgression, and according to one opinion, even if that transgression was just an issur derabanan, of a rabbinic prohibition.  


In light of this ruling Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk raises an obvious question: With the bar set so high, how large could the Jewish army have possible been? How many people would really have nothing – not even an issur derabanan – to fear? How many soldiers could honestly claim innocence from any and every possible wrongdoing and confidently head out to battle?  


The Kotzker suggests a remarkable answer by creatively reinterpreting the phrase, “ha-misyare min ha-averos she’biyado.” Clearly not everyone who sinned left the battle; that would be completely unrealistic. Rather, the exemption was specifically for someone who, despite having already repented, was still distressed over past transgressions. In other words, even though he had already done teshuvah, nevertheless he still felt like “averos she’biyado;” the memory of the transgression was still “in this hand” and it was still haunting him to the extent that he remained distraught and discouraged. A person who could not move beyond past transgression lacked the necessary inner strength and confidence to be a warrior in the Jewish army and was, therefore, sent home from battle. 


In addition to explaining the law of military exemption, the Kotzker’s insight also touches on a larger and incredibly important component of religious life. Clearly genuine repentance requires that we be honest with ourselves and confront past mistakes; otherwise there can be no charatah, sincere regret, a necessary component of the teshuvah process. At a certain point, however, we must have the confidence to “pick ourselves up” and move on with self-assurance and pride.  


There is a time and place for everything. Certainly there is a time for cheshbon ha-nefesh, introspection, and there is even a time, pre–teshuvah, to fear the results of sin. But there is also a time when we must move forward. If we are forever focused on previous indiscretions we risk becoming paralyzed by them. If a person dwells too much on the mistakes of the past he will never be able to create a better future. There comes a time when we should no longer be “misyare min ha-averos she’biyado” and instead we must be focused on going forward and the many inevitable opportunities to perform new mitzvos.  


With less than a month remaining until Rosh Hashanah this is a timely and crucial message to internalize. Achieving this delicate balance of past and future is not only a requirement for soldiers in the Jewish army; it is an essential component of every person’s avodas Hashem.

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    Learning on the Marcos and Adina Katz YUTorah site is sponsored today by Judy & Mark Frankel & family l'ilui nishmos מרדכי בן הרב משה יהודה ע"ה and משה יהודה ז"ל בן מאיר אליהו ויהודית and by the Polinsky Family to commemorate the 5th Yahrzeit of Gil Polinsky, Gedalyahu Gootmun Chaim ben Yaakov Dov