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In answer to Mishpacha's challenge to "Let's Talk Straight" http://shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com/2013/07/lets-talk-straight-about-what-torah.html, I am respectfully raising clear and obvious references from Parshat Matot that show that a Jewish army is integral to Torah!
Let us not delude ourselves into believing that one that learns Torah stands for Torah and one that joins the army is against Torah. Both are Chayalim and are integral parts of the army. In fact, in Parashath Matot, the war against Midian in Perek 31 is proof that not only is fighting the Torah way, the personal holiness of the soldier is an important factor in the success of the military operation. In the Medrash, (see below), Jews that were davening were standing in prayer near the battlefield! In Perek 32, Moshe's rebuke to the Tribes of Gad and Reuvein to fight with their brethren in very strong terms must resonate in our ears! (I don't see how those of us in Chutz LeAretz are exempt from the Israeli army either)
Numbers Chapter 31 בְּמִדְבַּר
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In the Stone Edition:
All the Tribes, including Levi (Rashi to v. 4) were equally represented in the fighting force.
on vs. 14
"With the Commanders of the Army: Because it was their responsibility to see that appropriate actions be taken, it was to the officers that Moses directed his anger. This teaches us that when the leaders of the generation have the power to reproach, they are responsible for the failures of the nation (Rashi).
"With the Commanders of the Army: Because it was their responsibility to see that appropriate actions be taken, it was to the officers that Moses directed his anger. This teaches us that when the leaders of the generation have the power to reproach, they are responsible for the failures of the nation (Rashi).
In The Midrash Says page 406 it says "Moshe selected a small army of 12,000 Tzaddikim (righteous men), a thousand per Tribe. None of them had sinned with the Moabite women. Those who had sinned were not worthy of avenging the Almighty. Another thousand Jews from each Tribe were chosen to guard the belongings of the army and to supply food and a third thousand per Tribe stood in prayer near the battlefield." Bamidbar Rabbah 22:3 Tiferet Zion.
Not one life was lost in this battle!
Further on in the Parsha, Moshe responded very forcefully and critically of Bnei Gad and Bnei Reuvein. In the Stone Chumash Perek 32, 6-15 the commentary states "Understanding the two tribes to be asking for the right to settle on the east bank and not participate in the long and hard war to conquer Eretz Yisroel for their brethren, he [Moshe] accused them of forsaking their fellow tribes in a time of danger"
The following Pesukim are very strong proof that it is our obligation to go armed nto battle to conquer Eretz Yisroel and drive out the enemy. Perhaps Meir Kahana based his teachings on these very Pesukim.
6. [Thereupon,] Moses said to the descendants of Gad and the descendants of Reuben, "Shall your brethren go to war while you stay here? | ו. וַיֹּאמֶר משֶׁה לִבְנֵי גָד וְלִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ פֹה: | |
Shall your brethren: This ['hey'] denotes a question. | האחיכם: לשון תמיהה הוא: | |
7. Why do you discourage the children of Israel from crossing over to the land which the Lord has given them? | ז. וְלָמָּה תְנִיאוּן אֶת לֵב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעֲבֹר אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם יְהֹוָה: | |
Why do you discourage: You turn aside and dissuade their hearts from crossing, for they will think that you are afraid to cross because of the war and the strength of the cities and the people. | ולמה תניאון: תסירו ותמניעו לבם מעבור שיהיו סבורים שאתם יראים לעבור מפני המלחמה וחוזק הערים והעם: | |
8. This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh barnea to explore the Land. | ח. כֹּה עָשׂוּ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם בְּשָׁלְחִי אֹתָם מִקָּדֵשׁ בַּרְנֵעַ לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָאָרֶץ: | |
from Kadesh-barnea: This was its name; there were two places called Kadesh [one Kadesh-barnea and one Kadesh unmodified]. | מקדש ברנע: כך שמה, ושני קדש היו: | |
9. They went up to the Valley of Eshkol and saw the land, and they discouraged the children of Israel from crossing into the land which the Lord has given them. | ט. וַיַּעֲלוּ עַד נַחַל אֶשְׁכּוֹל וַיִּרְאוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וַיָּנִיאוּ אֶת לֵב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבִלְתִּי בֹא אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם יְהֹוָה: | |
10. The anger of the Lord flared on that day, and He swore, saying, | י. וַיִּחַר אַף יְהֹוָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיִּשָּׁבַע לֵאמֹר: | |
11. 'None of the men from the age of twenty years and over who came out of Egypt will see the land that I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, for they did not follow Me wholeheartedly, | יא. אִם יִרְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹלִים מִמִּצְרַיִם מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה אֵת הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב כִּי לֹא מִלְאוּ אַחֲרָי: | |
12. except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they followed the Lord wholeheartedly.' | יב. בִּלְתִּי כָּלֵב בֶּן יְפֻנֶּה הַקְּנִזִּי וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן נוּן כִּי מִלְאוּ אַחֲרֵי יְהֹוָה: | |
The Kenizite: He [Caleb] was the stepson of Kenaz, to whom Caleb's mother bore Othniel [see Jud. 3:9]. — [Sotah 11b] | הקנזי: חורגו של קנז היה, וילדה לו אמו של כלב את עתניאל: | |
13. The anger of the Lord flared against Israel, and He made them wander in the desert for forty years until the entire generation who had done evil in the eyes of the Lord had died out. | יג. וַיִּחַר אַף יְהֹוָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיְנִעֵם בַּמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה עַד תֹּם כָּל הַדּוֹר הָעֹשֶׂה הָרָע בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה: | |
He made them wander: He moved them about from place to place, as in נָע וָנָד"a wanderer and an exile" (Gen. 4:12). | וינעם: ויטלטלם. מן נע ונד: | |
14. And behold, you have now risen in place of your fathers as a society of sinful people, to add to the wrathful anger of the Lord against Israel. | יד. וְהִנֵּה קַמְתֶּם תַּחַת אֲבֹתֵיכֶם תַּרְבּוּת אֲנָשִׁים חַטָּאִים לִסְפּוֹת עוֹד עַל חֲרוֹן אַף יְהֹוָה אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל: | |
to add: לִסְפּוֹת like"add (סְפוּ) year to year" (Isa. 29:1), and"add (סְפוּ) your burnt offerings" (Jer. 7:21); it denotes addition. | לספות: כמו (ישעיה כט, א) ספו שנה על שנה, (ירמיה ז, כא) עולותיכם ספו וגו', לשון תוספת: | |
15. If you turn away from following Him, He will leave you in the desert again, and you will destroy this entire people." .... | טו. כִּי תְשׁוּבֻן מֵאַחֲרָיו וְיָסַף עוֹד לְהַנִּיחוֹ בַּמִּדְבָּר וְשִׁחַתֶּם לְכָל הָעָם הַזֶּה: |
20. Moses said to them, "If you do this thing, if you arm yourselves for battle before the Lord, | כ. וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם משֶׁה אִם תַּעֲשׂוּן אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אִם תֵּחָלְצוּ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה לַמִּלְחָמָה: | |
21. and your armed force crosses the Jordan before the Lord until He has driven out His enemies before Him, | כא. וְעָבַר לָכֶם כָּל חָלוּץ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה עַד הוֹרִישׁוֹ אֶת אֹיְבָיו מִפָּנָיו: | |
22. and the Land will be conquered before the Lord, afterwards you may return, and you shall be freed [of your obligation] from the Lord and from Israel, and this land will become your heritage before the Lord. | כב. וְנִכְבְּשָׁה הָאָרֶץ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה וְאַחַר תָּשֻׁבוּ וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִּם מֵיהֹוָה וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְהָיְתָה הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לָכֶם לַאֲחֻזָּה לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה: | |
23. But, if you do not do so, behold, you will have sinned against the Lord, and be aware of your sin which will find you. | כג. וְאִם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן כֵּן הִנֵּה חֲטָאתֶם לַיהֹוָה וּדְעוּ חַטַּאתְכֶם אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא אֶתְכֶם: |
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Sincerely,
Robin Ticker
Activist emails sent to my list are L'Ilui Nishmat Yisrael ben David Aryeh ob"m (Izzy - Kaplan) and Howard Chaim Grief great activists and lovers of Eretz Yisroel, Am Yisroel and the Torah. Yehi Zichronum Baruch. May their memories serve as a blessing.
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
Personal emails to individuals will not be posted to my blog.
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