A secure and protected Torani area
Parsha and its realization - Parshat Bamidbar - Shavuot - and the war of the 'Iron Swords' 5784
Rabbi Eliezer Haim Shenvald
Dedicated to the IDF soldiers' success, to safeguard them lest any harm come to them, to the healing of all the wounded and the return of the abducted.
In any area where protection is required, it must be located far from the danger point. Defense should be moved away, as far as possible, to create a 'security space' between them, thus removing the chance of the danger materializing.
This is a fundamental principle in the security field. However, history shows that it was not often observed, and the paid price was a heavy one.
Supporters of the Disengagement Plan *1 which caused Gush Katif’s destruction, and the expulsion of its residents from their homes, tried to justify their support with an argument that pretended to be 'professional – security aimed': withdrawing from an area where there is security friction, and staying behind a border - a fence and a land barrier - would buy improved security. Especially if the obstacle is supported by sophisticated technological means. The Chief of Staff and the head of the Shin Bet at the time warned that beyond the fence, a Hamas state would be created that would endanger the existence of the State of Israel. However, the supporters ignored it and even claimed that if, despite the withdrawal, we were attacked, there would be international legitimacy to strike the enemy with a powerful and deterrent blow.
This same approach led to the unilateral withdrawal from the security zone in southern Lebanon, five years before. The supporters explained to the public that the move was successful, and as evidence, it was followed by peace and prosperity in the settlements on the northern border. Although it was a deceptive silence, which resulted from Hezbollah's need to strengthen and fortify the area, above and below the ground surface, to prepare for the day of command. The 'experts' and 'those who are in the know' disagreed. Immediately after the withdrawal from Lebanon, a kidnapping occurred, which did not receive an adequate response.
After the disengagement, rockets began to be fired from Gaza, hitting the Gaza envelope settlements in the border. About three years after the disengagement, we were forced to go on Operation Cast Lead, a ground operation inside Gaza. As a result of it, the 'Goldstone Report' *2 was written accusing Israel of war crimes.
One of the tactical principles in 'battle theory', which has not changed for thousands of years, is that: קו המגע לעולם ייפרץ 'they will always manage to break through the first line of defense and therefore the defense should be built in several lines’ - always take into consideration that the border might be crossed. In the first lessons in the officers’ training base, we learned that: effective defense requires a sufficiently deep 'security space', which keeps the enemy’s military force away from the population across the border. Also, there is no ground obstacle that will stop the enemy if he is not backed up by an effective military force controlling it with fire. A determined enemy will always find a way to break through the obstacle or bypass it.
From a strategic point of view, the risk of the enemy crossing the border and harming the civilian population must be prevented in advance, ensuring that the enemy will be significantly removed from the border, that he will not have the means and ability to cross the border and harm civilians. Or deter them in such a way that any attempted attack on their part will exact a heavy and unbearable price on them.
The terrible price of not complying with these principles and others we paid on Simchat Torah.
Have we learned the lesson? Will this affect the 'day after' resolutions?!
Parashat Bamidbar deals with the preparation for the journey to conquer the land. The number of the people 'ready for battle’ and the division of the camp into four companies, with the Levi camp and the Tabernacle in the middle:
צוה למנות את החיילות שיחנו סביב למלך ושראויין להלחם וחילק לארבעה דגלים כדי שיחנו לארבע רוחות המשכן כי כן דרך כבוד למלך ששריו ועבדיו מקיפין אותו והוא באמצע ודרך כשרוצה להכניסן במלחמה לימנות הצבא וכן היו עושים מלכים הראשונים כשנכנסין במלחמה מונין חיילות …וכן צוה הק' לימנות את חילו ולסדרם על דגליהם כי בעשרים בחודש זה נסעו להתקרב להלחם בכנענים אלא שמנעום המרגלים
"Commanded to count the troops who would camp around the King, and who are fit for battle. He split [them] into four companies, in order that they camp on the four sides of the Tabernacle, as such is the manner of honoring a king, that his officers and servants surround him, while he [remains] in the center. It is also the manner [of a king] that when he wants to enter into war, he counts his troops, as was done by the early kings when they entered into war – they would count their troops… Similarly, the Blessed Holy One commanded to count His army and to organize them in their companies, since on the twentieth of this month they traveled (Bamidbar 10:11) to approach the Canaanites and attack them, but the spies prevented them [from actually going to war against the Canaanites]” )Bekhor Shor Bamidbar 1:1)
The organization of the camp in four companies was also intended for the purpose of securing the camp in the desert: during journeys, while encamping and attacking the enemy:
כדרך כל מחנה שיש לו ד׳ משמרות לד׳ רוחות. והמלך או השר באמצע. וכן היו ישראל נוסעים בדגלים לד׳ רוחות העולם כמוזכר שם. והארון אדון כל הארץ והלויים באמצע. ולכן משה רבם ומלכם. סדרם כסדר מחנות ההולכים למלחמה לד׳ רוחות העולם והמלך והזקנים באמצע.
"Like any camp that has four guarded sides to the four cardinal directions, and the king or the officer in the middle. This way, the Israelites moved to the four cardinal points, as mentioned there. And the Tabernacle and Levites in the center. Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu arranged them according to the companies’ order when going to war, the four cardinal directions of the world, and the king and the elders in the middle...” (Tzror HaMor on Torah Shmot 13:17:1)
According to the Battle Theory: the first company was the 'front guard' - moving from the front, observing and creating a security space in front.
A 'rear guard' - whose role is to secure the rear so as not to be attacked from behind. And 'two flank guards' - the two sides, securing the exposed flanks, because the movement and gaze are usually directed forward.
We find these same principles in the civil safety laws, which require safety factors to keep the danger away.
The same is true in the world of Torah and holiness. At Mount Sinai, it was necessary to create a security space at the bottom of the mountain to prevent dangerous climbing to Mount Sinai:
וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל ה' לֹא יוּכַל הָעָם לַעֲלֹת אֶל הַר סִינָי כִּי אַתָּה הַעֵדֹתָה בָּנוּ לֵאמֹר הַגְבֵּל אֶת הָהָר וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ... וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְהָעָם אַל יֶהֶרְסוּ לַעֲלֹת אֶל ה' פֶּן יִפְרׇץ בָּם.
"Moshe said to Hashem, "The people will not be able to go up to Mount Sinai for You Yourself warned us, saying, 'Set a border for the mountain and sanctify it... but the priests and the people should not break forth to go up to Hashem lest He burst forth against them." (Shmot 19:23-24)
The same way we were commanded to observe the Mitzvot:
וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה and make a fence round the Torah. (Pirkei Avot 1:1)
וַעֲשׂוּ סְיָג לַתּוֹרָה. גָּדֵר שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹא לִגַּע בְּאִסּוּר תּוֹרָה… דִּכְתִיב (ויקרא יח) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת מִשְׁמַרְתִּי, עֲשׂוּ מִשְׁמֶרֶת לְמִשְׁמַרְתִּי:
"And establish a fence for the Torah": A hedge, in order that he not come into contact with a Torah prohibition…as is written (Vayikra 18:30), “You shall keep my guard;” [meaning] ‘Make a safeguard for my safeguard.” (Bartenura ibid)
*1 The Disengagement Plan - Israel disengagement from Gush Katif 2005 - 21 settlements in the Gaza Strip and four in the West Bank.
*2 The UN Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, also known as the “Goldstone Report”, was a UN fact-finding mission established in April 2009 following the Gaza War as an independent international fact-finding mission "to investigate all violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law by the occupying Power, Israel, against the Palestinian people throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, due to the current aggression".