Warning trumpets and Fire Chariots
The Parasha in our everyday life – Parashat Ba'alotcha 5782
Rabbi Eliezer Shenvald - Rosh Yeshivat Hesder 'Meir Harel' Modi'in
Dedicated to my friends who worked nonstop, nights and days preparing and managing the 'Chariots of Fire' war-exercise.
About a week ago, a month-long war-exercise under the name "Chariots of Fire" ended. An entire month's exercise, unprecedented in its length and scope and in the scenarios, it sought to deal with the abilities it expressed. It was a national exercise in which even the civic bodies took part (they take part in national emergencies). During previous months we were privileged to be partners in its preparation, and in the last month in its management. The exercise was covered extensively in all media by the IDF Spokesperson. It was designed to prepare the IDF and the various emergency bodies for complex security challenges that may evolve in all arenas in the future. From past experience we have learned that we must be prepared for security challenges as much as possible, so as not to be surprised. To be aware of the possibility that there may be a flare-up, and that it may flare up unexpectedly.
High readiness also raises the level of deterrence of our enemies. No doubt they watched it with interest and vigilance, and will think once more whether they should confront us.
At the same time, we marked last month, the Six Day War's 55th anniversary. A war of Defense and Salvation. A war that ended in great victory, and miracles. Perhaps because of this, attention was diverted from the fact that we were surprised by it. A few months before the Egyptians entered Sinai and threatened with war, the Military Intelligence Directorate estimated that there was no chance of a war that year. That Egypt would not act against Israel as long as its army is involved in the fighting in Yemen, and as long as it has a low-skilled army, and as long as unity is not achieved between all the Arab states (General Aharon Yariv, then head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, IDF Archives, file 1135). One of the miracles of the war was that the IDF, in all its units, regular and reserve, had three weeks to prepare for it.
On Shabbat Parashat Ba'alotcha, forty years ago, we went to war - Operation Peace for Galilee (The 1982 Lebanon War). On Saturday afternoon, a bus arrived at the settlement gate to recruit us for the war from the Yeshiva (Golan Yeshiva). After a brief inquiry, it became clear that we had to report to the Jordan camp in the Golan, only in the evening and there was no need for us to leave on Shabbat. The moment that is etched in my memory as if it were today, the gathering of the students with the Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Sugarman and the Yeshiva Rabbis. I remember the words of Rabbi Weizman (now Rosh Yeshivat Maalot) about the commandment of the trumpets and the purpose of the Trua'ah in war, which are mentioned in our Parasha:
עֲשֵׂ֣ה לְךָ֗ שְׁתֵּי֙ חֲצֽוֹצְרֹ֣ת כֶּ֔סֶף מִקְשָׁ֖ה תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹתָ֑ם וְהָי֤וּ לְךָ֙ לְמִקְרָ֣א הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וּלְמַסַּ֖ע אֶת־הַֽמַּחֲנֽוֹת׃
"Have two silver trumpets made; make them of hammered work. They shall serve you to summon [military bodies of] the community and to set the divisions in motion". (Bamidbar 10:2)
וְכִֽי־תָבֹ֨אוּ מִלְחָמָ֜ה בְּאַרְצְכֶ֗ם עַל־הַצַּר֙ הַצֹּרֵ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֔ם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹ֑ת וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵי֙ ה' אֱלֹֽקיכֶ֔ם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּ֖ם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃
"When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets, that you may be remembered before your G-d Hashem and be delivered from your enemies". (ibid 9)
And the prayers and blessings we received before our departure.
The trumpets were intended for the gathering of the people: "to summon military bodies of the community and to set the divisions in motion" (Pasuk 2). The gathering of the congregation and the presidents was by Tekiah:
וּבְהַקְהִ֖יל אֶת־הַקָּהָ֑ל תִּתְקְע֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תָרִֽיעוּ׃
"while to convoke [military bodies of] the congregation you shall blow long blasts, not short ones". (ibid 7)
On the other hand, the preparations for the trip were in Teruah
וּתְקַעְתֶּ֖ם תְּרוּעָ֑ה וְנָֽסְעוּ֙ הַֽמַּחֲנ֔וֹת הַחֹנִ֖ים קֵֽדְמָה׃
"But when you sound short blasts, the divisions encamped on the east shall move forward" (Ibid 5); and also in going to war:
וְכִֽי־תָבֹ֨אוּ מִלְחָמָ֜ה בְּאַרְצְכֶ֗ם עַל־הַצַּר֙ הַצֹּרֵ֣ר אֶתְכֶ֔ם וַהֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם בַּחֲצֹצְרֹ֑ת ...
""When you are at war in your land against an aggressor who attacks you, you shall sound short blasts on the trumpets…" (ibid 9)
Rabbeinu Bahya connects these two Teruot in the context of the war for the Land of Israel:
אבל למסע את המחנות היו תוקעין בתרועה שנאמר תרועה יתקעו למסעיהם, לפי שהנסיעה סימן למלחמה, שהרי מחנות ישראל לקראת שבעה עממין היו הולכים להלחם בהם ולכבוש את הארץ, ולכך היו מריעין בתחלת נסיעתן…
"In order to make the camps start journeying the kind of sound blown was the Teruah, shorter broken sounds, staccato-like. The reason, is that journeys called מסעות mean marching into war, i.e. involving the attribute of Justice. Basically, the journeys of the people of Israel were directed at dislodging the seven Canaanite nations from their homeland. It is the attribute of Justice which grants one victory in battle, and the Jewish people therefore alerted the attribute of Justice whenever they set out on their journeys” (Rabbeinu Bahya Bamidbar 10:2)
The Teruah before the war was intended to encourage and motivate:
"לפי שהאדם מהיותו בעל חומר צריך התעוררות גדול אל הדברים, כי הטבע מבלי מעיר יעמוד כישן, ואין דבר יעוררהו כמו קולות הנגון, ידוע הדבר, וכל שכן קול החצוצרות שהוא הקול הגדול שבכל כלי ניגון"
"As since man is physical, he requires great arousal to these things. For the way of nature is to stand asleep, and there is nothing as arousing as the sounds of music, [as is] well known - and all the more so, the sounds of trumpets, which is the greatest sound of all musical instruments". (Sefer HaChinukh 384:2)
Along with the Teruah, there was also a prayer to G-d:
אלא פי׳ והרעתם היינו תפלה שיזעקו ויתעוררו בתפלה עם החצוצרות.
…"and you shall sound short blasts"… these are prayers. Let them shout and awaken in prayer with the trumpets" (Haamek Davar on Bamidbar 10:9)
And because of it:
וְנִזְכַּרְתֶּ֗ם לִפְנֵי֙ ה' אֱלֹֽקיכֶ֔ם וְנוֹשַׁעְתֶּ֖ם מֵאֹיְבֵיכֶֽם׃
"you may be remembered before your G-d Hashem and be delivered from your enemies".
The Teruah served as a 'warning' to the enemies as well:
והרעותם בחצוצרות - לשבר כחם
"Sound short blasts on the trumpets so their strength will be sapped" (Tzror HaMor on Torah Bamidbar)
The words Teruah and Hatra'ah (warning) have a common root (Ibn Shushan dictionary). Before going to war it was necessary to warn, to prepare the people for it, so that it would not come as a surprise to them.