With faith and spirit, we shall win

Parshah and its implementation - Parshat Behukotay- and the Iron Swords War 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 the coming week, we will celebrate “Jerusalem Day” commemorating the reunification of Jerusalem and the anniversary of the Six Day War. Although I was a child, I remember with excitement the great moment when we heard on the radio the call: 'The Temple Mount is in our hands', Rabbi Goren Zt'l blowing of the shofar near the Western Wall, the paratroopers singing 'Jerusalem of Gold' and their voices breaking down in tears and excitement.

We will also mark the anniversary of the beginning of the ‘Lebanon War' which falls this week according to the Gregorian calendar. This war broke out fifteen years later. I remember this war better; I was a commander by then. There, too, we met the bravery and strength of the IDF soldiers. After that, we stayed in Lebanon for several years. In 2000 (5760) the IDF withdrew from Lebanon, and in 2006 we fought the 'Second Lebanon War', we returned to Lebanon for a second time.

Since Simchat Torah, we have been waging a war against Lebanon once again parallel to the main war in Gaza - as a multi-arena war. This war is the hardest of the wars I have ever been in. On the one hand, in this war, the soldiers' bravery and their willingness to fight reaches its peak. During the war, I met with many commanders and soldiers.  The mood in the combat units is an empowering and uplifting feeling of unity. There is a special spirit amongst the combat units. It is evident in the content of the commanders' orders to go into battle.

Simchat Torah’s tragedy greatly strengthened the Jewish identity, the unity, and the connection to Judaism of the general public. This is evident and can be seen on the battlefield. Before going into battle, units stand together in formation, religious and non-religious, place their hands on each other's heads, and say the prayer together before going into battle, read together 'Shema Yisrael' and blow the shofar. Almost all soldiers, even those who are not religious wear Tzitzit. In Gaza, common prayers are held for everyone, Shabbat meals with songs, mezuzahs are fixed, and Torah scrolls are brought in with them. Chanukah candles were lit and a Megillah reading was organized on Purim. You see more soldiers studying Torah inside Gaza during breaks from fighting - Daf Yomi, Rambam, Emunah, etc., and organize Torah classes for themselves. When the units leave the fighting area in Gaza, they gather in a formation led by the commanders where they say the Gomel blessing together.

In conversations with the commanders and soldiers, I feel the strength of their faith. That faith gives them the energy to deal with difficult situations in battle. I got this same feeling while visiting those who were wounded and are recovering in the hospitals. The same feeling you hear in the powerful eulogies of bereaved parents and widows. Its effects can be seen in the extraordinary achievements of the soldiers in the field.

The strong spirit passing among the fighters gives the leadership strength to continue fighting until victory is achieved and to make decisions in dilemmas.

Parshat Behukotay opens with the promise of reward for keeping the Torah and the Mitzvot:

אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֺתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם .וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ ...וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד...  וּרְדַפְתֶּם אֶת אֹיְבֵיכֶם וְנָפְלוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם לֶחָרֶב. וְרָדְפוּ מִכֶּם חֲמִשָּׁה מֵאָה וּמֵאָה מִכֶּם רְבָבָה יִרְדֹּפוּ וְנָפְלוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶם לִפְנֵיכֶם לֶחָרֶב. וּפָנִיתִי אֲלֵיכֶם וְהִפְרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם וַהֲקִימֹתִי אֶת בְּרִיתִי אִתְּכֶם... וָאֶשְׁבֹּר מֹטֹת עֻלְּכֶם וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמְמִיּוּת.

“If you walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit… I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid... You shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall chase one hundred, and one hundred of you shall chase ten thousand, and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. I will turn toward you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and will establish my covenant with you… and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright”. (Vayikra 26:3-13)

A very important element of the promised reward is that we will be victorious in wars over our enemy, and lasting peace will be achieved.

אם נלך בחוקות ה׳ ונשמור ונעשה את מצוותיו, הרי שעשינו את כל הנדרש מצדנו לכונן את רווחתנו הגשמית, החברתית והמדינית. כל השאר יבוא מיד ה׳. אם נלך בחוקותיו, נהיה טהורים מבחינה מוסרית. אם נלמד את מצוותיו ונשיב אותם אל לבנו, נהיה משכילים ברוחנו ומדקדקים במעשינו. ואם נעשה את מצוותיו, נהיה מקיימי הצדק והחסד עלי אדמות. בזכות זה ישחרר ה׳ את ארצנו מהמערכת הפיזית והמדינית של שאר העולם. הוא ישרה שלום בין שמים לארץ כך ששום דבר לא יעמוד בניגוד למאמצינו. כל היסודות יפעלו במשותף לקדם ולהשלים את הצלחתנו, שכן הצלחה זו אינה אלא מימוש רצון ה׳ בארצו של האדם.

"If we follow G-d's laws and keep and do His commandments, we have already done everything that is expected from us to establish our physical, social, and political well-being. Everything else will come from Hashem. If we follow His statutes, we will be morally pure; if we learn His commandments and observe them, we will be educated in our spirit, and meticulous in our actions.  And if we do His commandments, we will be the founders of justice and kindness on earth. To this action’s merit, Hashem will free our country from the physical and political connection of the whole world. He will create peace between heaven and earth, so nothing stands in the way of our efforts. All the elements will work together to promote and complete our success, for this is nothing but the fulfillment of G-d's will on man’s earth". (Rabbi Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, Vayikra ibid).

Some interpret this reward as miraculous and unnatural. (Abarbanel Devarim 4:15). However, the Midrash links the observance of Behukotay’s Torah laws to the influence on the forces of nature and creation:

חֻקִּים שֶׁבָּהֶם חָקַקְתִּי אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה לג, כה): אִם לֹא בְרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי, חֻקִּים שֶׁבָּהֶם חָקַקְתִּי אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת הַיָּרֵחַ… חֻקֹּת שֶׁבָּהֶם חָקַקְתִּי אֶת הַיָּם… חֻקּוֹת שֶׁבָּהֶם חָקַקְתִּי אֶת הַחוֹל... חֻקִּים שֶׁבָּהֶם חָקַקְתִּי אֶת הַתְּהוֹם…

“Statutes [Chukim]” with which I set the heavens and the earth, as it is stated: “If My covenant with day and night would not be, had I not set the statutes of heaven and earth” (Yirmiyahu 33:25). Statutes with which I set the sun and the moon… Statutes with which I set the sea… Statutes with which I set the sand... Statutes with which I set the depths…” (Vayikra Rabbah 35:4)

קיום חוקי התורה ועמל התורה פועלים לטובה על הכוחות בטבע לטובת עם ישראל

“Observance of the laws of the Torah and study the Torah, work on the forces of nature to benefit the people of Israel”. (Pri Tzadik ibid)

Rashi makes it clear that the generous reward that G-d promises us in the Parsha will come for keeping the Mitzvot and laboriously study the Torah:

אם בחקתי תלכו. יָכוֹל זֶה קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִיתֶם אֹתָם הֲרֵי קִיּוּם הַמִּצְווֹת אָמוּר, הָא מָה אֲנִי מְקַיֵּם אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ? שֶׁתִּהְיוּ עֲמֵלִים בַּתּוֹרָה

“If you walk in My ordinances — One might think that this denotes the fulfillment of the commandments; but when Scripture states “and you shall keep My commandments and do them”, in this passage there is mentioned the “fulfillment of the commands”. How then must I explain אם בחקתי תלכו? As an admonition that you should study the Torah laboriously”. (Rashi Vayikra 26:3)

Studying the Torah for its own sake strengthens the Jewish identity, the belief in the righteousness of the path, and strengthens the spirit:

כְּשֶׁלּוֹמְדִים תּוֹרָה לִשְׁמָהּ עוֹשִׂים חֶסֶד עִם כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל. הָא כֵּיצַד, רוּחַ הָאֻמָּה מִתְחַזֵּק עַל יְדֵי מַה שֶּׁבָּנֶיהָ מִתְפַּרְנְסִים בְּפַרְנָסָתָם הָרוּחָנִית מִפְּרִי רוּחָהּ, וְהַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ הִיא מְלֵאָה רוּחַ יִשְׂרָאֵל, … וְנוֹתֵן לְהָאֻמָּה כֹּחַ וְשִׂמְחַת חַיִּים לְהִתְעוֹדֵד וְלָקוּם.

“When you learn Torah for its own sake, you are doing a favor to the nation of Israel. How is this possible? The nation’s spirit is strengthened by the fact that the people get their spirituality from learning the Torah, and the entire Torah is filled with the spirit of Israel, ... this gives the nation strength and joy of life to persevere and rise”. (Orot HaTora 2)

The intense study of the Torah, and the valor of the study in the Beit Midrash, reflect on the strength of the spirit when going out into battle, and the divine help for the success of the war for all the soldiers. On this connection, the Sages commented on the verse:

עֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלָ͏ִם.

"Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem". (Tehillim 122:2)

עומדות היו רגלינו. במלחמה בכל מקום בשביל שעריך ירושלים שעוסקין בהן בתורה

"Within your gates: Our feet were standing in battle everywhere because of the gates of Jerusalem, where they were engaged in Torah" (Rashi).

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי מי גרם לרגלינו שיעמדו במלחמה שערי ירושלים שהיו עוסקים בהם תורה.

"Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, 'What caused our feet to stand in the battle against the gates of Jerusalem?' It was because they were engaged in the study of Torah". (Midrash Tehillim 122)

With faith and spirit, we shall win!