The verse states: “when you will wage war over your enemy and see horses and chariots, forces larger than yours, do not fear, as Hashem your G-d who brought you out of Egypt is with you.” (Devarim 20:1) How can the Torah request us not to fear, it is a natural reaction to what is in front of our eyes? Is it really possible to overcome fear? Let us analyze who were those soldiers chosen to wage war and how many were they. Battle Cry of the Jew approaching war correctly may be more difficult than waging war itself. In order to prepare Klal Yisrael for war a series of queries were presented to them. Soldiers who were newlywed or had recently built new homes or planted new vineyards were told by the Kohen to leave the army and return home. Furthermore, soldiers who were faint of heart morally or spiritually because they may have sinned were asked to return home so as not to weaken the hearts of others in battle. Only Tzadikim were accepted on the battlefield and no more than 1000 per tribe, despite the amount of the enemy forces. Additionally, it was required of them to be “יםִ מָּ ת .“This word signifies completeness and perfection, without any flaw. A korban, an offering, for example, must be “יםִ מָּ ת ,“free from any blemish. Rav Hirsch writes that the Torah ‘demands the completeness of our devotion, the devoting of every phase, without exception, of our being to Hashem as the most direct result of our consciousness of the ‘Oneness’ of Hashem … We are not to cut the slightest particle of any phase of our life away from Hashem, we are to be with Hashem with our complete life, with every fiber of it.’ The reason being as the Kohen will give a moral boosting speech and crown the Oneness of Hashem. It is a privilege to be part of it, and only an unblemished individual who wholeheartedly believe in Hashem can participate. The Kohen opens with the most famous words, “Shema Yisrael — Hear Oh Israel! You are about to approach battle on your enemies. Let you hearts not whither and do not fear, tremble, or be broken before them. For Hashem who will go with you, fight with you, and save you” (Devarim 20:3-4). Rashi comments on the hauntingly familiar expression of “Shema Yisrael — Hear oh Israel!” Those words are the national anthem of the Jewish nation whose doctrine of belief is contained in the declarative that follows. “Hashem our G-d Hashem is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). Rashi connects the pre-battle speech in Parashas Shoftim with the famous words read weeks earlier in Parshas Va’eschanan. He explains that the Kohen’s prologue is used as a hint to Hashem. The Kohen is declaring that “even if the Jewish people have only the merit of the words Hear oh Israel, they are worthy to be victorious and saved.” Yosef Mendelevitch was a Refusenik imprisoned in a work camp by Soviet Union authorities because he refused to give up his religious convictions. He made a kipah, which he wore proudly in the work camp. Once the KGB colonel in charge of the camp heard of Mendelevich’s behavior, he summoned him to his office and threatened him. “Take that off your head or I will kill you!” he demanded. Mendelevich was not moved. “You can kill me, but I will not take it off.” The officer was shocked by Yosef’s calm attitude. In desperation he grilled him. “Are you not afraid to die?” Mendelevich just smiled softly. “Those who will die by the commands of Brezhnev are afraid of death. However, those who believe that our death will be by the command of G-d are not afraid of His command.” This personifies the true “Shema Yisrael”, which connects our sincere and wholehearted faith to the Oneness of the Almighty, at which point there is no more fear. Those words kept our faith and calm-headedness throughout every death-defying and death-submissive moment throughout our history. During the Spanish inquisition, it was on our lips. During the Crusades it was shouted in synagogues about to be torched. And during the Holocaust Shema Yisrael was recited by those who walked calmly to meet their Creator. The Chofetz Chaim used to urge soldiers to constantly repeat the Shema Yisrael during battle. Till Mashiach comes it will remain our proud and unifying National Anthem. The following story gives us a hint of what Trust in Hashem can accomplish: Rabbi Leib (Zalkind) Batlan is not well known today but was a respected figure in his time. He was the Rabbi of the city of Daugavpils (in Yiddish Denenburg or Dvinsk), he possessed a remarkable grasp of Torah and an impeccable memory, able to cite offhand any given place from the entire Babylonian Talmud as though he had just finished reviewing it. He was also a chassid of the first three Rebbes of Chabad. Rabbi Leib had a wealthy son, who was a contractor by trade and had earned his fortune supplying food and clothing to the Czar’s military. The government found his services useful as well, employing him for the occasional construction project. Our story begins when the son had just finished building a military installation in Denenburg. High-ranking generals arrived for an inspection and began scouring the entire facility for the smallest faults, also sniffing around for any misplacement of funds. They found nothing, expressed their approval, and departed. The son sighed, relieved it was over. But then, to his surprise, Czar Nicholas himself arrived for an inspection. The Czar appeared with a pompous detail of Russia’s most decorated generals. The son, along with the architects, showed the Czar around and described the ingenuity of the building’s layout. As the group was entering one of the wings of the building, the Czar stopped and pointed at a wall. “This wall is crooked,” he said, turning to look at the son. “It looks like it’s about to fall.” A terrifying silence ensued. Silent looks were thrown around, frantically trying to pinpoint the one responsible. But before anyone could reassure the Czar, a voice spoke up. “I don’t think the wall is crooked, Your Majesty.” The stunned group slowly swiveled their heads in the direction of the voice, unable to believe their ears. It was the Jew, who stood there white as a sheet, blinking sweat out of his eyes. The Czar’s features darkened. “Put this man in irons,” the Czar snapped at some soldiers loitering in the background. “Perhaps he’ll learn some manners while rotting in jail.” Handcuffed and head down, the son was promptly thrown into a dark cell. His father, Rabbi Leib, usually learned all week in the synagogue, which housed a local cheder he directed, and returned home only for Shabbat. When word of the son’s imprisonment reached his mother, she dropped whatever she was occupied with and rushed to the synagogue to inform her husband. He nodded, but seemed unbothered. Confident in G-d’s kindness, he encouraged his wife to return home and continue on as usual. The Czar had just left Denenburg when he abruptly stopped, a frown clouding his face. Amidst exchanges of curious glances from his entourage, the Czar sent a messenger back to Denenburg with an urgent order: inform the prison warden to immediately release the jailed contractor. Needless to say, the Czar’s word was soon implemented, and the son was released. No explanation was heard from the Czar, who continued his traveling as though nothing had happened. The strange occurrence kept his generals guessing and sparked furious debates for most of the journey, until someone finally had the courage to pipe up. “What would’ve happened, Your Majesty, if this Jew sat in jail for a few more days? After his defiance, this man is undeserving of your urgent attention. His release could’ve been achieved with a simple letter sent in a few days.” The Czar was silent for a few moments, evidently formulating a response. “Do you remember,” began the Czar, “the military parade in Petersburg a few years back? I had been curious to see whether loyalty was ingrained in our military. Whether their training had pushed the soldiers far enough. I visited each camp personally and requested from each general to have their soldiers demonstrate their unit’s capability. Most performed spectacularly, but there was one unit that was so poorly trained that I was sick to my stomach, so I had the general dragged away to a cell. And I forgot all about him. “One day, I visited some prison, hoping to learn more about the men housed there and their conditions. A warden showed me around some of the cells, informing me as we moved along of each prisoner’s backstory and crime. At random, I asked to walk inside a particular cell and came face to face with that same general. He was different now, his clothing ripped and foul and a beard adorning his face, but no doubt it was him. I asked him why he was here, and the general reminded me of his crime, bitterly adding that he had been locked up for over two years. Feeling rather contrite, I apologized and had him released.” The Czar regarded his generals with a puzzled look. “This general sat in jail for over two years, yet I never remembered him. Never recalled his face. The contractor from Denenburg, however, kept flashing in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t think of anything else. That is when I realized perhaps it’d be wise to let him go.”

By Rabbi Fridmann * [email protected] * 305.985.3461

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