Waging War From Tranquility

כי תצא למלחמה

"When you go out to war against your enemies" (Devarim 21:10).

The piece opens with the verse from the beginning of the parsha about going out to war.

כי עיקר המלחמה צריך להיות כשיש לאדם מנוחה אז יוצא כדי להלחם אבל בשעה שצריכין להלחם אז הדרך מסוכן

For the essence of going out to war is that it must be done when a person has tranquility — then he goes out in order to wage war; but at the very moment when one is forced to fight, the path is fraught with danger.

The Sfas Emes distinguishes between fighting from a place of calm and being thrust into battle under pressure — true avodah of waging war is meant to flow from a settled, tranquil state, not from desperation amid danger.

וז"ש רש"י במלחמת הרשות הכ' מדבר כמ"ש כשהוא בן חורין אז יצא להלחם

And this is what Rashi means when he says that the verse is speaking of an optional war (milchemes hareshus), as he explains — that when a person is a free man (a ben chorin), then he goes out to wage war.

He brings Rashi's comment that the verse refers to an optional war, fought when a person is free and at ease, supporting the idea that real victory comes from a position of menuchah rather than distress.

וז"ש והי' בהניח ה"א לך אז תמחה זכר עמלק

And this is the meaning of "And it shall be, when Hashem your God gives you rest from all your enemies round about... then you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Devarim 25:19) — only then are you to erase the memory of Amalek.

He applies this to the mitzvah of blotting out Amalek, which the Torah ties specifically to the time when Hashem grants Bnei Yisrael rest from their enemies — the erasing of Amalek belongs to a moment of tranquility.

והי' לשון שמחה לפניו במרום כשבנ"י גוברין על האומות מתוך המנוחה כי הלא בוודאי בנ"י נבראו לעמוד נגד הרשעים רק אם לא היינו חוטאים הי' מתקנין הכל מתוך המנוחה

Now "v'haya" ("and it shall be") is an expression of joy — there is, as it were, joy before Him on high when Bnei Yisrael prevail over the nations from a place of tranquility; for surely Bnei Yisrael were created to stand against the wicked, except that had we not sinned, all of it would have been rectified from a state of tranquility.

The word "v'haya" hints at joy: there is delight before Hashem when Bnei Yisrael conquer the wicked nations out of menuchah, since they were created for exactly this purpose, and had they not sinned the whole tikkun would have unfolded calmly.

וע"י החטא צריך להיות המלחמה מתוך הגלות אבל כשיהי' מתוך המנוחה היא עיקר הרצון לפניו ית'

But on account of sin the war must be waged from within galus; whereas when it comes about from a state of tranquility, that is the essential will before Him, may He be blessed.

Because of sin, the battle is instead waged from within galus and struggle, but the deeper ratzon of Hashem is for it to be accomplished from a state of tranquility.

ובשעת המנוחה צריכין דייקא לזכור להלחם לכן כ' לא תשכח כי בשעה שהוא לוחם עמנו א"צ להזהר שלא לשכוח:

And precisely at the time of tranquility one must take care to remember to wage this war; this is why it is written "Do not forget" (Devarim 25:19) — for at the moment when He is fighting on our behalf, there is no need to be warned not to forget.

The danger of menuchah is forgetting the fight, so the Torah commands "do not forget" — precisely when one is at rest he must remember to wage this war, since when Hashem fights for us no such warning is needed.

Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that the avodah of waging war against the forces of evil is meant to be carried out from a place of menuchah — tranquility and inner freedom — rather than from the pressure and danger of desperate struggle. He links this to Rashi's reading of an optional war fought by a free man, and to the mitzvah of blotting out Amalek, which the Torah ties to the time when Hashem grants Bnei Yisrael rest from their enemies. The very word "v'haya" hints at the joy before Hashem when Bnei Yisrael prevail over the nations from a settled state, for this is the purpose for which they were created, and had they not sinned the entire tikkun would have come about calmly. On account of sin, however, the war is now fought from within galus, even though Hashem's deeper will is for it to be accomplished in tranquility. Because the peril of menuchah is complacency, the Torah warns "do not forget" — precisely in times of rest one must remember to wage this battle.