Drawing Near to Battle

בפסוק והי' כקרבכם כו' ונגש הכהן כו'

On the verse, "And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle... the Kohen shall approach..." (Devarim 20:2).

The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's verse describing the Kohen who addresses the soldiers before they go out to battle.

ודרשו חז"ל ד' לשונות נגד פעולות האומות בכלי זיינם כו'

And Chazal expounded that the four expressions correspond to the actions of the nations with their weapons of war.

Chazal teach that the verse's fourfold language of encouragement parallels the four ways the enemy nations would wage their warfare.

והענין כי בעת בואם למלחמה לש"ש ניתן להם התחזקות משמים ונתעורר מדת החסד כמ"ש ונגש הכהן

And the matter is that at the time when Bnei Yisrael came out to war for the sake of Heaven, they were granted a strengthening from Heaven, and the attribute of chesed was aroused, as it is written, "And the Kohen shall approach."

When Bnei Yisrael go to war for the sake of Heaven, Heaven sends them a special strengthening, awakening the attribute of divine kindness through the Kohen's approach.

ואלה הכחות לחזק לבם כמו שהיו האומות מכינים עצמם בכמה עצות בעיני בשר שלהם

And these were the powers to strengthen their hearts, just as the nations would prepare themselves with various strategies according to their physical reckoning.

Just as the nations bolstered their own courage through worldly tactics, Hashem provided Bnei Yisrael with spiritual powers to fortify their hearts.

כך הכין להם השי"ת כענין שנאמר רבות מחשבות כו' ועצת ה' היא תקום ויתכן ג"כ שהתעורר בחי' יצ"מ שהי' בד' לשונות של גאולה

So too did Hashem prepare for Bnei Yisrael, in the manner of that which is said, "Many are the thoughts in a man's heart, but the counsel of Hashem is what shall stand" (Mishlei 19:21); and it is also fitting to say that the aspect of Yetzias Mitzrayim was aroused, which was through the four expressions of geulah.

Hashem's plan prevails over all human schemes, and this strengthening may also reflect the energy of the redemption from Mitzrayim, expressed in the four terms of geulah.

וזה הכהן הוא שלוחו דרחמנא ואמר ואל תערצו כו' ונעשה בדבורו רושם

And this Kohen is the messenger of the Merciful One, and he said, "And do not be terrified..." (Devarim 20:3), and through his speech an impression was made.

The Kohen acts as Hashem's emissary, and his words of reassurance leave a real, lasting impression on the soldiers.

ולכן אח"ז דברו השוטרים מי האיש הירא כו' שלא נתחזק לבו אחר דברי הכהן ילך וישוב לביתו כו' ובוודאי אלו היוצאים למלחמה היו אנשים גדולים מאוד כאשר חכמים הגידו השח בין תפילין חוזר מעורכי מלחמה

And therefore, afterward the officers spoke, "Who is the man who is fearful..." (Devarim 20:8) — that whoever's heart was not strengthened after the words of the Kohen, let him go and return to his house; and surely those who went out to war were exceedingly great men, as the Chachamim told us that one who converses between the laying of one tefillin and the next returns from the ranks of war.

Whoever was not fully strengthened by the Kohen's words was sent home, yet even these soldiers were great men, since Chazal say that a minor lapse like talking between tefillin already disqualifies one from the front lines.

כל שהי' לו קצת עקמימות

Anyone who had even a slight crookedness within him.

The disqualified soldier was anyone who retained even a slight inner flaw or crookedness.

ויש לדייק הלשון ילך דשוב דהל"ל רק ישוב לביתו

And one must be precise regarding the language "let him go and return," for it should have said only "let him return to his house."

The Sfas Emes notes the redundant phrasing "let him go and return," since the verse could simply have said "let him return home."

אך לרמוז כי זה שצריך להיות הולך ושוב הולך ושוב זה א"י לירד למלחמה

Rather, it is to hint that this one, who needs to be constantly going and returning, going and returning — he is unable to descend into the battle.

The extra word hints that one who must constantly oscillate, going and coming back, is not fit to descend fully into the battle.

אם כי הוא הדרך להיות רצוא ושוב

Even though this is the proper path, to be in a state of ratzo vashov (running and returning).

This oscillation of ratzo vashov, advancing and retreating, is itself a legitimate and proper spiritual path.

אבל אנשי המלחמה הם למעלה ממדרגה זו שיכולין לילך עד גמר המלחמה כענין שרמזו חז"ל עד רדתה אפי' בשבת דהיינו המקום שצריכין לשוב ולהתבטל מהעשי' אבל המלחמה דוחה כל סדר המדרגות כנ"ל

But the men of war are above this level, in that they are able to go until the completion of the battle, in the manner of that which Chazal hinted, "until its subjugation" (Devarim 20:20) — even on Shabbos, which is to say, the place where one must return and become nullified from action; but the battle overrides the entire order of the levels, as above.

But the true men of war stand above this level, able to press forward to the very end, as Chazal hint that one besieges a city "until its subjugation" even on Shabbos — the time normally reserved for nullification and rest from action — because war overrides the usual order of spiritual levels.

ופרשה זו היא הבטחה גם לכל פרט ישראל כשמכין עצמו להלחם עם הסט"א מסייעין לו מהשמים

And this parshah is also an assurance for every individual of Bnei Yisrael, that when he prepares himself to wage war against the sitra achra, they assist him from Heaven.

This parshah is also a promise to every individual Jew that when he readies himself to battle the sitra achra, Heaven comes to his aid.

אכן אז הי' בהתגלות ע"י שגם מעשיהם הטובים היו בהתגלות שכל התעסקות שלהם הי' בעבודת ה' בלבד לכן הי' גם העזר מה' בהתגלות

However, then it was in a revealed manner, since their good deeds too were in a revealed manner, for their entire occupation was solely in the avodah of Hashem; therefore the help from Hashem was likewise in a revealed manner.

In those days the heavenly help was openly visible, because Bnei Yisrael's good deeds were openly devoted entirely to serving Hashem, so the divine assistance was likewise revealed.

ועתה הוא בסתר

And now it is concealed.

In our times, however, this same help operates in a hidden, concealed manner.

ויתכן לרמוז בתיבת כקרבכם כו' ונגש הכהן כו' כפי ערך הקריבה למלחמה לש"ש כך התעוררות החסד:

And it is fitting to hint with the word "when you draw near... the Kohen shall approach..." — that according to the measure of one's drawing near to the war for the sake of Heaven, so is the arousal of chesed.

The closing hint is that the word "when you draw near" teaches that the measure of chesed aroused from Heaven corresponds precisely to how much a person draws himself near to the war fought for the sake of Heaven.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that when Bnei Yisrael went out to war for the sake of Heaven, the Kohen's fourfold words of encouragement aroused the attribute of chesed and a heavenly strengthening that paralleled the worldly tactics of the enemy nations, even echoing the four expressions of geulah from Mitzrayim. The Kohen, as Hashem's emissary, left a real impression, yet whoever retained even a slight inner crookedness was sent home, since the true men of war had to be exceptionally great. From the redundant phrase "let him go and return," the Sfas Emes derives that one who must constantly oscillate in ratzo vashov cannot descend fully into battle; the genuine warriors stand above this, pressing forward to the very end, for war overrides the usual order of spiritual levels. This parshah is also an assurance that every individual Jew who prepares to fight the sitra achra receives heavenly assistance. In earlier times this help was openly revealed because their avodah was wholly devoted to Hashem, whereas now it operates in concealment — and the measure of chesed aroused always corresponds to how much one draws near to the war fought for the sake of Heaven.