Parshat Ki Teitsei 5777: Wars of Hashem’s Commandment vs “Optional” Wars

Shalom Friends;

Our Parshat HaShevua Ki Teitsei is being sponsored by Ari and Aliza Rosenstein and family of Ramat Beit Shemesh and dedicated Lilui Nishmas in memory of Aliza’s Mother, Anne Samson A’H: Rochel Rivka bat Mattityahu HaKohen whose Yahrtzeit is 11 Elul. To the Rosenstein family, many thanks for your sponsorship and continued kindnesses.

Moshe Burt
olehchadash@yahoo.com
skype: mark.burt3
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Parshat Ki Teitsei 5777: Wars of Hashem’s Commandment vs “Optional” Wars

by Moshe Burt

As with Parshat Shoftim, this author has penned Parshat Ki Teitsei under the heavy cloud of recent “PA” terror attacks; at Har HaBayit (The Temple Mount) where two Israeli Druze policemen were murdered, in the Shomron town of Halamish on the family in Halamish during their Shabbos dinner where three family members were brutally murdered. Subsequently, there was the event in the Embassy of Israel in Amman, Jordan where an Israeli guard apparently defended himself against an attack by two Jordanians which resulted in dangerous concessions from Israel in order that the guard and the other embassy personnel would be released by Jordan to return home, and the possible future ramifications and consequences of these concessions.

The Sapirstein Edition: Torah with Rashi’s Commentary renders translation of our Parshat’s opening posuk with Rashi’s commentary:

“When you will go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem your G’d, will deliver them into your hand, and you will capture its [people as] captives” (Sefer Devarim, Perek 21, posuk 10)

“When you will go out to war.” The verse speaks of an optional war (1) {for in the war for the Land of Israel — It cannot be said “and you will capture its [people as] captives” for it has already said (2) — “You shall not allow any person to live.”(2)}

(1) Citing Sifrei 211. That is, wars other than those such as the war of the conquest of Canaan and the war against Amalek. These wars were not optional. They are fulfillments of Hashem’s Commandments.

(2) Refers to Sefer Devarim, Perek 20, posuk 16 (Translation rendered by The Sapirstein Edition: Torah with Rashi’s Commentary):

“But from the cities of these peoples that Hashem… gives you as an inheritance, you shall not allow any person to live.”

The use of “When you will go out to war” implies a war initiated by Israel. (Rashi to Sotah 35b)

Sefer Devarim, Perek 20, posuk 17 follows the previous posuk by stating (translation rendered in the Artscroll Stone Chumash):

“Rather you should utterly destroy them: the Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivvite, and the Jebusite, as Hashem… has commanded you.”

So, to hearken back to Parshat Masei where “Hashem spoke to Moshe… by the Jordan, at Yericho” (Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer BaMidbar, Perek 33, posuk 50) telling him to speak to the B’nai Yisrael and tell them;

When you cross the Jordan to the land of Canaan, you shall drive out all of the inhabitants of the Land before you; and you shall destroy all their prostration stones; all of their molten images…. You shall possess the Land as an inheritance by lot to your families…. But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the Land before you, those of them whom you leave shall be pins in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they will harass you upon the Land in which you dwell. And it shall be that what had meant to do to them, I shall do to you. (Artscroll Stone Chumash, Sefer BaMidbar, Perek 33, p’sukim 51-56, pages 922-923)

Rabbi Artscroll (page 923) then cites the Rashbam and follows with it’s own commentary;

… If they fail to do so, they will suffer the fate Hashem had intended to impose upon the Canaanites, and be driven out.

Only in the perspective of Hashem’s wisdom can this passage be understood. No human ruler has the right to decree that an entire population is to be… exiled, but Hashem revealed that the Canaanite presence was incompatible with both the Land’s holiness and Israel’s mission on earth. History is the most conclusive proof of this, for the fact was that the Jews could not bring themselves to eliminate all of the Canaanites, with the result that the Jews were drawn to idolatry, debauchery, and were in turn periodically oppressed and
finally exiled.

This author reasons that there are at least two points to be considered here.

Our modern-day sovereignty in Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) evolved from what we call the “war of independence” both in the run-up to statehood, in three subsequent major wars, hi-jacked planes and Arab terror attacks in-between and to this very day, the Munich Massacre, the Entebbe hi-jacking and rescue, indicates that we apparently are, or should be in a perpetual endeavor to fulfill Hashem’s Commanded war for the Land of Israel.

Bearing in mind that we ARE in a state of perpetual Divinely Mandated War, and while in our times, it seems not practical, not feasible nor “politically correct” to “not allow any person [of the enemy] to live”. There are peaceful, win-win alternatives in “driving out all of the inhabitants of the Land”, i.e. the concept of transfer: encouraging Arabs to either emigrate voluntarily and/or through providing compensation packages (arrow down to “E. Suggested Options for Individual Choice”) or, subject to vetting as to adherence to Israel’s laws and sovereignty — Israeli citizenship. Better to use future expenditures to defray compensation packages for Arabs seeking to emigrate rather than putting billions of USD$ in good money after bad in continuing a failed Olso process which props up a bogus terror-laden “PA.” But we allow these alien Arab/Islamic terrorists and terror-inclined to fester their hate and lust for Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication — “pins in our eyes and thorns in our sides.” The politicians, the media, the intellectual elites — the engrained Israeli swamp, in their self-disdain for what they are: Jews, view options such as the above as taboo.

Is it not high time for for us to fulfill Hashem’s intent of Israel, a state of the Jews, rather than a state of all its peoples? Only then will Israel win, Hashem Delivering Eretz Yisrael into our hands.

May we, the B’nei Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole — be totally restituted for all that was stolen from them and that the expelled families of Amona be restored to their rebuilt homes, at government expense; both due to alt-leftist-agendized, supreme court legalized Yassamnik gunpoint. May our dear brother Jonathan Pollard be liberated and truly free — only upon his return home to Israel, and that Sholom Rubashkin, as well as the MIAs be liberated alive and returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem, as should the remains of the two chayalim from the Gaza War of three years ago. May we have the courage and strength to stand up and physically prevent the possibility of Chas V’Challila any future eviction of Jews from their homes and prevent Chas V’Challila the handing of Jewish land over to anyone, let alone to enemies sworn to Israel’s and Judaism’s destruction and eradication. May we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Ki Karov Yom Hashem Al’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bimhayrah b’yamainu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!

Good Shabbos!

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Moshe Burt is an Oleh, writer and commentator on news and events in Eretz Yisrael. He is the founder and director of The Sefer Torah Recycling Network and lives in Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel.
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