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War to Protect the People
BY RABBI CHAIM DRUKMAN זצ”ל
The value of saving a life (pikuach nefesh)
The Torah tells us that the last mission entrusted to Moshe Rabbeinu was war: “Take vengeance for the children of Israel against the Midianites; afterward you shall be gathered unto your people” (Bamidbar 31:2).
Our Sages (Sifrei, Matot 154) infer from the words “afterward you shall be gathered unto your people” that the only thing delaying Moshe’s death was Israel’s vengeance against Midian. “Afterward” – after battling the Midianites – and only then, would Moshe die. Moshe understood that promoting this war would in fact hasten the day of his own death! Chazal further deduce from the continuation of these verses that Moshe went to fulfill this mission with joy.
The final duty imposed upon Moshe Rabbeinu, the man of G-d, is going out to war, and he approached this task with joy and alacrity – even though he knew that this mission would bring him closer to death. From Moshe Rabbeinu we learn about the value of war, and through him we also encounter the lofty concept of the value of the army in Israel.
Pikuach nefesh, saving a life, is a fundamental and well-known concept. Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 328:2) states that it is a mitzvah to desecrate Shabbat on behalf of someone who is ill with a life-threatening disease. Moreover, one who hastens to desecrate Shabbat in order to save him is praiseworthy, and the one who delays – to inquire whether it is indeed permitted to desecrate Shabbat to save the patient – is a shedder of blood!
Mishnah Berurah (328:6) adds, based on the Talmud Yerushalmi (Yoma 8:5), that not only is one who asks whether one may desecrate Shabbat for the sake of pikuach nefesh acting improperly, but the rabbi who is asked is considered shameful. Pikuach nefesh is such a fundamental and basic value that its knowledge must be the common heritage of all, and if there is a Jew in the community for whom this matter is not clear and obvious, the responsibility for this lack of awareness rests on the rabbi’s shoulders, for it was his responsibility to explain the importance of pikuach nefesh to his community.
The duty to violate Shabbat applies even if it is uncertain that the actions will be life-saving. Moreover, this duty is not incumbent on one person alone – rather, anyone who can do this mitzvah should hasten to engage in it.
From this we see the importance of saving one life, one Jewish soul, as our Sages said (Sanhedrin 37a): “Whoever preserves one life in Israel, the Torah credits him as though he has preserved an entire world.”
If this is the case regarding one Jewish life, then certainly the value is doubled if one saves two Jewish lives, and it is multiplied many times if one saves many lives – dozens, hundreds, thousands, and so forth! And if the value of saving many Jewish lives is so great and lofty, then all the more so is saving Klal Yisrael, the Jewish people as a whole! Can we even measure the great virtue inherent in the mitzvah of participating in the salvation of Klal Yisrael from danger?!
The residents of Eretz Yisrael constitute Klal Yisrael
Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandment 153) rules that the mitzvah of Kiddush Ha-Chodesh, the declaration and sanctification of the new month, is contingent upon the Jews who live in Eretz Yisrael. To emphasize this point, he writes: “If we were to presume, hypothetically, that the Jews of Eretz Yisrael would disappear from Eretz Yisrael” – the reckoning of the calendar would be of no avail. Immediately after raising this hypothetical scenario of there being no Jews in Eretz Yisrael, he repudiates it: “Far be it from G-d to do such a thing! For He has promised that He would not completely eliminate every trace of the nation!”
Chatam Sofer (Responsa, Yoreh De’ah 234) infers from this “that if, G-d forbid, not a single Jew would remain in Eretz Yisrael, even if there are Jews living outside Eretz Yisrael — this would be considered ‘the annihilation of the nation,’ Heaven forfend!” If there is no Jewish residence in Eretz Yisrael, it is deemed as the elimination of the nation in its entirety! And since Hashem promised us that our nation will never be destroyed – it is consequently impossible that Eretz Yisrael could be completely devoid of Jews.
From here we learn that the Jewish community of Eretz Yisrael is considered Klal Yisrael. Of course, Jews living outside of Eretz Yisrael also belong to the Jewish people; however, the concept of “Klal Yisrael” applies only to those residing in Eretz Yisrael.
Therefore, when the security of the State of Israel is at risk, G-d forbid – it means that Klal Yisrael is in danger! Consequently, the Israel Defense Forces, which defends and protects the security of the State of Israel, in effect protects Klal Yisrael! The IDF engages, on an ongoing, daily basis, in the mitzvah of pikuach nefesh of Klal Yisrael. Can we express in words the great virtue of those engaged in this sacred mitzvah?!
Keeping Klal Yisrael safe
Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 329:6) addresses the case of enemies besieging the towns of Israel on Shabbat – is it permitted for a Jew to go forth and fight them despite the attendant desecration of Shabbat?
This matter hinges on the objectives of the besieging gentiles: if their aim is merely to steal money, we do not desecrate Shabbat to fight them, because money is not as important as the holy Shabbat. However, if the gentiles’ goal is to harm Jews, one goes out to fight them despite the attendant desecration of Shabbat. If the besiegers have not indicated their motives, and it is not clear why they laid siege, we nevertheless desecrate Shabbat to battle them, as lives might be threatened.
Shulchan Aruch adds that if the city under siege is close to the frontier, even if the besiegers came only for hay and straw, we desecrate Shabbat to fight them. A frontier city is situated in the borderlands between Jews and other nations. Any breach thereof entails great danger to the safety of the Jews. Thus, on behalf of such a city, we meet the gentiles in battle and desecrate Shabbat, even when it is known that the besiegers’ objective is merely robbery, and of items of little value, like straw and hay.
This ruling is based on the Gemara (Eruvin 45a). In his commentary there, Rashi explains why we desecrate Shabbat to defend a frontier city even when there is no risk to life: “We go out to [fight] them – lest they capture it, and from there it will be easy for them to conquer the land.”
Rema, in his glosses to Shulchan Aruch, adds: “even if [the besiegers] have not yet come, but intend to come.” In other words, if there is intelligence indicating plans to invade the land – even when the clear objective of the invaders is to steal trivial items – we must go out to meet them in battle, even if it entails desecrating Shabbat. And all this is due to the concern over possible future ramifications for the security of Israel!
This excerpt is from Rabbi Chaim Drukman zt”l’s B’chayil U’veruach, adapted and translated into English as With Might and Spirit. To see an extract of the book and to purchase the full online version please go to mizrachi.org/mightandspirit.