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There are many elements to waging war. In the battlefield, people use weapons to kill or incapacitate. Today, technology is employed against the enemy, whether operated in the battlefield from afar or by infiltrating their important systems. Psychological warfare is a modern and ancient tool. Last week, we read the Torah’s instructions to soldiers not to be afraid of an intimidating army (Devarim 20:1-3).
A midrash (cited by Da’at Zekeinim MiBaaelei HaTosafot) highlights how the Torah regards the psychological element of battle. It compares the plagues that Hashem employed against the Egyptians to that of a king who was betrayed by a country. First, the king may attack their water supply (parallel to the plague of blood), then his forces make great noises with trumpets and shofars to scare the people (parallel to the frogs).
Let us now connect this to the book. In ancient times, few simple citizens knew how to read and write. Until the printing press, there were not many reading materials, but a small amount of parchments and even things written on earthenware materials. In Jewish tradition, though, great efforts were put into ensuring that even young children began to learn to read. The gemara (Bava Batra 21a) tells of how Yehoshua ben Gamla built an educational system to ensure that even underprivileged children could study Torah. (A fascinating archeological find near Rosh Ha’ayin uncovered writing in Ancient Hebrew letters that was apparently written by a young child.)
The connection between the sword and the book seems to have been employed some 2,700 years ago. After the Aramite Sargon conquered the region of Samaria from the Northern Kingdom of Israel, his son, Sancheriv, tried to conquer Jerusalem as well. As part of the effort, he enlisted the help of a Jewish apostate named Ravshakeh, who was fluent in Hebrew in addition to the international language of Aramaic. Ravshakeh approached the walls of the besieged Jerusalem to call out to the city’s general populace in their language to convince them to surrender (see Melachim II, 18:17-37). King Chizkiyahu’s officers tried to convince Ravshakeh to speak in Aramaic, but as part of his psychological warfare, he refused. The navi tells that Ravshakeh applied even more pressure by "writing books that blasphemed Hashem" and said that He would not be able to save Chizkiyahu (Divrei Hayamim II, 32:17).
We do not know definitively what was in these letters or how they were delivered. Perhaps, as part of his attempt to strike fear in the individual citizen of Jerusalem, his short words of blasphemy were written on small parchments that were attached to arrows and shot into the city. Because the entire populace was literate, it was possible to shake the confidence of more people. So went the plan to use the Jewish People’s strength against them.
With Divine Mercy, the ploy did not work, unity prevailed, and Chizkiyahu survived through a miracle. May all of our present-day enemies also be thwarted.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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D'varim Judaism’s Social Vision
Re’eh
Giving is more than an act of generosity—it is an essential part of human dignity that belongs to everyone, rich and poor alike. The ultimate goal of help is to empower others to stand on their own.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
