Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
- Parashat Hashavua
- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Bamidbar
- Pinchas
We have also proven that during the periods of the forefathers and Moshe Rabbeinu, Torah leaders were highly involved in war. We now mention that it is Yaakov Avinu, the symbol of one who is immersed in Torah (see Bereishit 25:27), who stood up to and fought the angel of Eisav (see ibid. 32:25 with Rashi). This encounter earned him the name Yisrael, which indicates independence and ascendency. When preparing for the physical attack of Eisav and his 400 troops, Yaakov was at the head of the defense forces, buoyed by the merit of his diligence in the tents of Torah study.
Now we will look at Yehoshua’s army. He was commanded to prepare "swords of stone" (Yehoshua 5:2) to circumcise the nation so they could offer the Korban Pesach and conquer Yericho. While in the encampment before the battle, Yehoshua encountered a "man with a drawn sword" and asked the man whether he was friend or foe. The man answered: "I am the officer of Hashem’s army, and I have come now" (ibid. 13-14). The gemara (Megilla 3a) explains that he came to rebuke Yehoshua because the soldiers were not studying Torah at night, when battle was not being fought. This clearly indicates that during the day, it was fine for the soldiers to be at their posts and not learning. Thus, we see precedent for the phenomenon of Hesder student/soldiers. There was no protest against the drafting of students of Torah, and we do not find any such statement of Chazal. Those who want to keep Jewish tradition should emulate these historical Torah leaders.
The prophet Shmuel was equivalent in spiritual level to Moshe and Aharon (Tehillim 99:6), and he was the Torah teacher and spiritual guide of the first two kings, Shaul and David (see Shmuel I, 19:23-24 and Zevachim 54b). When Shmuel led the army of Israel against the Plishtim, Hashem smote the Plishtim, and Shmuel pursued them until they left the borders of Israel for good (Shmuel I, 7:13-14). There is no separation between Torah leadership and defense.
David was a great warrior on the field of battle, and Chazal see him and some of his top warriors as major Torah scholars (see Shmuel II, 23:13 and Psikta Rabbati 11). One of the p’sukim, that seems to describe a warrior who killed 800 enemy soldiers in one day (ibid. 8), Adino Ha’etzni, who was also the head of the Sanhedrin, is understood by the gemara (Mo’ed Katan 16b) as being a moniker of David. The name meant that he could be gentle, when involved in Torah study, and hard like wood, when at war. David was indeed thankful to Hashem for giving him greatness in battle (Tehillim 144:1), and this is something that the prophetess Avigail saw as particularly praiseworthy about him (Shmuel I, 25:28).
May all parts of the Torah community embrace the possibility and necessity of emulating the great religious figures who were also great physical defenders of the nation.
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