Living Torah: A Jewish Army’s Most Powerful ‘Weapon’

We must all always be aware that everything in life is a partnership between our efforts and Divine assistance.

By Rabbi Ari Enkin, Rabbinic Director, United with Israel

This week’s Torah portion is “Shoftim” (Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9) and in it we read about the requirement for men to serve in the military. With some exceptions, men between the ages of 20 and 50 were drafted to the service.

But of course, there are always exemptions from military service, which is true in every society and every country. Among the Torah mandated exemptions were those who had built a new house but had not yet dedicated it, those who planted a vineyard but did not yet harvest it or enjoy its fruits, those who were engaged to be married, and those who were simply scared of military service.

There are two interpretations offered for this latter exemption of “fearful and soft hearted.” Either it means a person who is scared by the sights and sounds of battle or a person who knows he has a few too many sins on his slate and might not deserve to return alive from battle as punishment.

One of these possible sins is, get ready, speaking or otherwise interrupting between putting on the tefillin of the arm and putting on the tefillin of the head. Yes, speaking or interrupting while putting on the tefillin is considered to be such as severe transgression that it warrants a person, certainly a soldier, worrying.

But of course, the question is asked: There are so many other sins that could have been listed as the deterrent to go out to war. Why was this sin, the sin of speaking when putting on tefillin, included in the list? It is actually a rather easy transgression to avoid. And even as a transgression, we could all think of acts that are much worse. What’s going on over here?

It is explained that a Jew must recognize that when it comes to war, it is all about God. There is no concept or room in Jewish thought for “it’s all my power and my strength” that brings victory.

No.

As the state of Israel has seen time and time again, our performance and success at war is clearly the result of Divine assistance. Without God, it does not matter what kind of weaponry you have. Make no mistake, well trained soldiers and hi-tech weaponry is vital, but it must go together with God and prayer.

The connection with the seemingly minor transgression is as follows. The tefillin of the arm represents human power. It goes on the arm, and more specifically, on the bicep muscle, a sign of strength. The tefillin of the head represents the mind and intellect. The two together represent the combination of human effort and Divine influence.

What a perfect connection and symbolism to the idea of the soldier.

One who is both mighty (the tefillin of the arm) and spiritual (the tefillin of the head) is the best possible soldier. This is why an interruption of any sort between the arm tefillin and head tefillin is symbolically disastrous. We cannot have an interruption between the two themes that each tefillin represents. We need them to be “uninterrupted.” We need the solder, and any wearer, to ponder these messages and know that they are inseparable.

We must all always be aware that everything in life is a partnership between our efforts and Divine assistance.

For more insights by Rabbi Enkin on this week’s Torah portion, click on the following links.

https://unitedwithisrael.org/living-torah-a-jews-true-home-is-only-in-israel/

https://unitedwithisrael.org/living-torah-even-a-king-must-remain-a-humble-servant-of-god/

https://unitedwithisrael.org/living-torah-no-one-is-wiser-than-god/

https://unitedwithisrael.org/a-time-to-reflect-and-become-better-people/

https://unitedwithisrael.org/living-torah-a-jewish-army/

https://unitedwithisrael.org/the-pursuit-of-justice/