Shoftim 5774: Finishing Up

By Rabbi Joshua (naturally known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

Before going out to war, the soldiers are addressed by the kohein, and told that if any of them had built a house and not inaugurated it, or planted a vineyard and not yet redeemed it, or betrothed a women and not yet married her, they should leave the field of battle and go home, lest they be killed in battle and another man complete the process they started (Devarim 20:4-8).  Rashi says that this fact of some else completing what the first man started is a depressing matter. The Maharal, in his Gur Aryeh, explains that the possibility of dying in battle, in itself, is not cause enough to return from the field, because it is the nature of war for people to be killed in war.  However, to see the work of one’s hands taken over by someone else, can, indeed, cause depression, and distract the soldier from the concentration on battle that is necessary to attain victory.  One may ask, however, why this possibility is depressing – would the soldier prefer, for example, that, if he dies in battle, his wife should remain unmarried for the rest of her life?  I would like to mention two explanations, each of which reflects on a general approach to life followed by the person who offered it.

In the past, we have mentioned the explanation of Rav Herzl Kaplan, zt”l, who was a teacher of mine in the Skokie yeshiva.  He explained that the person who takes over the work of the fallen soldier, no matter how successful he will be in his endeavor, will always have in the back of his mind the knowledge that it is only because of the soldier’s death that he has attained this accomplishment. This is a depressing matter, and the soldier is bothered by it and cannot concentrate on the battles. Therefore, he goes home to complete the process he began. This explanation reflects sensitivity for human feelings that characterized Rav Kaplan, zt”l, as was, indeed pointed out in a eulogy delivered at his funeral when he passed away over thirty-five years ago.  In turn, it reflects the mussar approach taught in the Slabodka yeshiva in Europe, where Rav Kaplan studied before he came to America.

Rav Mordechai Gifter, zt”l, in his Pirkei Torah, takes a different approach. He says that it is human nature to feel depressed when one sees that not only will he not complete the work of his hands, but that someone else will take it over. The Torah recognizes it, not saying whether it is good or bad to feel this way, but only that such feelings naturally exist in a human being. To accommodate these emotions, the soldier in this situation is allowed to leave the battlefield and go home (whether it is merely allowed, or mandated, is a subject of dispute, as pointed out by Rav Dovid Goldberg in his Shiras Dovid).  This approach reflects a wider approach to mussar taught in Telshe Yeshiva, of working within a person’s character traits, rather than trying to break them, as taught by others. We find a similar explanation, given by Rav Gifter’s predecessor as Rosh Yeshiva of Telshe, Rav Bloch, in his Pirkei Da’as to parshas Emor.  In explaining why a blemished Kohen cannot perform the service in the Beis HaMikdash, Rav Bloch says that people feel it is not respectful to have such a person serve as a representative of the people before God to do the service for them.  Even though it is not actually proper to feel this way, as a blemished person, who has a contrite spirit, may be even more acceptable to God as a representation than is someone who is not blemished, this is how people think, and the Torah, in recognition of this fact, tells us not to send such a person as our representative in serving Him. In both instances, then, the Torah recognizes the frailties of human nature, and rather than commanding that he change it, sets guidelines to operate within those limitations.