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Week 81 - Thursday - 14 June 2001

SOTAH: CHAPTER 8: MISHNAH 1

When the Anointed for Battle addressed the people, he would speak in the Holy Tongue, as it is said (Deut. 20:1-3): "And it shall be, when you draw near to battle, that the priest shall approach" - this is the Priest Anointed for Battle; "and address the people" - in the Holy tongue; "and he shall say to them: Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies' - and not against your brothers. Not Judah against Simeon, and not Simeon against Benjamin, who if you should fall into their hands will have mercy upon you, as it is stated (II Chron. 28:15): "And the men who had been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and dressed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria." Against your enemies do you go, who, if you should fall into their hands, will have no mercy on you. "Let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed," etc. (Deut. 20:3). "Let not your heart faint" at the neighing of horses and the brandishing of swords; "fear not" at the clanging of shields and the multitude of troops; "nor be alarmed" - at the sound of trumpets; "neither be you frightened of them" - at the sound of shouting; "for the Lord your God is He that goes with you" (ibid. 20:4).

They come on the triumph of flesh and blood, but you come on the triumph of the Omnipresent. The Philistines came on the triumph of Goliath, what was his end? In the end he fell by the sword, and they fell with him. The children of Amon came on the triumph of Shovakh, what was his end? In the end, he fell by the sword, and they fell with him. But you are not so, "for the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you," etc. This denotes the camp of the Ark.

Kehati

In any war which the Kings or leaders of Israel wage against their enemies, whether an obligatory war (e.g., that against the Seven Nations waged by Joshua, the war against Amalek, or against any incursion into the land of Israel), or an optional war (launched by a king against other nations in order to expand the borders of Israel and enhance the royal glory), they appoint a special priest to address the people at the battle fields, to strengthen their resolve, thus (Deut. 20: 1-2): "When you go forth to battle against your enemies, and see horses, and chariots, and a people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be when you draw near to battle, that the priest shall approach and address the people." The Sages explained (Sot. 42a): I might think this applies to any priest who so wishes. Hence Scripture states (ibid., 20:5): "And the officers shall address" - just as the officers were appointed, so, too, is the priest appointed...and just as the officer had superior authority over him, so, too, does the priest have superior authority over him (the High Priest).The priest thus appointed would be anointed with the anointing oil, hence the title of "the Anointed for Battle."

This chapter explains the Torah's message (ibid.), 20:3-8) that the priest anointed for battle and the officers transmit to the people about to join battle; it also deals with the laws connected with this matter. Our mishnah opens with the words of the Anointed for Battle (see Tosafot for an explanation why in mishnah 7:2 the heifer whose neck was to be broken precedes the Anointed for Battle, while here the order is reversed; see Tosefot Yom Tov and Tiferet Yisrael).

When the Anointed - priest - for Battle - whose role is explained above, addressed the people - according to a baraita cited in the Gemara, he addressed the people twice: once at the border and once at the front (before the battle); and each time he exhorted those about to do battle he would speak in the Holy Tongue, as it is said: "And it shall be, when you draw near to battle, that the priest shall approach" - this is the Priest Anointed for Battle - specially appointed for this task and anointed with the anointing oil so as to deliver the following message, "and address the people" - in the Holy tongue - as derived from the identical terminology in the phrase (Ex. 19:19): "Moses would speak": just as there it was in Hebrew, so here, too, it was in Hebrew (Gemara), "and he shall say to them: Hear, O Israel, you draw near this day to battle against your enemies" - and not against your brothers. Not Judah against Simeon, and not Simeon against Benjamin, who if you should fall into their hands will have mercy upon you, as it is stated - regarding the war between Pekah ben Remalyahu and Ahaz, king of Judah, wherein Judean soldiers fell into Israelite hands:

"And the men who had been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and dressed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm-trees, to their brothers; then they returned to Samaria." - which demonstrates the Israelites' mercy on the 200,000 Judean and Jerusalemite captives who fell into their hands, but now: Against your enemies do you go, who, if you should fall into their hands, will have no mercy on you - hence, you must fight fiercely and risk your lives -"Let not your heart faint; fear not, nor be alarmed, etc." - "neither be you afraid of them." These four expressions represent the enemy's tactics to induce chaos and panic into the opposite camp, "Let not your heart faint" at the neighing of horses and the brandishing of swords - which emanates from the enemy camp, "fear not" at the clanging of shields - by the soldiers who thus produce a terrifying sound, and the multitude of troops - arrayed in battle order - "nor be alarmed" - at the sound of trumpets - designed to undermine the fighting spirit - "neither be you frightened of them" - at the sound of shouting - do not be daunted by the enemy's battle cries - "for the Lord your God is He that goes with you" - in your struggle.

They come - rely - on the triumph of flesh and blood - they trust in the might of their commander, but you come - rely - on the triumph of the Omnipresent - the Holy One, Blessed be He. The Philistines came on the triumph of Goliath - they trusted in his muscle - what was his end? In the end he fell by the sword, and they fell with him - as related in I Sam. 17. The children of Amon came - relied - on the triumph of Shovakh - the commander of Hadadezer's army, what was his end? In the end, he fell by the sword, and they fell with him - as related in II Sam. 10.

But you are not so - yours is not a trust in flesh and blood, "for the Lord your God is He that goes with you, to fight for you, etc." This denotes the camp of the Ark - the Ark containing the Tablets accompanied the Israelites on their way to wage war. The Gemara states that "God's Name (the Tetragrammaton) and all His other designations were inside the Ark"; thus, the Divine Presence joined you in your camp.

SOTAH: CHAPTER 8: MISHNAH 2

"And the officers shall speak to the people, saying: 'What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house,"' etc. (Deut. 20:5) - it is all one whether he builds a house for straw, a house for cattle, a house for wood, or a house for storage; it is all one whether he builds, buys, inherits, or it is given him as a gift. "And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet redeemed its fruits, etc." (ibid., 20:6) - it is all one whether he plants a vineyard, or plants five fruit trees, even if they are of five species. It is all one whether he plants or bends or grafts; it is all one whether he buys or inherits or it is given him as a gift. "And what man is there who has betrothed a woman, etc." (ibid., 20:7) - it is all one whether he betroths a virgin or betroths a widow or even one who awaits levirate marriage; or even if he heard that his brother died in this battle: He returns home. All these hear the words of the priest while at the battle front; and they return and provide water and food and repair the roads.

Kehati

This mishnah continues with the address of the Priest Anointed for Battle. However, whereas until now (as we have learned in the previous mishnah), the Priest Anointed for Battle spoke and another priest repeated - a priest with a powerful voice would repeat his words for the people to hear; henceforth the mishnah discusses the words spoken by the Priest Anointed for Battle and repeated aloud by an officer.

"And the officers shall speak to the people, saying: "what man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house,"' - "who has built a new house" implying any building, even if built for other purposes, it is all one whether he builds a house for straw - i.e., a barn, or a house for cattle - e.g., a cowshed, a house for wood - a wood-storage shed, or a house for storage - accommodating wine, oil and grain, etc., it is all one whether he builds, buys, inherits, or it is given him as a gift - i.e., not only the builder of a house, but also the buyer or inheritor or receiver of a gift who has not dedicated it, is released to do so.

"And what man is there who has planted a vineyard, and has not yet redeemed its fruits, etc." - if one plants a vineyard, during the first three years it is subject to the rule of orlah, prohibition of all benefit from its produce; in the fourth year it becomes a kerem revai, "a fourth year vineyard," whose produce must be taken to Jerusalem or be redeemed for money which is taken to Jerusalem, parallel to the law of the second tithe. Once redeemed, the fruit may be eaten anywhere (Lev. 19:23-24); the Torah states here that whoever has an unredeemed "fourth year vineyard" is released from the battle front. It is all one whether he plants a vineyard, or plants five fruit trees - a minimum of five, whose pattern resembles that of a vineyard, even if they are of five species - five trees, each bearing different fruit. It is all one whether he plants or bends - into the ground or grafts - all these share the same category; one who bent, i.e., inserted a vine branch into the ground and drew the tip out in another place so that it might strike root and grow independently; one who grafts - a young branch from one tree into the trunk of another; it is all one whether he buys, inherits or it is given him as a gift - in all these cases if the fourth year has arrived and he has not redeemed the fruit, he returns home to redeem the fruit of his vineyard.

"And what man is there who has betrothed a woman, etc." - "let him return to his house," it is all one whether he betroths a virgin or betroths a widow - no difference is made here between the two - or even one who awaits levirate marriage - i.e., a shomeret yavam due to be taken in levirate marriage by the yavam; or even if he heard that his brother died in this - the present - battle - and his brother's wife is due for the levirate marriage, he returns home - to marry his betrothed or his brother's widow.

All these hear the words of the priest while at the battle front - it is at this point that the priest delivers his message to them; and they return - from the front and provide water and food - for the troops, and repair the roads - i.e., rather than gaining total exemption, they are required to engage in logistical support, e.g., food provision and road maintenance.

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