Written by Rabbi Daniel Yaakov Travis
(based on a derasha from
HaGaon Rav Moshe Sternbuch shlita,
Ravad of Yerushalayim)
Going to War
"When you go out to war against your enemy, and Hashem delivers him into your hands…” (Devarim 21:10). One might expect the Torah, when talking about victory in battle, to address the entire army. So why does the pasuk use the singular form of “you,” apparently addressing each person individually?
Seforim explain that the enemy referred to here is the yetzer hara which attacks each person daily. The Torah reveals that we are incapable of fighting this enemy on our own. Only if Hashem delivers the enemy straight into our hands can we hope for success.
The Chofetz Chaim points out another aspect of this struggle. "When you go out to war" implies that a person can only win this fight if he is willing to engage in combat. Once he has taken up arms, Hashem will take charge and help him to win the war.
Strategy, tactics, and armaments are just a few of the factors that play a key role in military victory. So too, when battling the yetzer hara, without weapons and a battle plan, a person has little chance of prevailing.
What would happen if a person chooses not to fight, and rather lets nature take its course? Without taking the initiative to do battle, he has no chance of winning. His life will surely be destroyed by the tailor-made tactics of the yetzer hara. Furthermore, since every Jew is obligated to strive to overcome his yetzer hara to the best of his ability, and one who lays down his arms stands of losing part of his portion in the World to Come.
While melachim were created with no evil inclination, man has a yetzer hara which burns eternal within him. From the moment he is born until he breathes his last breath, he is engaged in a constant struggle. Only someone who understands the serious nature of this war will ever come out on top.
Releasing Captives
"And you see amongst the captives a beautiful woman" (Devarim 21,11). The Zohar explains that the captive referred to in the pasuk is our mitzvos. When we transgress, our mitzvos are taken away from us.
How can we free these prisoners of war? Mitzvos taken captive are not lost; they can be freed. Teshuvah allows us to get back the mitzvos we lost, and return them to our credit.
Some sifre mussar state that one way to overcome the yetzer hara and bring ourselves to teshuvah is to recognize the insignificance of our own existence compared to the Almighty Creator. "The difference between man and beast is nothing," and by grasping how small we are we can serve Him properly. The end of man is the worm. The Ba’alei Mussar say that if we can develop an awareness of this harsh truth while we are still alive, we can yearn for true greatness in the World to Come.
Others take an opposite approach and recommend that a person focus on the G-d-given potential for greatness that lies in each and every Jew – even you. Hashem has placed Man at the center of the universe, and the entire heavenly assembly must wait for Man’s cue before it can do anything. Developing awareness of this great responsibility should instill a feeling of awe within us, and propel us to reach higher level of Divine service.
These two approaches regarding the proper approach to serving Hashem, are expressed in Hilchos Shofar. Those who favor the approach of humility rule that the shofar should be curved, to show that we are bowed before G-d in humility. Others say that the shofar should be straight, symbolizing how a Jew should stand upright and proud in his Divine service.
Choose Your Weapon
Tefilah and Torah are the primary tools we have to fight the yetzer hara. However transgressions taint our actions and weaken the potency of even the most powerful weapons. Under such circumstances, Hashem no longer has interest in our actions.
Many of us are plagued by irrelevant thoughts that disturb our prayers. The Zohar explains the source of these interruptions. Klipos of tumah which are created when we transgress are summoned especially to disturb our prayers.
Rav Eliyah Lopian once pointed out how careful we must be to protect ourselves from this outside interference. Hashem hears what is passing through our mind as if it was actual speech. Imagine the disgrace when our tefilos arrive in Shamayim together with all of the irrelevant thoughts that accompanied our prayers!
"I created the yetzer hara and I created Torah as its antidote" (Kedushin 30b). Torah is a powerful weapon against the yetzer hara when learnt with the proper intentions. Torah studied like any other academic discipline does not have the power to overcome this masterful enemy.
"We should all know Your name and learn Torah with pure intentions". Torah requires that a person recognize who his Source is. At the same time we should try and study Torah with the intention of bringing ourselves closer to Hashem.
Rav David Karliner used to learn Torah with the words "Place Hashem before you at all times" written on his shtender. Rav Reuven Bengis once asked him, "Why do you need this?" Rav Karliner replied, "I don't want to forget for even one moment that I am studying the Torah of Hashem!"
Getting the Most Out of Elul
While most of the world does not recognize Elul as different from any other time of year, Klal Yisrael knows that this month is a period of tremendous Divine mercy and compassion. During this time Hashem yearns for us to return to Him. Those who make use of this time will be rewarded greatly, as expressed in the following parable told in Medrash Tehillim.
A king once made an elaborate banquet. To his great dismay, no one turned up to the affair, and. As he awaited his guests alone in his grand dining room, the monarch was filled with anger and was ready to issue a harsh decree against his subjects.
The king was just about to act, when a few beloved subjects turned up to his banquet. He was pacified, and decided to forego his decree. Said the king, "Because you came, you saved everyone from punishment."
So too, even though we have been invited by the King and He awaits our presence, many people still fail to “show up” for Elul. Those loyal subjects of the King who do take the time and effort to make Elul what it should be, give tremendous nachas ruach to Hashem. Every one of us should look within and sincerely try to use this precious time to come closer to our Creator.
(Rabbi Travis is Rosh Kollel of Kollel Toras Chaim in Yerushalayim and is the author of Shaylos U'Teshuvos Toras Chaim and "Praying With Joy – A Daily Tefilla Companion" a practical daily guide to improving one's prayers, available from Feldheim Publishers. For more information about his work contact dytravis@actcom.com.)
