In presenting some of the details concerning waging war, which clearly is sometimes necessary, the Torah declares that one who goes out to battle should not fear the enemy, even if those people are militarily more powerful and more numerous. As the war approaches, the Torah continues, the fighters are to be instructed not to be fainthearted, frightened or overcome by a sense of panic and debilitating dread, for Hashem Himself goes with us to fight against our enemies and protect us (Devarim 20:1-4).
Some authorities, such as the Ramban (in his commentary to the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos, Lo Sa’aseh No. 58) and the Raavad (in his hasagos to the Rambam’s Minyan HaMitzvos, ibid.), understand these pesukim not as presenting an actual commandment, but rather a promise or a guarantee that the deserving soldier will not in fact be frightened in battle. The Rambam in both places there, however, clearly posits that it is actually prohibited according to the halacha for a soldier to exhibit fear of the enemy, a point he reiterates in his Mishneh Torah (Hilchos Melachim 7:15), where he stresses that the fighter must engage with the enemy wholeheartedly and without distracting thoughts and anxiety. This position is also accepted by the Semag (Lavin No. 231) and the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah No. 525), among others.
Fear is, of course, a natural human emotion, and it thus seems difficult to formally legislate against feeling it. Indeed, the Torah there, just a few pesukim later (pasuk 8), states that one who is fearful and fainthearted should not enter the battle at all, a proof cited by the aforementioned Ramban to affirm that there is in fact no mitzvah not to be afraid while in battle. In defense of what appears to be the more prevalent view, that there is indeed such a mitzvah, Rav Mair Simchah HaKohen of Dvinsk, in his Meshech Chochmah to pasuk 3 there, suggests that there is a difference between fear before going out to war and fear on the battlefield itself. It is before the war that the Torah exempts someone who is frightened from joining the battle; once on the battlefield, however, one may not exhibit any fear, for, as the Torah itself states in pasuk 8 there, the soldier who does so will weaken the hearts of others, make them nervous as well, and sow seeds of panic, which of course strengthens the hand of the enemy and jeopardizes the chance of victory.
In the current war being waged in Eretz Yisrael, those of us living in this area and elsewhere in the Diaspora are not the soldiers engaged in actual fighting in the military sense. While we care deeply for, daven wholeheartedly for, and try to provide whatever assistance we can for our dear soldiers who are fighting, we are not the ones risking life and limb on the front lines. In this particular war, however, our enemies and their supporters have succeeded in bringing the battlefield, at least to some extent, to our doorsteps, to our communities, and to our institutions.
They have done so through their incessant protests, rallies and marches, many of which have moved far beyond voicing (largely unwarranted) objections to how Israel is conducting its military campaign to expressing plain, old-fashioned Jew-hatred. They have also shifted from holding these demonstrations at public locations like town and city squares to invading and seeking to disrupt private events, such as entertainment programs at Jewish venues, pro-Israel lectures on college campuses, wine-tasting evenings featuring Israeli companies, and informational presentations about purchasing homes in Israel at local synagogues. By doing so, they are in effect declaring that while they can say and do whatever they want in support of their cause, even in public, we are not to be left alone to go about our own business and support our cause, even in private.
In the United States of America, those who despise Israel and the Jews, those who support the Palestinians, and even those who endorse terrorist entities such as Hamas, have the freedom to publicly broadcast their viewpoints, as long as they refrain from violence (which has not always been a given at their rallies) and comply with all the relevant laws regarding the nature of their speeches and the obtaining of permits for public assembly and the like (also not always a given). We cannot stop their protests or deny them their right to wave signs or chant aloud all their silly slogans as if they were a bunch of cheerleaders at some high school sporting event.
What we can do, however, and what we must do, is strengthen ourselves and recognize that we too have now been thrust into the role of being soldiers in this war, albeit a very different aspect of the war. And as such, while we can feel disappointed and even alarmed by the current state of affairs, we cannot be frightened into meekness and silence, for that simply further encourages our enemies. We have to continue to stand up loudly and proudly for what we know is the right and just side in this conflict, and not be afraid of loud and foul-mouthed troublemakers who are seeking to intimidate us and weaken our resolve. We of course need to work with local law enforcement to see to it that we and our institutions are safe and physically protected (and to appropriately thank them for their services), and we should certainly avoid any violent and reckless behavior. But we must never back down and run scared in the face of our enemies.
If you want to hear a pro-Israel comedian, or listen to a pro-Israel speaker, or sample the products of an Israeli winery, or learn about owning a home in Israel, then by all means please go do it—now more than ever. This is not the time to display fear or hesitation, or to give our enemies even a thought that their intimidation of us is working. When you walk past people screaming whatever they’re screaming at you, hold your head high, stare them down with a proud smile, and make it clear to them that what they say has no impact upon you, that you are not afraid of them or their threats and taunts.
As noted above, fear is a very natural feeling, and it is not abnormal for one to experience a sense of real trepidation during any serious occasion of confrontation. Nonetheless, when fighting a war such as the one, in which we must now participate in our own way, we cannot exhibit such fear to our enemies. Rabbeinu Yonah, in his Shaarei Teshuvah (3:31-32), suggests that the antidote to this natural fear is trust in Hashem and an internally felt confidence in His protection and salvation. We must therefore steadfastly maintain our unwavering faith in and commitment to Hashem, exhibit no weakness as we continue to do everything that we know is correct and have every right to do comfortably during these trying times—and trust with full conviction that Hashem will bless us, as we act with the courage of our conviction, along with our soldiers who are on the battlefield, with a complete victory over all of our enemies.
Rabbi Michael Taubes is rosh yeshiva at RIETS and YUHSB, and rav of Congregation Zichron Mordechai in Teaneck.
