Remembering G-d in times of trouble and in times of rejoicing
| Date | 26 May 2021 |
| Author | Eretz Yisrael Yomi |
| Published date | 26 May 2021 |
| Publication title | Israel National News (Israel) |
Going to War or an Enforced War
The Rebbe of Kotzk asks why in our parasha the Torah writes that trumpets are to be blown to "be remembered before God and thus be saved from" our enemies, while in Parashat Ki Teitzei, the Torah writes "If you go out to war against your enemies, the Lord, your God, will deliver him into your hands…" implying that Am Yisrael's (Nation of Israel's) victory is not dependent upon blowing the trumpets.
There is a distinction between Am Yisrael's fighting a war on its own initiative and its awaiting the enemy's attack within Eretz Yisrael.
The Rebbe's answer is that there is a distinction between Am Yisrael's fighting a war of initiative and its awaiting the enemy's attack within Eretz Yisrael. When Am Yisrael understands the need to take the initiative and does not hesitate to go to battle, God will help the Am Yisrael and provide their victory. However, when Am Yisrael hesitates and vacillates, going into battle only when the enemy has already entered the Land - "If you go to war in your Land," - it is necessary to blast the trumpets, to repent and to call on God before He will intervene.
The Kotzker Rebbe adds that beyond the lessons for Klal Yisrael concerning wars, the pesukim (verses) teach lessons about the personal Divine service of every one of us. A person must not wait until the evil inclination reaches him in order to fight it. Such a battle will be much more difficult, requiring use of "trumpets" and other means to overcome the evil inclination. The ideal situation is for the individual to take the initiative and engage the evil inclination before it attempts to entice him, defeating the evil inclination before it even begins.
As One Person with a Single Heart
The Kotzker Rebbe's grandson, the Sochatchover Rebbe (Shem miShmuel, Parashat Ki Teitzei 5670) offers an additional answer to his grandfather's question, noting that the verse in our parasha uses the plural "you", while Parashat Ki Teitzei employs the singular.
When Am Yisrael is united as one person with a single heart, says Shem miShmuel, the nation's victory will be immediate; however, if the nation is "scattered and separated" , that is disunited, and cannot be referred to in the singular, it is necessary to blow the trumpets to "be remembered before God."
Being "remembered before God" comes through the realization that our strength comes not from individuals, but from the power of the...
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