Rav Asher Weiss on War: "Shema" is a Segula for the Soldiers, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb
In his recently published "Minchas Asher - Emunah U-Bitachon" R. Asher has a section dedicated to discussing the religious challenges of of the war.
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Rav Asher Weiss on War: "Shema" is a Segula for the Soldiers
Okay. Very exciting to be starting a new series with you. This safe fair, Minchas Ossher, Annemune and Bittachum, was published a number of years ago, a little bit before Corona, in the first edition. And just recently, at the end of the summer, got published in a second edition. The safe fair in both editions includes a combination and a compilation of essays that Revushor Weiss has written on topics of the Munna and Bittachum, philosophical issues in that regard. Sichot talks that he has given, letters that he has given, sent to people in difficult situations, people who are struggling in various ways, who have lost a loved one, who themselves are confronting their mortality with a difficult diagnosis, et cetera. And also had a section, a very powerful section on the Holocaust. And that was all in the first edition. In this newest edition, I think they basically kept all of those pieces. Maybe they made some editorial and copy improvements and corrections if they found mistakes, things like that. Small little changes and improvements. But the main difference is in this new edition, there is an entire section now about the war called Ace Milchama. And this is something which is very, very powerful. And I at least am very excited to teach this and to learn this together with you. After the initial outbreak of corona, when Purim Peisach time, all those years ago, and at the time, and all the Ushivas, Hamidim had gone home and pretty much didn't come back at the end of that year at all. So like many Ushivas, I was teaching on Zoom for my Gush Tamidim. And something I added, given the circumstances, was we actually learned once a week, essays from that original edition of Minhas Asher and Amuna and Beitachon. And those Shurim from a few years ago are all available online. But now, in the next bit of time that we have to learn this safer together, I'd often want to learn the pieces that have been written and spoken about that confront the challenges that we are living through over the past year and in many ways still living through. That is the challenges and the trauma of the war and everything that happened of course on October 7th. The actual section in Revushor Weishe Safer begins with two pieces, which at least for now we're going to skip. One is on the famous Harnof Pigua, which is not exactly war, but I can understand thematically why it's here. And the second one is on the horrific tragedy that took place on Lagbom or Mayrone when there was the stampede and unfortunately over 40 people were killed tragically. So that doesn't make me do a war, although I guess it maybe didn't fit anywhere else so Revushor put it in here. Perhaps we may decide after we do all the essays on war, maybe we'll go back to do one or both of these. But for now I want to skip actually to what is Peric Mombes in the New Safer, but that is actually the first piece that's actually about war, which he entitles Skula. It's not a long piece, but I think it is an important piece and it's one that touches on a broader piece of religious philosophy and theology, which Revushor as we will see is a very specific and maybe you could take extreme view in one direction, it's a legitimate view, one which many others would probably stake out the same position, but as we go through the piece not only we learn it together and I hope to elucidate it, but I also will point out where Revushor is making points or taking positions, which are certainly potentially debatable and reflect a certain position in the tradition of Makshevis Yisrael, but not everyone would necessarily agree. He begins the opening of the piece and this is really the whole focus of the piece, Shmai Yisrael, Hashem allokhenu Hashemachad. The Mitzvah of Shemah, Cesar Vasharweis, Kamigidola, Mitzvazoodi, Kriyashmah, the Kriyashmah, God-ol-Srah. We know how important Kriyashmah is, how much reward this is. In fact, he quotes the Brahos, the Vavavaralath, that through the recitation of the Mitzvah of Kriyashmah Hashem as it were assessed to the Jewish people, Attem, Asituni, Chateva, Alhamd, you have given me the praise of uniqueness, Hashemachad is not just one God, but the unique singular God in this understanding, and you have praised me in a unique way, you've highlighted my uniqueness, Shinamah, Shemah, Chateva, Alhamd, so two Hashem says I will reward you, Ani ese atrem, Chateva, Alhamd, I will highlight your uniqueness and singularity, I will focus on and reward you and compliment you for being unique and special, Shinamahr, Miik Amrai, Yisrael, Goi, Echod, Barat, so just like we say, Hashem as Echod, so two Hashem says about us, the Jewish people of all the nations of the world, we are the Goi Echod, then the Gomarah continues with the incredibly provocative and evocative and intriguing image and martial. Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, Chateva, just like in our Tfilin, one of the partials in the Tfilin is the part of Shemah, in our Tfilin we are proclaiming the singularity and uniqueness of God, so two, as it were, says the Gomara, Hashem, and the Pormorphically, Hashem also wears Tfilin, and like Mars says, what's written in God's Tfilin, the mirror of Shemahi's realm as we just saw, that in Hashem's Tfilin it says about the Jewish people, we are Goi Echod barrettes, so you see here in a very powerful way with this martial really making, driving the point home, that there's something special about our declaration of Hashem being not only El Kainu, but Hashem Echod, he's not only the one God, but he's unique in the singular God, so two, Hashem says about us, and therefore, in certain sense, as a martial wise you see from this, the incredible reward as it were, benefit we have from genuinely proclaiming Shemah, continuing to the next paragraph, says our Vahshar now analyzing this Gomara, what's the deeper message of just the Gomara, what's the deeper message of just the Gomara, is that what truly makes us special, makes us Goi Echod barrettes, as when we truly believe, internalize, and proclaim, and demonstrate that Hashem is Echod, we are Goi Echod, but only when, to the extent that, we are proclaiming, declaring, and truly believing in internalizing Hashem Echod, the greatness of Hashem, and his uniqueness and singularity is emphasized and declared in the world through the Jewish people, and only by so doing that we deserve, to be the truly special people, the Amherd, now this is not the main point of the peace, but I will just add a comment of my own here, which is that there's a broad Hashemic discussion, you can see even Echakirah, about a lot of similar questions of Kedusha, including the Jewish people, is it innate, or is it something that is contingent or dependent or given, you know, Loshan Hakkodesh, is it an innately holy language, and that's why the Torah was written in Hebrew, or because the Torah was written in Hebrew, therefore it became Loshan Hakkodesh, Eretia Strel, is it something innately holy, and that's why it's the special place for Avram Revinu and the Jewish people, or is it because that's the land that it was given to Avram, therefore it became holy? So similarly, about the Jewish people, is there something unique, special about the Jewish people that therefore Hashem chose us, or because Hashem chose Avram and chose us, therefore we're special, right? This is a very famous question. So I think, if I'm not reading too much into it, Rev usher in passing almost, but he's clearly taking the second approach, that our uniqueness, at least if not totally, but at least in a meaningful, partial, but meaningful way, are unique, this is not innate. It's contingent on us fulfilling our mission. We are given a mission which if we fulfill, that will hold us in very special, unique, and high esteem, but only if we fulfill that mission, right? And he says, you couldn't be clearer, again, he's not describing or teasing out the way I am the significance of his statement, but a statement couldn't be any more clear. Our uniqueness and our special status in the world is only because we are the ones from Yahreh Shemagadol, okay, continuing on now to the main piece, the main point of the piece. We know that we know that this is a very powerful thing. It's more than that. There is a school, a special reward, a special potency, a special power to Shemah, which can protect us from bad things, including enemies. And now, of course, you have the relevance to war. And for this, he quotes, it matters to Tanhuma and Parsha's kidoshin, number of money. You shouldn't take Shemah lightly after all, you know, we say it two times a day, every day. Even little children know how to say this, you know, not such a big deal. Says the Madras know, Shemah is very important. In they Shemah, there are 248 words in the Shemah, which correspond to 248 positive mitzvahs, which correspond to 248 limbs in the body. That is to say everything, so to speak, is in the Shemah. And therefore, says the Madras, God says, im Shemahatah at Shele, if you follow my ways by declaring the Kriyishmah in the proper way, Anishmahachachah, I will protect you. Wow. So, Shemah gives you protection. Moreover, the Madras continues by quoting what Dhavra Malath says until him perkyazayim. Shemranikhi is shown basayim. If you treat me, so to speak, God says, like the apple of your eye, amrallak arshbirachal Israel, says the Madras. Shumruhmat sai vahayah. If you will treat God in that special, unique way, that will give you life that will protect you. As Shem says to Jewish people, Shumruhmat sai, Kriyishmah, Shaqah's harvest, my name is Shemahatram. If you keep Shemah, I will keep and protect you. As the politics says until him, Kukhavalath, as Shemishmachamikhi rah, Yishmranachachah. So this is quite remarkable. This Madras is making the point that there's a school of protection for health, for safety, for security, for life, by the recitation of the Shemah. That's the Madras itself. Sir Vahsharwai is commenting on this. Kishu, Yishrall, Yachts, and Leml alhammam, alayvahim, Midsazuheginah, Al-Yusrel, Shenitzlu miyadam. Taking it from the abstract to the very concrete and specific, says Vahsharwai's, this protection that the Madrasari promises, as the Gamar insota dafmambez is going to tell us more specifically, and explicitly, can be a Shmirah, a schoolah, specifically in the time of war. As the politics says, vahamrallakam shmah, Yishrall, namely, what is this? That refers to just people going out to war, dhammammamakarj bakhal yisrel, A'thilu kyamtam ela, kriyashmah, Shakhrasvavas, Ani ikzumi ikzumi ikzumi ikzumi ikzumi ikzumi ikzumi miyadamam, sorry, but yeah, you'll not be given over into the hands of the enemy. Wow. Now, before we make a comment about this in a second, let's just read more more line from Rabashar. In Europe, Omikadvaram, what does this Gamarra really mean, the Madras? It's not just the words that we mow them. Mysafala huts, rather, khiyashir koveya adambali bho, sashmah, shmah, shmah, shmah, shmah, shmah, bakhal, veen om nubadho, efazulah, soh, luladha, dawakah, kah, kah, kah, kah, kah, vra, then shmah, moor hoomi kol, sah, uma, zik. Since we're partial wise, it's not about just saying the words, but one truly believes what they're saying. Truly pays attention to what they're saying, internalizes the message of shmah, which is that if Hashem is truly Hashemah, shmah, shmah, in this meaning, it means Hashem is uniquely all-powerful. Everything ultimately is controlled by Hashem. If we truly believe that everything is beyad Hashem, that everything is bahash-gah-kah-a-fashhem. As he puts it, ain om nubadho, efazulah-to, belo-ha-gura, bah-koh-a, lubadho. If one truly believes that, not just says the words, but rabacha wise says, this is really the deeper meaning of kabal-somah, shmah, we talk about shmah, being kabal-somah, shmah, shmah, it doesn't just mean accepting the yoke of heaven that even if I don't want to do the mitzvos, but I know it's not just a choice, but an actual obligation, an old yoke, so that I have no choice. That is certainly what shmah means, but here of Hashemah is saying, it means something else. In addition, not only the yoke of mitzvos, but the yoke of heaven, kabal-somah, shmah, in the sense that I recognize that it's all from Hashem, it's all from God. Now, this is, of course, a very dramatic statement, and this is the point that I wish to highlight, is perhaps you could say extreme, and potentially debatable. Now, there are huge debates, which are rabacha wise in other chapters in this book. Maybe we'll get to them, and if not, I think some of them I studied a few years ago, and you can find those recordings online. He discusses these huge debates that have occurred from the greatest of the weeks shown and for many hundreds of years, how do we understand Hashem's interaction to this world, how much is truly Hashem controlling, now I would just add, I think everyone would agree that ultimately Hashem is in control in the sense that he can always intervene. The question is, is God actively making decisions on the micro of microist levels about every person, every blade, every blade of grass, every leaf falling, or did God build into the system a certain amount of natural cause and effect? So that's actually a real question with great people on both sides of that issue. Of Hashem wise, very legitimately, is taking one side of that issue, that it's all actually Hashem, truly everything, and certainly big things like the Jewish people going to war and a person's life and death, that's all in the hand of Hashem. And says about Hashem wise, the greatest school you can have for being protected is to go into these dangerous situations, to go into battle, truly, truly internalizing and believing that that is in fact the case. Now I would add, and this is a shear that we're giving not long after Sukkis, and that week at the end of Sukkis in the few days afterwards, in very, very difficult days for Amisrel. Many, many soldiers, I think it was 19 last time when we were giving the shear, the last time I checked, 19 soldiers, something like 50 plus orphans created by the loss of those soldiers, Rachmano Litzlan. And many, if not all of those soldiers, very much said Shmai Yisrel. So I can't put words in Rachmano's mouth, but I assume, you know, knowing him and just knowing anybody who's a reasonable, rational person, which Rachmano wise certainly is, he is aware of that. So when he says this is a schoola, and the mayor says it'll protect you with her own eyes, we see that it doesn't always work. You can say that's a kasha, okay, but to be honest, it's not the only kasha. There are a lot of questions in this world. And Sonic Warralo is the biggest of all the questions, and there's a million versions of that question. So I don't think that necessarily changes the power of these Makurot to believe that this is somehow an all-powerful, unbreakable, unbeatable Skula for every soldier who ever said schwa, that just seems to defy any type of rationality. And I don't think that, I can't imagine the matter truly means that, and I certainly don't think Rachmano wise means that because it doesn't seem to be true. But big adult over the course of the army, this is a school of four the Jewish people for the Jewish army to have success and protection. So he is making the claim based on these madrashim, that that is definitely the case, notwithstanding the fact that we'll never understand why particular individual soldiers, maybe despite not only saying the words of schwa, but truly believing it in the way that Rachmano wise says we should believe it, the way the veterans seem to say we should believe it, that it's all from us to have everything, and yet Nebuchadneh, they were killed, they died in action. So it's clearly not in a way that we can understand a invincible Skula, but nevertheless, the idea that one should go into battle, where you are putting in so much estadlas, and therefore you logically are very vulnerable to the idea of Kochi votes Amiyadi, so to go into battle and put it in all the head of Stadlas, and at the same time, truly believed that it's all from Hashem, not an easy thing. Vervasha wise based on these macaros is advocating that we should, a soldier should do that, and that could be his greatest schmira. He ends the piece with a long citation, which is very powerful, but extreme, making this very point from the nephushaha'i in shargimul. In the god of the school and the flalah, the asir of Atalme, I love Kaldinin vertson as a harem, shululin shulul, vavluyasu shumrau shumklaal. Not talking about war at all, just in general, the nephushaha'i takes the position, consistent with Ravasha wise, and it's a very strong, perhaps a good extreme position. The person has to realize that there are no other true causes in the world. Kishadamkoveh, I believe Olam, Lomar, labor, the person truly believes in his heart. Hala Shemhu'a, lokimamitih, the god is the true god. They don't know about the way that Shumkah walaamkoveh, without god, there is no kahr, whatsoever in the world. Ubuhala walaamkal, in any other world, hakul malay, rak, akh dusau hapashut yiparach. The person who thinks it, realizes and believes that the entire world is filled with god's presence, muvat al-Bilibol-Bittle-Gomor, and he realizes there's nothing else other than what god is and what god allows. The enmashkyaqal, shumkah karach rat al-Bilamkoveh, doesn't rely on, it's not believed that there's any independent, other, alternate, competing, power, or desire or will in the world, other than what god, will, and powers to be. Umashabir madabik, tohar mashavtoh, and a person who weds oneself, commits oneself, is loyal and connects himself to a pure belief, only to adom yachibarhu, only to god and his supreme power. If a person can do all of that, kain yaspi kweid parach biedo, shumma malayyit, baalu malayyit, baalu malayyit, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, kalkoh, lukolukolukolokolokshumdavar kal, says the nafirakhayim, and a person can truly, truly, truly, truly believe, internalize, not fake it, not just say it, but really believe it. That everything in the world comes from a sham, is the result of a sham, is the power of a sham, then no other things in the world could have any power over force, over him, which is basically without mentioning the war, but a very consistent message with the gammara, and the matters that we saw in the tahluma, and the gammara brachos as Rameshah understood it, that shmah, which is basically the posuk and the most famous, a clarion call of this belief, of this hashkahfa, that ain o milba doh, that everything is from a sham, a sham akhad, not just as if he is unique, but that he is exclusive, akhad, as in the only one, not just unique one of one, but exclusive, a sham is the exclusive power in the world. That as the medrach had said before, in the nafirakhayim, in his own way with that mentioning war, but even more broadly, says true belief in that will break down all the barriers, and you will be totally connected and totally dependent on Hashem and only Hashem and no other force to no power in the world, which may or may not exist, but won't be able to affect you, by truly focusing on being connected to Hashem, it will only allow Hashem to have direct akhapah and akhakha on you, and this is the exact idea, which Rameshah was then concludes with what he thinks is what the gammara meant as we started with. Amr-lavakar shbarkhu, a thi-lil-loh kyamtam el kriya shmah, sha-khos-arves, yatam nim-sarem yadam, which we mentioned at the outset of the peace that Hashem promises, if you only have shmah, that alone is enough to give you supreme and special protection, as I mentioned, this is a tradition, you can find macaros, we saw medr-ish, we saw, perhaps a gammara, but certainly a medr-ish aneth-shachayim, so I'm not sure why it's been taking this position, it's certainly not alone, there's a strong mussorah for this view, again it's, for those of you who are more, those of us, are more rationally inclined, I think we would probably want to understand these macaros in a slightly different way, because again, it's very hard to see, you know, it's not so consistent with the way most of us experience the world, where we do see natural causes and effect, so how do we balance that more rational approach with a, with an actual belief in Hascha-khah and Bittachon, okay that's a very, very big question, a very big topic, which would take us way beyond this short little piece, but nevertheless, that is for those of people who have the belief or the inclination in a different way, but of usher himself, he's actually inclined, he actually takes the position and he sees this is going back to the gammara about kriya shmah, this is really the essence of kriya shmah, and therefore the most important thing a soldier can do, even as he's running into battle, even as he's putting in all the hisstadlos, and he's going to have the best training and the best gun and the best everything, but you should realize it in the end, it's all from Hashem, everything, his success, his life, his death, God forbid, it's all from Hashem, and that belief itself is the greatest predictor, or at least it's not predictor, then halavai, even a guarantor, but if not a guarantor, then at least a predictor of his success. I, the soldiers who believe that, who set it in Stogakild, in Hanami, it's Akasha, we don't understand everything, and I'll just end with the fact that you know, over the course of the last year plus, we've all seen so many videos of soldiers about to go into Gaza or recently going into Lebanon, and they have the telos that they say before they go over the border, start their fight, and often that those telos include a public recitation of Shema, by people with Yamakas, without, it's incredibly inspiring and it's incredibly moving, but especially now in light of this peace and a lot of some of the sources, we understand, certainly from this perspective, what could be more appropriate, what could be better, what could be more appropriate before going into war than this Shema. Again, not just saying the words, but the soldiers truly believing that for all their efforts, in the end they need Hashem on their side, it's all going to come from him. If they do that, which we hope they do, then certainly we hope that we pray, Hashem should continue to watch over them.