About Rabbi Jack Abramowitz
Rabbi Jack Abramowitz served as Director of Programs for NCSY before becoming Associate Director of the Pepa and Rabbi Joseph Karasick Department of Synagogue Services. Rabbi Abramowitz holds degrees in Jewish studies, communications and Higher Education Administration. Among his accomplishments, he authored NCSY's Torah on One Foot series of educational pamphlets and created negiah.org, the first abstinence web site for Jewish teens. Rabbi Abramowitz is the author of The Shnayim Mikra Companion on Torah, The Nach Yomi Companion volumes 1 and 2 on the books of the Prophets and the Writings, and The Tzniyus Book.

Recent Posts

Taryag: A Mitzvah a Day

Questions? Contact us at taryag@ou.org

PARSHAT Shoftim
MITZVAH COUNTER
Mitzvos to date: 526
Positives:214
Negatives:312
That can be performed today:227
Plus those that can be performed only in Israel:23

526. War and Peace: The obligation to appoint a kohein to address the army


…the kohein shall approach and speak to the nation. (Deuteronomy 20:2)

Even though we said in Mitzvah #505 that the kohanim, as the spiritual leaders of the nation, were to live lives dedicated to peace, there is one area in which they were participants in battle. The kohein designated “meshuach milchama” (anointed for war) was designated to inspire the troops prior to battle.

The kohein chosen for this task was anointed with the special oil that we discussed earlier, way back in Mitzvah #107. He was to recite the text given in Deuteronomy 20:5-7, as well as giving his own words of encouragement. Hopefully, this “pep talk” would rouse the troops to battle fiercely on behalf of God and the nation.

The reason for this mitzvah is simple enough: the soldiers need encouragement, and who better to provide it than one of their spiritual leaders? The kohein also dismissed any soldiers who were too preoccupied or fearful to do their jobs since, as we mentioned in the previous mitzvah, such unfocused soldiers could bring down the entire army. Legitimate reasons to be excused included betrothing a wife but not yet consummating the marriage, building a house and not yet living in it, and planting a vineyard but not yet harvesting it. People in such circumstances worry about being killed and another man taking their place. (Such people were only excused in optional wars, not obligatory wars.)

This mitzvah applies at a time when the Jews reside on their land. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Sotah, starting on page 42a. It is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the seventh chapter of Hilchos Melachim. This mitzvah is #191 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.



Submit a Comment

Name:


Email: (Rest assured, your email address will not be published.)

Comment:


Please enter the word you see in the image below:





© Orthodox Union - All Rights Reserved.
The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Orthodox Union and its agencies