Shoftim
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Isaiah 51:12-52:12
By all accounts, war is a painful and terrifying experience for the combatants as well as all those exposed to it. It is no wonder, then, that history is replete with the stories of individuals seeking draft exemptions, both legally and otherwise.
This week’s Torah portion lays out the draft exemptions from the army of the Children of Israel, in what comes to a fairly broad grouping. The list includes: one who has planted a vineyard but not yet reaped it, one who built a home but hasn’t lived in it, and one who began the marriage process but hasn’t consummated the marriage.
For those looking to legally avoid military service, this opens quite a window of opportunity. If one sees war coming, all that is necessary is to make a move on that long-term relationship, get that house that has been in the thought process for years, or perhaps easiest of all — just go plant a vineyard.
As if this wasn’t enough, the Torah then goes even further and says that anyone who is scared is allowed to go home. There goes the army! Who in their right mind isn’t scared? How did Joshua or King David ever face their enemies?
A surprising Mishnah in Tractate Sotah (eighth chapter) quotes Rabbi Yossi that the “fear” exemption is not for fear of war, but rather for fear of one’s own sins — a fear that a lack of merit may be endangering them in battle. This is now no longer a blanket discharge for all that are afraid of losing their lives, but rather an out for those who are not “up to speed” spiritually.
Rabbi Yossi further suggests that this is the true reason for the first three exemptions; we need to offer a dignified way for those with more pronounced spiritual difficulties to step out of the army. Draftees are released for marriages and houses and vineyards so that people can leave and no one will know the true reason that they are leaving is a fear of their own spiritual failings.
To what sort of personal errors are we referring? I would have thought it was something “big,” on the order of murder or overt blasphemy, but the Talmud explains that it is something much more subtle. It is one who discusses unrelated matters between putting on the tefillin that rest on their arm and those that rest on their head. That’s it? That’s the kind of mistake that one should fear when heading out to battle? Why such a seemingly small- scale issue? And why use this example of the myriad possibilities available?
My beloved teacher, Rabbi Schacter, suggested that this example is symbolic of a split between the head and the arm, between actions and belief. This is a much more significant issue, one of a magnitude that makes sense in considering one’s overall spiritual success. Going through the motions without thinking about it, as well as researching ideas but failing to act on them, undermines our long-term efforts toward spiritual development.
Uniting action and belief through careful consideration and energetic action is, of course, much easier said than done. Life is not so simple, and while the idea may sound great, there are many obstacles in our paths. Furthermore, mindfulness requires much practice. One of the first steps, however, is to gain an honest picture of what is standing in our way.
Rabbi Yossi’s view of the draft exemption raises the question: What is keeping us from stepping up to engage our spiritual battles? Is it really our vineyards (work), marriages and home lives? Or are there other, fundamental issues that unless addressed will make us hesitant about the spiritual quest itself?
Rabbi Judah Dardik is the spiritual leader at Oakland’s Beth Jacob. He can be reached at [email protected] .