Ki Teitzei:
Exercising our Option to win the War of Galus and Bring Moshiach;
Lessons from this Week in Afghanistan
By Rabbi Shimon Raichik
In this week’s parsha of Ki Teitzei the Torah speaks about two types of war; obligatory war and optional war. What is the difference between the two? Obligatory wars refer to wars required to conquer Eretz Yisroel or to fight against Amalek. Optional wars are conducted to expand the boundaries of Eretz Yisroel. We are told in this week’s parsha that when we venture out on an optional war that we will be successful. We will be “al oyveicha” meaning victorious, above our enemies. Hashem will place the enemy in our hands and we will take them as captives.
What does this Torah portion teach us today in our daily service of Hashem? An obligatory war refers to keeping the basics of Judaism. It refers to our obligation to fulfill the mitzvos. It also includes the obligations of conduct in the world as we go about making a living and raising our families. We are obligated to be involved for the sake of Heaven and to know Hashem in all of our ways. The outside world wants us to disappear into the melting pot. This is a war of survival.
An optional war refers to going out of our personal and insular boundaries, meaning our religious environment, and going out into the world to lift up others and bring the world closer to Hashem. Why would we or why should we do such a thing? The world is such a lowly place and seemingly so distant from having a receptive aptitude towards Hashem, the Torah and Judaism. Why bother? We are placing our own survival in jeopardy. The answer is because the entire world belongs to Hashem and Hashem wants a dwelling place down here, specifically in the most lowly places, not only within the frum community. When Moshiach comes, Hashem's glory will be manifested over the entire world. We are here to make a home for Hashem in every part of the world.
How do we go out and help in the world? We do it on many levels; by creating educational and religious institutions for everyone, by doing mivtzoyim and teaching the Torah and the Seven Mitzvos of Bnei Noach, by doing deeds of goodness and kindness we accomplish this mission.
The obvious question that many ask is; how can we possibly get involved directly and intimately with the lowliness of this world without getting swallowed up into the swamp of worldly pleasures and interests. We need humility to realize that it's not us rather it is Hashem that gives us the necessary power to succeed in our mission. This is found in the mitzvah of making a guardrail on our rooftops. The guardrail symbolizes following the Rebbe’s directives of how to succeed in our mission.
The Baal Shem Tov says that everything we see or hear provides guidance in the service of Hashem. This past week we heard about the botched evacuation of the Americans from Afghanistan. As the Alter Rebbe explains in the Tanya there is a constant ongoing battle between our two souls. Both want sole control over the body which is the territory. The lesson we learn from the terrorists in Afghanistan is that we do not compromise with the yetzer hara. The yetzer hara tries to trick us with peace treaties. The yetzer hara says; ‘I will let you learn and daven and you will allow me to handle your business matters as I see fit. Also you can’t be overly enthusiastic about doing mitzvos. You can do the basic mitzvah but don’t go overboard with so much passion and feeling and with so much care.’
We learned from this week in Afghanistan that when we give in or pull back in any way, the enemy immediately fills the void and makes even the most basic mitzvos very difficult. Therefore we need to remain vigilant by increasing in all matters of Kedusha, especially teshuva. In this month of Elul we have been provided with a golden opportunity to do teshuva on any failings or compromises in the service of Hashem. If we jump on the wagon now we will be prepared for Rosh Hashana and have a Ksiva v'Chasima Tovah.
Ashreinu, how fortunate we are that we have a Rebbe that knows that Hashem wants a dwelling place in the entire world with the coming of Moshiach.
Through our connection to the Rebbe and by the following of the Rebbe’s guidance we have the ability to exercise our option to bring Moshiach now.
A Good Shabbos