פירוש על דברים 20:3

שמע ישראל [AND HE SHALL SAY UNTO THEM] HEAR O ISRAEL — Even though you have no other merit than the fulfilment of the command of “Reading the Shema” you would deserve that He should help you (Sotah 42a).

אל תיראו, “do not be afraid” in your heart;

שמע ישראל, אתם קרבים היום למלחמה, “Hear o Israel! Today you are approaching battle.” The priest implies that the intoning of the Keriyat Shema will be a major factor in securing victory as this paragraph deals with the Oneness, Uniqueness, and Unity of Hashem. אל תיראו, “do not be afraid,” in your heart. ואל תחפזו, “and do not panic.” This is an expression describing an accelerated heartbeat due to fear. The word appears as meaning speed in Samuel I 23,26 נחפזת ללכת, “you were in too much of hurry to go.” ואל תערצו, “and do not become broken,” i.e. physically.

Other than the reading of the Shema, etc. Otherwise, why do I need [the verse to say] “Hear Yisroel etc”? Scripture [already] writes, “The kohein shall approach and speak to the people, etc.”

V. 3. ודבר אל העם ואמר אלהם .ואמר אליהם, der כהן משוח מלחמה spricht wörtlich בלשון הקדש die Worte des Textes (Sota 32 a u. 42 a), damit sind es eben nicht seine Gedanken und seine Versicherungen, sondern Gottes in seinem Gesetze niedergelegten und für alle Zeiten gegebenen Verheißungen. Ebenso wie die ברכת הכהנים wörtlich בלשון הקדש von den Priestern zu sprechen ist. Der משוח מלחמה spricht es aus und ein anderer כהן wiederholt und erläutert es dem Volke, כהן מדבר וכהן משמיע (daselbst 43 a). Daher wohl ודבר אל העם und .ואמר אליהם

אל תיראו, “do not be afraid;” these words address the heart.

על איבכם [YE APPROACH THIS DAY UNTO WAR] AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES — By these apparently redundant words the priest says, as it were: Remember that these are not your brethren, and if you will fall into their hands they will have no pity on you; — it is not like the war of Judah against Israel of which it states, (II Chronicles 28:15) “And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of the palm trees, to their brethren: they returned to Samaria” — it is your enemies against whom you march, therefore show yourselves strong for the battle (Sifrei Devarim 192:2; Sotah 42a).

Do not let your heart falter - to do on them what's wrong, once they fell in your hands.

ואל תחפזו, “and do not panic;” causing you to flee.

They will be merciless towards you, etc. Otherwise, it is already written “When you go to war against your enemy.”

שמע ישראל, wie mit diesen Worten jeder Jude sich täglich früh und spät die Huldigung des einzig Einen mit allen ihren Konsequenzen in die Seele ruft, so ist es auch derselbe Gedanke und dieselbe Huldigung des einzig Einen, vor dem im Momente der Schlacht alle sonstige Größe und Macht jede Bedeutung verliert, und mit dem Bewusstsein, Seinem Willen zu dienen und Seines Beistands sicher zu sein, der schwächsten Menschenbrust Kraft und Mut, Ruhe und Stärke wächst (siehe Sota 42 a). Ebendaselbst werden diese vier Ermahnungen אל ידך לבבכם usw. zunächst darauf bezogen, dem Schreck und Betäubung bezweckenden Kriegeslärm und Getöse der Feinde keine Wirkung auf sich einzuräumen, durch ihre Sammlung in Gott vielmehr allem Ungestüm gegenüber Kühle und Ruhe zu bewahren. — אל תחפזו, während חפץ das besonnene Streben nach einem Ziele bedeutet, bezeichnet חפו immer ein besinnungsloses Eilen.

ואל תחפזו, “and do not be alarmed,” resulting in fleeing;.

אל ירך לבבכם אל תיראו ואל תחפזו ואל תערצו LET NOT YOUR HEARTS FAINT; FEAR NOT, AND HURRY NOT PRECIPITATELY, NEITHER BE TERRIFIED BECAUSE OF THEM — These are four admonitions corresponding to four things which the kings of the nations do in battle: they bring their shields close together in order to strike them one against the other and thereby make a loud noise so that their opponents should flee precipitately; they trample the ground heavily with their horses — and make them neigh — in order to make a noise through the beating of their horses’ hoofs; they themselves shout aloud and blow trumpets and other noisy instruments.

ואל תערצו, do not display your fear.

The Gentile monarchs do. They fasten their armor plates, etc. Meaning, they attach their [armor] plates one to another so as the plates strike against each other they emit a clamor.

”ואל תערצו, “and do not display fear, [even if you feel it. Ed.]

אל ירך לבבכם LET NOT YOUR HEARTS FAINT — through the neighing of the horses,

From the horses’ neighing (צהלת). Meaning, the neighing of the horses is called צהלת.

אל תיראו FEAR NOT from the noise made by the clashing of the shields,

ואל תחפזו AND HURRY NOT PRECIPITATELY at the sounds of the trumpets,

ואל תערצו NEITHER BE TERRIFIED by the noise of the shouting (Sifrei Devarim 192:3; Sotah 42).