신명기 20:1의 주석

כי תצא למלחמה WHEN THOU GOEST OUT TO WAR — Scripture places the going out to war in juxtaposition to this section here (to עין בעין וכו׳) in order to tell you that no person lacking a limb goes out to war (cf. Sifrei Devarim 190:17). Another explanation of why these two sections are put in juxtaposition to each other: it is to tell you that if you execute just judgment you may be confident that if you go to war you will be victorious. Similarly does David say, (Psalms 119:121) “I have done judgement and justice; Thou wilt not leave me to my oppressors” (Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 15).

WHEN THOU GOEST FORTH TO BATTLE AGAINST THINE ENEMIES, AND SEEST HORSES, AND CHARIOTS etc. This is a new commandment which he now declared to them as they came into battles. The purport of the verse, For the Eternal your G-d is He that goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you²⁹³Verse 4. is to admonish them against becoming faint-hearted and that they should not fear their enemies. He states that they are not to rely in this matter on their own strength, thinking in their hearts. We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war,²⁹⁴Jeremiah 48:14. but instead they are to turn their hearts only to G-d and rely on His help, thinking that He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, and He taketh no pleasure in the legs of a man,²⁹⁵Psalms 147:10. for The Eternal taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that wait for His mercy.²⁹⁶Ibid., Verse 11. He states to fight for you against your enemies²⁹³Verse 4. meaning that He will make them fall before you by the sword. He states to save you²⁹³Verse 4. meaning that they will be spared in battle and that not a man among them will be missing,²⁹⁷See Numbers 31:49. for it would be possible that they vanquish their enemies and that many of them, too, would die, as is the way of battles. Therefore Joshua cried out²⁹⁸Joshua 7:7. when about thirty and six men²⁹⁹Ibid., Verse 5. fell in [the battle of] Ai, for in His commandatory war not one hair of their heads should have fallen to the ground,³⁰⁰I Samuel 14:45. for the battle is the Eternal’s.³⁰¹Ibid., 17:47. Now the priest who serves G-d is to admonish [the warriors] to fear Him, and give them assurance [of His help]. The officers, however, speak in the customary way of the world, lest he die in the battle,³⁰²Verse 5. for in the normal course of events even some people of the group of the victors die. He commanded that these three categories [of people] return³⁰³Verses 5-7. because one’s heart is on his [new] house, vineyard, and wife and he will [be the first to] flee.

כי תצא למלחמה, outside the boundaries of the land of Israel. When a war is fought inside the boundaries of the Land of Israel, i.e. a defensive war, no one is allowed to be exempt from army service; even a bridegroom fresh from the wedding canopy is called up. (Sotah 44)