Comentário sobre Deuteronômio 20:8

ויספו השטרים AND THE BAILIFFS [SHALL SPEAK] FURTHER [UNTO THE PEOPLE] — Why does it here state: they shall speak further unto the people? The meaning is that they added this to the words of the priest, for the priest spoke and proclaimed from שמע ישראל (v. 3) to להושיע אתכם (end of 5:4), whilst the paragraphs beginning with מי האיש (v. 5) and with the second מי האיש (v. 6) and with the third מי האיש (v. 7) the priest said quietly and the officers proclaimed. This paragraph, the officers spoke and proclaimed, so that Scripture rightly introduces this last part by the word ויספו השוטרים (Sotah 43a).

AND THE OFFICERS SHALL SPEAK FURTHER UNTO THE PEOPLE, AND THEY SHALL SAY: ‘WHAT MAN IS THERE THAT IS FEARFUL.’ According to the opinion of Rabbi Yosei the Galilean [who says, the fearful is someone who is afraid that he will fall in battle as punishment for his transgressions],³⁰⁹Sotah 44a. after the priest had assured them that G-d would help them and that not one man of them will be lacking, it was fitting that the righteous put their trust in Him, [that He will help them not to be overthrown in battle]. Then, the officers warn those that are afraid [to go into battle] because of the transgressions they had committed. The Torah, therefore, gave everyone the opportunity of attributing his return home because of his house, his vineyard, or his wife, in order to serve as a pretext for others who are returning home because they are afraid of their transgressions. And the meaning of the expression lest he die in the battle [mentioned in each of the three categories]³⁰³Verses 5-7. is that he will think so in his heart and he will flee [despite the fact that the priest had already assured them that no one would be lacking after the battle]. But in the opinion of the Rabbi Akiba [who says that fearful is he who cannot endure a pitched battle or bear to see a drawn sword,]³⁰⁹Sotah 44a. the verse is to be understood in its simple meaning, that whoever is still afraid after the assurance of the priest, does not trust in G-d properly and the miracle [of being saved] will not be done for him [and therefore the Torah gave him the opportunity to return home].

מי האיש הירא, "Who is the man who is afraid, etc." We are told in Sotah 44 that our verse speaks of soldiers who are afraid to die in battle due to sins they had committed. We find such a concept in Isaiah 33,14: "Sinners in Zion are frightened." It is natural that people who have sinned should be worried. Even people who are not aware that they did commit sins would start to worry about such a possibility when they go to war, on a dangerous mission. Shulchan Aruch Or Hachayim 54 mentions that one has reason to worry even if one only knows that one spoke during certain parts of the prayers when one should not have interrupted one's prayer by talking. The reason is simple. When one goes into battle one needs a miracle in order not to be hurt. If one is guilty of sins which one has not atoned for one cannot expect G'd to perform a miracle.