## Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy

###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:1:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:1:1)

**כי תצא למלחמה.**כתב הרמב"ן חידש להם כאן זו המצוה בשביל שעתה היה להם לילך למלחמה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי תצא למלחמה, ”When you engage in an expansionary war, etc.” Nachmanides writes that Moses reveals something totally new to the people in this paragraph, because the Israelites were approaching the day when they would have to engage in warfare..


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:3:1)

**אל תיראו.**בלב:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אל תיראו, “do not be afraid” in your heart;


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:3:2)

**ואל תחפזו.**לנוס:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואל תחפזו, “and do not panic;” causing you to flee.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:3
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:3:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:3:3)

**ואל תערצו.**במעשה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ואל תערצו, do not display your fear.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:4:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:4:1)

**כי ה' אלהיכם ההולך עמכם.**פי' מזהירם שלא ייראו וגם לא יבטחו בגבורתם לחשוב בלבב כי הם גבורים למלחמה אלא ישיבו לבם לשם ויבטחו בו. ואמר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי ה' אלוקיכם ההולך עמכם, “for the Lord your G’d is the One going with you.” The details about who is subject to the draft are meant to remind us that in spite of our feeling physically superior to our enemies, success in war, as in other enterprises that are facing opposition, depends on G’d’s being on our side. If He is, we will win, if not, our numerical superiority or our superior weaponry will not secure us victory either.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:4:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:4:2)

**להושיע אתכם.**אעפ"י שאמר להלחם לכם כי באפשר שילחם להם ויפיל אויביהם לפניהם ומ"מ ימותו גם מהם כדרך כל המלחמות ולכך הבטיחם שהשם יושיעם ולא יפקד מהם איש. והנה הכהן שהוא עובד השם מזהירם ביראתו ומבטיחם אבל השוטרים מדברים בנוהג שבעולם פן ימותו כי בדרך הארץ ימותו אנשים במלחמות גם ממכת הנוצחים. וציוה לשוב על שלשה כי לבו על ביתו ועל כרמו ועל אשתו ולא למלחמה על כן ינוס ויניס אחרים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
להושיע אתכם, “to save you.” Moses adds these words even though he had already told the people that G’d would participate as a Warrior on their side. The reason is that even victory in war does not mean that the winning side does not sustain casualties, sometimes very heavy casualties. Moses assures the people that in justified wars G’d would ensure that they would not sustain such casualties.
 A priest, who is a servant of *Hashem*, warns the assembled soldiers to be G’d-fearing, and to be confident of His help. The שוטרים, the enforcers of the law, are concerned with the more mundane aspects of warfare, the fact that people worry about their lives when exposed to abnormal dangers. He concentrates on three major concerns of such young soldiers, the betrothed, the ones engaged in building a house, and the ones who just began to establish an economic base for themselves, by planting a vineyard, but not having tasted any of its fruit. These three groups of young men are sent home before the battle is joined.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:6:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:6:1)

**ולא חללו.**כתב הרמב"ן שלא באה השנה הרביעית כי הכרם בבא תבואתו יחולו שם וילכו בחלילים וציוה הכתוב שיהיה כל פריו קדש הלולים שיהללו את השם הנכבד בשמחה ההיא. ויתכן עוד לפרש ולא חללו שלא עשאו חולין פי' שלא פדאו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ולא חללו, “and he has not yet redeemed it.” Nachmanides writes that this means that the fourth year of that vineyard has not yet reached harvest time. The word חלל is derived here from מחולות, dancing. When the harvest of the fourth year is completed, the people owning the vineyard are happy and express their gratitude to G’d by dancing, although that year’s harvest is still קודש הלולים, “sanctified to laud” (Leviticus 19,24) It is not secular yet, that is why it has to be consumed in Jerusalem. It is also possible to interpret the word לא חללו, to mean that the owner had not yet redeemed that crop so that it was not yet חולין, secular produce.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:8:1)

**מי האיש הירא.**ולא יבטח בדברי הכהן:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
מי האיש הירא, “who is the man who is fearful;” he does not trust the assurance by the priest.”


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:2
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:8:2)

**ורך הלבב.**שאין בטבעו לראות מכת חרב. כתב הרמב"ן לר' יוסי הגלילי שמפרש הירא מעבירות שבידו יש לפרש פן ימות שמא יחשוב בלבו כן וינוס דכיון שהבטיחם הכהן שהשם עמהם ויושיעם לא יכשלו בעבור העבירות של זה. ולר' עקיבא דמפרש הירא ורך הלבב כפשוטה יש לפרש פן ימות כפשוטה כי מי שיירא אחר הבטחת הכהן ואינו בוטח בשם לא יעשה לו נס. ואיתא בירושלמי שכולם צריכין להביא ראייה לדבריהן וכן לר' יוסי הגלילי צריך להביא ראייה על עבירות שבידו שאם לא כן כולם היו חוזרין בטענת שקר:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ורך הלבב, “and he is of faint heart;” he is constitutionally unable to face swords and blood.
 Nachmanides writes that according to the approach by Rabbi Yossi Hag’lili who interprets the word הירא as not applying to physical fear but to fear of retribution for the sins he is aware of having committed, the words פן ימות must be understood that he is afraid of dying as punishment for his sins. He may therefore plan to desert his comrades, rationalizing his action by the priest having promised his compatriots that they will remain unharmed, i.e. his absence does not weaken the army. They, his compatriots, will not be at risk on account of his sins.
 According to Rabbi Akiva, who interprets the words in our verse as one reads them, at face value, simply says that if someone even after being reassured by the priest, G’d’s interpreter, still feels afraid that G’d would not perform a miracle on his account and save him, he is sent home so that he does not undermine the morale of his fellow soldiers.
 The Jerusalem Talmud *Sotah* 8,9 quotes a view according to which all those claiming release from the army must furnish proof of their “excuses,” and that according to the view of Rabbi Yossi Hag’lili the person afraid of retribution for his sins must furnish proof that he is indeed guilty of such a sin, except the person who claims to be afraid and all can see from his demeanour that he is a coward.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:3
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:8:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:8:3)

**ולא ימס את לבב אחיו.**כתב בעל הלכו' שהוא לאו שלא ימנע מלשוב שלא ימס אחיו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ולא ימס את לבב אחיו , “so he will not melt the heart of his buddies.” According to the author of *halachot gedolot* (Rabbi Yehudah ben Rabbi Shemuel of the ancient academy in Sura) the above words are a negative commandment, applicable to the שוטרים not to deny that “coward’s” application to go home.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:9:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:9:1)

**ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם.**כתב הרמב"ן כי התורה תצוה כדרך הארץ ותעשה נסים עם יריאיו בהסתר שאינו חפץ לשנות בטבעו אלא א"כ אי אפשר בענין אחר או להודיע שמו לצריו כאשר היה ביציאת מצרים בקריעת ים סוף:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ופקדו שרי צבאות בראש העם, “the leaders of the people shall take command at the head of the people.” Nachmanides writes that the Torah’s instructions here run parallel to what the nations of the world are doing in similar circumstances. G’d’s intervention on behalf of the Jewish soldiers is in the nature of “hidden miracles,” the types that resulted in the collapse of Haman and the rise to power of Mordechai. [People are saved or killed by being in the right place, or the wrong place at the right time or at the wrong time, as required in order for His will to be done. Ed.] G’d does not interfere with natural law overtly unless unavoidable in order to achieve His ends without depriving man of his free will in the process.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:10:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:10:1)

**כי תקרב אל עיר.**פרש"י שהוא במלחמת הרשות. כתב הרמב"ן בשביל סוף הפרשה צריך לומר כן שצוה הכתוב שאם תעשה עמך מלחמה והכיתה כל זכורה לפי חרב ולהחיות הנשים וטף הזכרים מה שאין כן בערי ז' עממים שציוה להחרים גם הנשים והטף. אבל בפתיחת שלום אין חילוק בין ז' עממים לשאר האומות שגם בז' עממים פותחים להם לשלום ואם ירצו להתגייר מקבלין אותם כאשר עשה משה לסיחון. והתשובה היא שקבלו עליהם שבע מצות שנצטוו בני נח ואין צריכין להתגייר להיות גירי צדק. ונראה שיש עוד הפרש בשאלת שלום שבערים הרחוקות נשאל להם לשלום ושיהיו לנו למס ועבדונו אבל בערי העמים האלה נשאל להם לשלום ומסים ועבדות ועל מנת שיקבלו עליהם שלא יעבדו ע"ז. ויתכן גם כן שלא נצטרך להודיעם רק השלום והמסים והשיעבוד ואחר שיהיו משועבדים לנו נגיד להם שאנו עושים משפטים בע"ז ובעובדיה בין יחיד בין רבים. ורש"י פי' שבשבעה עממים אפי' אם ירצו להתגייר אין מקבלים אותם. ולא נהירא דבהדיא איתא בירושלמי ששלח יהושע מי שמבקש יבא וישלים וכן שלמה שהחיה מהם והעלם למס עובד ונתנם עבדים לבנות בית המקדש וביתו כמו שאומר והיו לך למס ועבדוך. פי' מס שיעלה בהם מלך ישראל או סנהדרין מס לבנות בית למלך וערי מסכנות ושיעבוד הוא שיוכל כל איש מישראל ליקח מהם לחטוב עצו ולשאוב מימיו ויתן לו שכרו. ואנשי גבעון מה שהוצרכו לבא בערמה שלא היו יודעים משפטים של ישראל בקריאת שלום והקדימו קודם ששלח להם יהושע או שלא רצו מתחלה לשמוע לדברי יהושע ובסוף פחדו ועשו עצמם נכרים והועיל להם ערמתם שלא יהיו לנו לעבדים אלא יהו עמנו בעלי ברית ועל זה הקפידו עליהם והיו נהרגים אלמלא השבועה ולפי' קללם יהושע ועשה להם כמשפט הראוי ליעשות בהם מה שנא' והיו לך למס ועבדוך שיהיו חוטבי עצים ושואבי מים לעדה ולמזבח השם. וי"מ והיה אם שלום תענך בעת הקריאה אבל אם ימאנו מתחלה שוב אין מקבלין אותן והגבעונים מאנו בתחלה ולא היה מן הדין לקבלן:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי תקרב אל עיר, *Rashi* understands this paragraph as speaking of a מלחמת רשות, a war sanctioned by *Hashem,* but not conducted for reasons of self defense. Nachmanides, elaborating on this, adds that *Rashi* was forced to offer this interpretation on account of what is written a few verses later, i.e. that if in spite of peaceful overtures the inhabitants of the city described insist of conducting a war against the Israelites, then the males are to be killed, whereas the women and even the male children are to be kept alive, which is different from the rules of the Torah when the seven Canaanite nations will be attacked. There, all the inhabitants of such cities are to be killed regardless of sex or age. What is noteworthy is that even when confronting cities of the seven Canaanite nations about to be driven out from their country or to be killed, the Torah commands the people to offer surrender first. These Canaanites, if willing, will even be accepted as converts and thus escape death or forced exile. This is what Moses had done with the people under the rule of Sichon, King of the Emorite, one of the seven Canaanite nations. 
 [This editor does not see evidence that any of Sichon’s subjects had converted to Judaism, although Rachav, who had hidden the two spies in Jericho, was saved and not enslaved or exiled, although judging from her own words she may have been close to conversion to Judaism long before Joshua crossed the Jordan. Ed.]
 It appears that there was a difference between the offer of peace to the cities of the seven nations on the one hand, and those in more distant countries, not Canaanites. The latter were informed that if they wanted to survive they could accept subservient status to the Israelites, work for them, etc, but lose their independence, whereas a similar offer to the Canaanite cities contained an additional rider, namely that they had to abandon idolatry and accept the seven Noachide laws. This had to be a minimum as the Torah had expressly forbidden sparing the lives of any idolatrous population in what was going to be the land of Israel. Once they would have become enslaved to the Jewish people, they would find out that their idols and any remnants of their religious symbols would be destroyed, in accordance with Torah law, which does not tolerate the existence of such relics of idolatry in the Holy Land.
 *Rashi*, on the other hand, states that no compromise of any kind was permitted with the seven Canaanite nations and they either were killed or had to emigrate to escape such a fate. According to his view, even total conversion to Judaism was not an option for them. Nachmanides does not concur, as he interprets the warning by the Torah in verse 18 that the presence of these people in the Holy Land represents a danger that they will influence the Israelites culturally and morally, as clearly demanding that these people must leave or be killed. The Jerusalem Talmud states that Joshua offered to such people that they become labourers for the Israel performing menial tasks, such as hewing wood and carrying water. Exodus 23,33 makes it plain that these people are considered as a cultural hazard “if they continue to practice their religion.” In Nachmanides’ view this means that if they abandon idolatry they may live in the land of Israel, but as slaves or serfs. We are familiar with the story of Gibeonites, who pretended to have come from outside the land of Canaan in order to qualify for conversion of sorts. When Joshua found out too late (after having made a solemn deal with them) that he had become the victim of a fraud, he did not kill these people but made labourers of them, a status that continued down to the time of Solomon over 400 years later. (Joshua chapter 9) If these Gibeonites had not first misrepresented themselves causing the Israelites to make a pact with them reinforced by an oath, Joshua would not have punished them by denying them all the rights that normal converts are entitled to. Under the unusual circumstances at that time Joshua saw himself forced to apply what is written in 
 Some commentators interpret the line והיה אם שלום תענך, as applying only at the time when the offer is first made. If the offer is not accepted immediately, there is no second opportunity to save one’s life by means of converting to Judaism, so that Joshua would have acted illegally by granting them a second opportunity, and he should not have accepted them. [The fact is that there were bloody repercussions later on both in the time of King Sha-ul and King David. (Compare *Bamidbar Rabbah, 8*)


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:18:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:18:1)

**למען אשר לא ילמדו אתכם לעשות וגו'.**שלא ילמדו אתכם לעבוד את השם הנכבד בשריפת בניהם ובנותיהם כאשר עשו לאלהיהם. והנה כבר הזהיר לא ישבו בארצם פן יחטיאו אותך לי כי תעבוד את אלהיהם והיא אזהרה בע"ז כי אם תכרות להם ולאלהיהם ברית ישבו בארצך רבים מהם ויפתוך לעבוד ע"ז וכאן הוסיף לבאר לא תחיה כל נשמה כי אפילו היחיד הנשאר ביניהם לעבוד לך יזכיר לך עבודתם לאלהיהם ואולי תתפתה אתה לעשות כן לשם ותחטא לפניו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
למען אשר לא ילמדו אתכם לעשות, וגו', “so that they will not teach you to act, etc.” so that they will not teach you how to worship *Hashem* by burning your children in His honour, as they do to their respective deities. Actually, the Torah had already warned the people not to allow these former inhabitants of the land of Canaan to remain in their land, as *Hashem* was afraid they would lead the Israelites to sin by adopting part of the religious mores that had prevailed in that land. (Exodus 23,33) This was part of the prohibition not to enter into any pact or alliance with those people, because, if they felt secure, they would remain behind in large numbers. Moses reinforces that original command by adding that the Israelites must not allow any of those former inhabitants of the land of Canaan to survive, without ifs or buts. Even individuals allowed to survive pose a spiritual danger to his environment. Observing such a person performing his cult arouses curiosity among the onlookers.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:19:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:19:1)

**כי האדם עץ השדה וגו'.**פי' ר' אברהם כי ממנו תאכל כי האדם עץ השדה פי' כי חיי האדם הוא עץ השדה על כן לא תשחית את עציו ואותו לא תכרותו דבק עם לבא מפניך במצור הנה לא תשחית עץ פרי שהוא חיים לבן אדם רק מותר לך לאכול ממנו ואסור לך להשחיתו כדי שתבא העיר לפניך במצור. והרמב"ן כתב לדעת רבותינו מותר לכרות עץ מאכל ולבנות מצור ולא אמרה תורה רק עץ אשר תדע כי לא עץ מאכל הוא להקדים אילן סרק לעץ מאכל יש לפרש הפסוק לא תשחית את עצה לכרות אותו דרך השחתה שלא לצורך מצות כמנהג המחנות והטעם כי הנלחמים משחיתים העיר ומפילים אילנותיה וסותמי' מעיינותיה אולי יוכלו לה ואתם לא תעשו כן להשחיתם כי תבטחו בה' אלהיכם שיתן אותה בידכם כי האדם עץ השדה הוא ממנו תאכל ותחיה ועל ידו תבא לפניך העיר במצור לומר שאתה תחיה ממנו אחרי שתכבוש העיר וגם כל ימי היותך במחנה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי האדם עץ השדה, “is then the tree of the field a man?” Ibn Ezra claiming that there is no need to add additional letters to make this verse intelligible, writes that the life of man can be compared to that of a tree in the field, therefore you must not destroy the fruit-bearing trees. The words: ואותו לא תכרותו, “you shall not cut it down,” belong together with the words לבא מפניך במצור, “that it should enter the siege before you.” Phrased differently, “seeing that the fruit-bearing tree is a lifeline for man how could you consider destroying it?”
 Nachmanides writes that according to the approach of our sages (*Baba Kamma* 91) it is permissible to destroy such trees during the siege and to use the timber to erect structures to enable the troops to bring the war to a speedy end. As to the meaning of the subsequent line that only trees that are not fruit-bearing may be cut down, the meaning is that if you have the choice to cut down fruit-bearing trees, or others that you know not to be of the fruit-baring variety, you must first cut down the trees that cannot furnish fruit. Fruit bearing trees are not to be cut down when such cutting down is not performed in order to fulfill a commandment of the Torah. The reason for this entire legislation, and specifically for its being mentioned at this point, is, that in war soldiers are in the habit of wreaking havoc all over, without regard to the ecological damage they cause by doing so. The Torah, therefore, goes on record that even in war, one must be concerned with what will be needed after the war has ended. The Jewish soldier, fighting a just war, must have confidence in G’d’s help so that he does not have to resort to wholesale destruction.


###### Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:20:1
[Tur HaArokh, Deuteronomy 20:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Deuteronomy/r/20:20:1)

**אותו תשחית וכרת.**פי' מותר אתה לכרות אותו לבנות המצור וגם להשחיתו עד רדתה:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אותו תשחית וכרת, “it you may destroy by cutting it down.” You are free to cut down such a tree without restriction whether in order to build platforms to shoot arrows from, or for whatever reasons, such as to build a fire at night to keep warm.