In last week’s Bitachon Weekly we mentioned the parallel between the last four Mitzvos of the Parsha. The first Mitzva is to send away certain groups of people from war (those who 1. just built a new house, or 2. planted a new vineyard, or 3. just got married). We explained that is he sent away only for these three situations, and not for Tzitzis, Pidyon HaBen, or any other Mitzva, since these involve building, marriage, and bearing fruit; all are a sign of having children.
Avoda Zara is the opposite of producing and bearing fruit; i.e., serving Hashem who created the world. Ovdei Hashem emulate Hashem by having “fruit” (children) and productivity, like learning Torah and doing Mitzvos. The second Mitzva in last week’s Parsha is that we are required to offer the enemy a chance to make peace before attacking them. This is a sign of our reluctance for waging wars and destruction.
The third Mitzva; not cutting a fruit tree to use its wood for warfare, is also based on the importance of productivity and non-destructiveness. And the last Mitzva, Egla Arufa, is the response to the tragedy of a murder victim, who lost his chance to “bear fruit” (children).
So when a Yid goes to war against Goyim and their beliefs, it symbolizes the struggle between productivity vs. non-productivity. And the Rambam says that the Schar of being a true Jewish soldier is that he will “build” a successful “home”. Those who fight for the ideal of productivity are rewarded with their own personal productivity.
Gilui Arayos is called: הַשחָתָה destruction, since it is using the great Mitzva of marriage in a perverted manor, i.e., not for having children, just for a fake form of fun.
Eisav left Yiddishkeit (וַיִּבֶז עֵשָו אֶת הַבְּכֹרָה) and instead he turned to doing nothing (Avoda Zara), and Rashi says that: אִיש שָדֶה (a man of the field) means that he did zero! The: שָׂעִיר לַעֲזָאזֵל goat that got pushed off the cliff (which symbolizes Eisav) goes to a barren: אֶרֶץ גְזֵרָה desert, similar to the: נַחַל אֵיתָן (hard ground) where the Egla Arufa was brought, since the dead person can no longer produce (children).
Yaakov, the: יֹשֵב אֹהָלִים learns Torah, which means productivity. And the: שָׂעִיר לַה' goat for Hashem (corresponding to Yaakov) is brought in the “Bais” Hamikdash; a “house” (Yaakov called the Bais Hamikdash a “house”). A house symbolizes productivity. RSRH points out how much Mesirus Nefesh Yaakov had for building his “house”, by working 14 years for his wives. (And Avraham Avinu’s main preoccupation and desire was to have children).
