The officials shall go on addressing the troops and say, “Is there anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades’ standard like his.” [20:8]
Chazal, [see Rashi] say that it refers to one who has sinned and is scared he will fall in battle [as he is a sinner]. In the city of Brisk in the times of The Brisker Rov ZY"A, the Maskilim [Jewish secular society] staged a performance of the Jews going to war. Before the battle started, the heads of the war called out as it says in the Psukim as follows: “Is there anyone who has built a new house but has not dedicated it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another dedicate it". A group then left the stage. Then it was called out “Is there anyone who has planted a vineyard but has never harvested it? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another harvest it.” And another group left. It was then called out “Is there anyone who has betrothed a woman, but who has not yet married her? Let him go back to his home, lest he die in battle and another marry her.” And finally, “Is there anyone afraid and disheartened? Let him go back to his home, lest the courage of his comrades’ standard like his.” At the conclusion they called out and who fears of his sins? And all the soldiers left, besides two older men who were The Vilna Goan ZY”A and The Shagas Aryeh ZY"A. The secular assemblage found this to be amusing as it ridiculed these great Rabbis and the Holy Torah, Rachmona Litzlon. The above episode was told to The Brisker Rov in an astonishment, to which he remarked, "They left out the main point, that these Tzaddikim [Righteous men] won the war"!!
The Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk ZY”A once said that every Jew could claim his share in the World to Come if only he answered the questions put to him by the Heavenly Court properly. When his disciples asked him to explain, he said: “When they ask me: “Elimelech, did you study as much as you should have?”, I will reply: “No.” “Elimelech, did you pray as fervently as you could have?” Again, the answer will be “No.” “Did you serve Hashem as well as you could have?” Once again, I shall answer “No”. However, they will then be forced to admit me to Paradise, because I will have been honest enough to see my failures and to tell the truth!” From this episode we can see the truth of the Rebbe Reb Elimelechs' service and devotion to Hashem.
Similarly, we find a saying from The Rebbe Reb Elimelech of Lizhensk’s brother, Reb Ziesha of Anipoli, who said when he comes to Shomayim they will not ask of him why he was not as great as earlier generations, but they will ask him whether he was... Reb Ziesha!
After the passing of his Rebbe the Chofetz Chaim, Reb Elchonon Wasserman HY"D, inherited the mantle of being Daas Torah for his generation. He would defend Torah against attack from the outside and mercilessly fought those seeking to destroy it from within. To this effort Reb Elchonon felt the need to keep up with the goings on in the world and would read the newspaper daily. It was placed on his Shtender and each morning he would spend three minutes going through it and digesting it with his incisive mind. When asked why he would read the newspaper on his Shtender out of all places, he said, if I must read the paper then it is because it is a mitzva and I can read in right here on my Shtender. if there is an issue with reading the paper then I cannot even do it behind closed doors.
