Parashas Shoftim is always read at the beginning of the month of Elul, and much has already been written regarding the hints in the parashah to the mitzvah of repentance and other matters that are hinted to in our parashah. Behold, at the end of the parashah the Torah says (20:1-3): ‘כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך וראית סוס ורכב עם רב ממך, לא תירא מהם... וניגש הכהן ודיבר אל העם... שמע ישראל, אתם קרבים היום למלחמה על אוביכם. אל ירך לבבכם, אל תיראו, אל תחפזו, ואל תערצו מפניהם’ - “When you go out to war against your enemies, and you see horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you, you shall not fear them... and the kohen shall approach and speak to the people... Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near today to battle against your enemies. Let not your hearts be faint; do not fear, and do not panic, and do not be terrified before them.” And Rashi explains the meaning of these four expressions: “Four warnings corresponding to four things that the kings of the nations do: (1) They strike their shields one against the other in order to make noise, so that those standing opposite them should panic and flee; (2) They trample with their horses and make them neigh in order to make heard the pounding sound of the horses’ hooves; (3) They scream with their voices; (4) They blow with trumpets and various instruments that produce sound.” And corresponding to all these sounds, the anointed kohen [Kohen HaMashuach] says four warnings not to be afraid of them. This is nothing, it is only noise...
It is known that every war written in the Torah also refers to the war against the yetzer. And behold, now that we are already standing within the month of Elul—the month of repentance—and naturally every person is aroused to do Teshuva and to begin a “new page,” but the yetzer hara does not want to see us in Teshuva, he cannot bear this situation. Therefore, he tries to frighten us, and the Torah reveals to us his “method of operation.” He makes a lot of noise, producing all kinds of sounds in order to frighten those who stand opposite him. But the Torah already tells us: “Let not your hearts be faint; do not fear, and do not panic, and do not be terrified before them.” All the sounds that you hear, they are only sounds, there is nothing there! There is nothing to fear.
The truth is that the yetzer indeed tries to fight with all his strength. He will do whatever he can in order to cause us to fall, as the Gemara says (Kiddushin 30b): “Rabbi Shimon ben Levi said, the yetzer of a person grows stronger against him every day and seeks to kill him, and if not for HaKadosh Baruch Hu helping him, he would not be able to overcome him.” So how can I, a simple and small person, fight him and defeat him? The answer is: just like in all wars, we need to fight to the extent of our ability, and Hashem Yisbarach brings the victory!
- Tiv HaTorah - Shoftim
