To besiege: למצור
A narrow place: מקום צר
The location of the oppression of the Israelites: מִצְרַיִם
צר
narrow, tight; straits, distress; adversary, foe, enemy; oppressor; hard pebble, flint
On this day, 1 Elul 5784, 4 September 2024... on this day, היום, as I study Parshat Shoftim... I am drawn again and again to the following verse:
(יט) כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתׇפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
(19) When you besiege a city you for a long time, in your war efforts, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down [a poetic translation here could be: you must not amputate them]. Are trees of the field like humans, that they may go before you, when you besiege them? (my translation)
Mere days after funerals for the bodies of Israeli hostages, mere days after huge demonstrations in the streets of Israel, pressing the Israeli government for a ceasefire... on this day, mere days after the start of what is likely to be a futile effort to vaccinate thousands of Palestinian children against the resurrected scourge of polio...On this day, entering Elul, when we are invited to look deeply into our actions... On this day, היום, I feel compelled to deeply study this verse, perhaps in particular:
לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
do not cut them down [do not amputate them], because - consider: are trees of the field like humans, that they may go before you, when you besiege them?
I linger over these words... לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
to go.. at a time of siege...
to go out from a narrow place...
I linger over these words: ...לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת
Do not cut them down... do not amputate them...
I think of the current situation in Gaza: the largest cohort of pediatric amputees in history.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/the-children-who-lost-limbs-in-gaza
Could we consider that innocents in Gaza are like the trees of the field in our verse from our Parsha Shoftim: they cannot escape from a siege, any more than a tree of the field?
As I ponder this rule of a siege on 1 Elul 5784, I remind myself that King David was not able to build the Temple because of his long involvement in war and bloodshed:
(ז) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר דָּוִ֖יד לִשְׁלֹמֹ֑ה (בנו) [בְּנִ֕י] אֲנִי֙ הָיָ֣ה עִם־לְבָבִ֔י לִבְנ֣וֹת בַּ֔יִת לְשֵׁ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽי׃ (ח) וַיְהִ֨י עָלַ֤י דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר דָּ֤ם לָרֹב֙ שָׁפַ֔כְתָּ וּמִלְחָמ֥וֹת גְּדֹל֖וֹת עָשִׂ֑יתָ לֹא־תִבְנֶ֥ה בַ֙יִת֙ לִשְׁמִ֔י כִּ֚י דָּמִ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים שָׁפַ֥כְתָּ אַ֖רְצָה לְפָנָֽי׃
(7) David said to Solomon, “My son, I wanted to build a House for the name of the LORD my God. (8) But the word of the LORD came to me, saying,‘You have shed much blood and fought great battles; you shall not build a House for My name, for you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.
As we enter Elul, I feel drawn to ponder and meditate on how the thirst for vengeance and bloodshed may impede us from finding holiness in our own lives?
Similarly to my recent explorations of how we dispossess ourselves of our humanity when we dispossess others - please see my 5784 Sefaria Sheets
-- I suggest here that when we besiege others, we are putting ourselves into a narrow place as well.
Can we find a way to compassion for the victims of this war?
The question of going out from the narrow place of a siege... Does this sound familiar to you? It most certainly sounds familiar to me: the deeply central element in the origin story of the Jewish people: coming forth from a narrow place. Egypt. Mitzrayim. מִצְרַיִם
Earlier in Parshat Shoftim we have seen the rules for cities of refuge; arguably an attempt to systematize and contain the all-too-human impulse toward vengeance.
(י) וְלֹ֤א יִשָּׁפֵךְ֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֣רֶב אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ דָּמִֽים׃ {פ}
(10) Thus blood of the innocent will not be shed, bringing bloodguilt upon you in the land that your God יהוה is allotting to you.
As we enter Elul 5784, I pray that the blood of innocents will no longer be shed.
In closing I will share a poem I wrote yesterday:
share a penny share a thought
share a penny share a thought
my thought for the day:there are no rules of war
Haditha
My Lai
Kampuchea
Be'eri
Gaza City
Khan Yunis
Jenin
Jabal el-Hussein Tulkarm
Kherson
Kharkiv
Crimea
Kursk
Khartoum
Darfur
Čhaŋkpé Ópi Wakpála
The Mission
The Bayview
The Tenderloin
my streety
our street
your blood
my blood
the nearest polling station
the local news
heartless online places
what sort of rule
concerns the proper way
for me to take your life?
what if the rule of war could be:
i will fight for you
i will assert
your precious soulful nature
i will proclaim
you are my sister
you are my brother
no rules of war
but rules of peace
wholeness connection
shalom
my thought for the day
cost me less than a penny
share a penny share a thought
What follows is a brief halakhic consideration of the "laws of siege", a deep consideration being beyond the scope of this one Sefaria sheet.
I will reference briefly:
The Laws of Siege - The Duty To Leave One Direction Open For Escape
The Midrash (Sif. Num., ed. Horowitz, 157) cites the opinion of the tanna Rabbi Nathan, that when Israel laid siege in its war with Midian (Num. 31), one side was left open so that the Midianites could flee. Naḥmanides (Hassagot al Sefer ha-Mitzvot la-Rambam, 5), suggests two reasons for this. The first is educational, namely, to encourage compassion even for an enemy in time of war. The second reason is tactical: to avoid emboldening the enemy by putting it in a position from which there can be no escape, and in which it has nothing to lose. In his opinion, this rule only applies to a discretionary war. As opposed to this, Maimonides sees it as a duty in every war. Rabbi Meir Simhah ha-Kohen of Dvinsk (Meshekh Ḥokhmah, at Num. 31:6) explains that the source of the disagreement between Nahmanides and Maimonides is that Maimonides views this primarily as a matter of military tactics. Therefore, it is not an obligation, but rather a recommendation applying even to an obligatory war. Naḥmanides sees the underlying reason as that of compassion, which applies only to a discretionary war.This dispute has practical ramifications to this day. Is there a halakhic obligation to allow the enemy an avenue of escape? Contemporary halakhic authorities disagreed as to whether the halakhah required the Israeli army to allow PLO terrorists to escape during the 1982 siege of Beirut. Rabbi S. Goren rejected the distinction of the Meshekh Ḥokhmah and ruled that according to Maimonides there was a duty to allow them to escape, even in an obligatory war. Rabbi S. Yisraeli accepted the distinction and ruled that according to Maimonides there was no such duty in an obligatory war, and the matter was subject to the discretion of the military commanders and the government...
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/military-law
כי האדם עץ השדה. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן דִּלְמָא, שֶׁמָּא הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה לְהִכָּנֵס בְּתוֹךְ הַמָּצוֹר מִפָּנֶיךָ לְהִתְיַסֵּר בְּיִסּוּרֵי רָעָב וְצָמָא כְּאַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר? לָמָּה תַּשְׁחִיתֶנּוּ?:
כי האדם עץ השדה FOR IS THE TREE OF THE FIELD A MAN [THAT IT SHOULD BE BESIEGED BY THEE]? — כי has here the meaning of “possibly”, “perhaps” (cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:5) — is the tree of the field perhaps a man who is able to withdraw within the besieged city from before you, that it should be chastised by the suffering of famine and thirst like the inhabitants of the city? Why should you destroy it?
ומבואר ברעיא מהימנא ובתיקונין שעיקר עסק התורה הוא למעשה, ברעיא מהימנא פרשת פנחס (ריח, א) זה לשונו דאורייתא דאקרי עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה, ובר נש הוא דכתיב (דברים כ, יט) כי האדם עץ השדה, ופיקודין דבה דמיין לאיבא, מה כתיב ביה (שם כ) רק עץ אשר תדע כי לא עץ מאכל הוא אותו תשחית וכרת, אותו תשחית מעלמא דין, וכרת מעלמא דאתי, ובגין דא צריך לאעקרא מההוא אתר ויתנטע באתר אוחרא בין צדיקיא, מה בר נש בלא בנין אתקרי עקר ואתתיה עקרה, אוף הכי אורייתא בלא פקודין אתקריאת עקרא ובגין דא אוקמוה (אבות א, יז) לא המדרש הוא העיקר אלא המעשה, עכ"ל.
בכל עץ דא איהו עץ החיים דאתמר ביה עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה. ועליה אתמר כי האדם עץ השדה
(Deut. 22:6) ... in any tree... – this is ‘the tree of life’, of which it is stated: (Prov. 3:18) It is a tree of life to them that take hold of it... And upon it is stated: (Deut. 20:19) ... because the human is a tree of the field...
לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן (דברים כ':י"ט). הֻזְהַרְנוּ בָּזֶה שֶׁלֹּא לִכְרוֹת כָּל עֵץ מַאֲכָל גַּם לִבְנוֹת בּוֹ מָצוֹר, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיִּמְצָא מֵאִילָנֵי סְרָק דֵּי סִפּוּקוֹ. וְכֵן הֻזְהַרְנוּ בָּזֶה שֶׁלֹּא לְפַזֵּר מָמוֹן לָרִיק אֲפִלּוּ שָׁוֶה פְּרוּטָה. וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ הַמְּקָרֵעַ עַל מֵתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּי לוֹקֶה. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן הַמְּשַׁבֵּר כֵּלִים בַּחֲמָתוֹ. כִּי שְׁתַּיִם רָעוֹת עָשָׂה. הִשְׁחִית מָמוֹן. וְהִשְׁלִיט אֶת כַּעֲסוֹ לְהַעֲבִירוֹ עַל דִבְרֵי תוֹרָה. כִּי מֵעַתָּה יֵשׁ עִמּוֹ מִלְחָמָה מִיֵּצֶר הַכַּעַס לְהַעֲבִירוֹ עַל דָּתוֹ. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי כ"ט:כ"ב) וּבַעַל חֵמָה רַב פָּשַׁע. וּכְבָר הִקְדַּמְנוּ לְךָ מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אִם רָאִיתָ אָדָם שֶׁהוּא מְשַׁבֵּר כְּלִי בַּחֲמָתוֹ יִהְיֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁכָּךְ דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל יֵצֶר הָרַע הַיּוֹם אוֹמֵר לוֹ עֲשֵׂה כָּךְ, וּלְמָחָר אוֹמֵר לוֹ עֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים. וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה לֹא יִשְׁפֹּךְ אָדָם מֵי בוֹרוֹ וַאֲחֵרִים צְרִיכִין לוֹ. אַף כִּי הֻזְהַרְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְהַשְׁחִית הַגּוּף בִּמְסִירָתוֹ לְסַכָּנוֹת. אוֹ בְּסִגּוּף הַגּוּף לְבַלְּעוֹ חִנָּם בְּתַעֲנִיּוֹת מִתּוֹךְ צַעֲרוֹ וְכַעֲסוֹ. וְלֹא לְהִתְאַבֵּל עַל מֵתוֹ [יותר מדאי]. אֲבָל הַמִּתְאוֹנֵן וְהַמִּתְאַבֵּל עַל עֲוֹנֹתָיו עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (ישעיהו נ"ז:י"ח) דְּרָכָיו רָאִיתִי וְאֶרְפָּאֵהוּ וְאַנְחֵהוּ וַאֲשַׁלֵּם נִחֻמִים לוֹ וְלַאֲבֵלָיו. וְנֶאֱמַר (בראשית ט':ה') וְאַךְ אֶת דִּמְכֶם לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה מִיַּד נַפְשׁוֹתֵיכֶם אֶדְרֹשׁ אֶת דִּמְכֶם.
“You must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them” (Deuteronomy 20:19). For we were warned with this not to cut down any fruit tree - even to build fortifications with it, so long as one finds enough fruitless trees for his needs. And we were also warned with this not to throw money around for no reason - even the value of a perutah (a small coin). And our Rabbis said (Bava Kamma 91b), “One who rends his garments excessively over his dead [relative] is lashed.” And all the more so, one who breaks vessels in his anger, as he has done two evils - destroying his wealth; and letting his anger be in control, to make him transgress matters of the Torah. As from now on, he will have a struggle with the impulse of anger, to make him transgress his religion - like the matter that is written (Proverbs 29:22), “a hot-tempered man commits many offenses.” And we have already let you know that which our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 105b), “One who breaks his vessels in his anger [...] should be like an idol worshiper in your eyes, as that is the way of the evil impulse. Today it tells him, ‘Do this,’ and tomorrow it tells him, ‘[...] worship idols.’” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yevamot 44a), “A man should not pour out water from his well when others need it.” We were even warned not to waste the body, by giving it over to dangers or torturing the body to consume it needlessly with fasts from his distress and anger, and not to mourn [more than is necessary] for his dead [relative]. But [regarding] one who grieves and mourns over his iniquities - about him is it stated (Isaiah 57:18), “I note how they fare and will heal them; I will guide them and mete out solace to them, and to the mourners among them.” And it is stated (Genesis 9:5) “But for your souls’ blood, I will require a reckoning.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Kamma 91b), “From the hand of your souls (i.e., from yourself), will I require your blood.”
וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם (משלי ג, יז). כָּל מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם הוּא נִכְתַּב. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה מִלְחָמוֹת, אַף הַמִּלְחָמוֹת לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם נִכְתְּבוּ. אַתָּה מוֹצֵא, שֶׁבִּטֵּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גְּזֵרָתוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם. אֵימָתַי, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, כִּי תָּצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים (דברים כ, יט) וְכָל אוֹתוֹ הָעִנְיָן, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁיַּחֲרִים אוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם (דברים כ, יז). וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, אֶלָּא אָמַר, עַכְשָׁו אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ וּמַכֶּה מִי חָטָא וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. אֶלָּא בְּשָׁלוֹם אֲנִי בָּא עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת, דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם, אֶעְבְּרָה בְּאַרְצְךָ (שם ב, כו-כז). כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁלֹּא בָּא לְשָׁלוֹם, הִכָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּכּוּ אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת כָּל עַמּוֹ (במדבר כא, לה). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי, כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם, וְאַתָּה לֹא עָשִׂיתָ כֵן. חַיֶּיךָ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ, כָּךְ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי תִּקְרַב אֶל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ, וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם (דברים כ, י). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם (משלי ג, יז).
(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” This text is related (to Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Whatever is written in the Torah is written to [establish] peace. Although wars are written about in the Torah, they are written about for the sake of peace. You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, cancelled the decree [of utter destruction (herem)] for the sake of peace. When? When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Deut. 20:19), “When you besiege a city a long time.” Now concerning that whole matter, the Holy One, blessed be He, had said that he should destroy them, as stated (above in vs. 17), “No, you shall utterly destroy them.” However, Moses did not do so. Rather he said, “Am I to go and smite who has sinned and who has not sinned? Instead, let me come against them in peace, as stated (in Deut. 2:26-27), “Then I sent messengers from the Desert of Kedemoth [unto King Sihon of Heshbon] with words of peace […]. I will traverse your land.” When he saw that he did not come in peace, he smote him, as stated (in Numb. 21:35), “So they smote him, his children, and all his people.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I Myself told you (in Deut. 20:17), ‘No, you shall utterly destroy them,’ but you did not do this. By your life, just as you have said, so will I do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 20:10), “When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, you shall offer terms of peace unto it.” Therefore, it is so stated (in Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
וְלֹ֤א יִשָּׁפֵךְ֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֣רֶב אַרְצְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָ֑ה וְהָיָ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ דָּמִֽים׃ {פ}
Thus blood of the innocent will not be shed, bringing bloodguilt upon you in the land that your God יהוה is allotting to you.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ֩ עַבְדֵ֨י פַרְעֹ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו עַד־מָתַי֙ יִהְיֶ֨ה זֶ֥ה לָ֙נוּ֙ לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ שַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וְיַֽעַבְד֖וּ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ם הֲטֶ֣רֶם תֵּדַ֔ע כִּ֥י אָבְדָ֖ה מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Pharaoh’s courtiers said to him, “How long shall this one be a snare to us? Let a delegation go to worship their God יהוה ! Are you not yet aware that Egypt is lost?”