This Shabbat we read in the parsha, “Ki Teitzei L’Milchama” It is talking about the Jewish nation going out to battle.
It’s no coincidence that the Israeli Defense Force started entering into Gaza City. Thousands of reservists were called up. Israel is once again in full gear battling in Aza.
The Torah tells us when you go out to that battle, you’ll have success. Once a Jew initiates the battle, God will give up his enemies in his hands.
וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ
He’ll take back, he’ll take captives. We’re hoping in the merit of this war the captives will be freed and liberated without any casualties.
The promise God gives us in the parsha — and Hashem walks in our camp. God goes out with the soldiers and His Divine Presence is here with the hayalim.
We should be fulfilled and we should see victory on all the fronts.
We all know that the fight is going on in the soul of a person. Every person, when it comes down to this world, Ki Teitzei, the second his soul comes down from the higher worlds and enters into our body, enters into our physical world, right away, L’Milchama, this war, this battle. He has to fight that known the enemy, known as the yetzer hara. And there in the battle one can suppress his yetzer hara, can suppress his evil inclination. One can take that evil inclination and use in the service of God. He can elevate the way he conducts his mundane activities. The way I eat, the way I drink, the way I sleep. And there he could take it into captivity, elevate it all into holiness.
We should be privileged this Shabbat to win both fronts. Both the physical war in Aza, the spiritual war against the known enemy. God willing, we should be zocheh to see victory on all fronts.
Hashem should bring us a military victory. All of Israel will be privileged this Hodesh Elul to take captive the yetzer hara and see victory on all fronts.
