When is it a mitzva to go out to war?

 

Note: The following is an extract from the book “Bechayil Uve'Ruach,” by Rabbi Chaim Drukman zts"l, a leading figure of Religious Zionism for many decades.. The title of the book hints at the verse, “Not by might nor by power but by my spirit, the God of Hosts says” (Zecharia 4:6). The army of Israel applies this principle, as it fights - “By might – with the spirit of God.”

(A) Milchemet Mitzvah (Obligatory War)

In Chapter 5 of Hilchot Melachim (Laws of Kings), the Rambam explains that according to Jewish law, there are two types of wars in Israel: Milchemet Mitzvah (a war that is a positive obligation) and Milchemet Reshut (a permitted war). A king of Israel must first perform all of the required wars before he is permitted to go to war for discretionary reasons.

The Rambam lists three types of wars that fall under the category of Milchemet Mitzvah:
"What is considered an obligatory war? The war against the seven nations, the war against Amalek, and the defense of Israel from an enemy that attacks them."

Unfortunately, the third type—"the defense of Israel from an enemy that attacks them"—is highly relevant in our times, as many enemies still seek to harm us.

It is clear that the Rambam agrees that there is a mitzvah to fight in defense of the Jewish people. In fact, it is difficult to imagine anyone disputing this, since it is well-known that one may violate the Sabbath to save even a single Jewish life. If that is the case, then how much more so is it a mitzvah to fight in order to protect the collective life of all of Israel!

In our time, all halakhic perspectives agree that we are obligated to wage a Milchemet Mitzvah due to the commandment: "to defend Israel from an enemy that attacks them."

I addition, there is a halakhic ruling that one must go out to battle even on the Sabbath if enemies approach a border town, even if they are only coming over a dispute on straw and hay, because such incidents could ultimately lead to an invasion of the land. This law is codified in the Shulchan Arukh as a practical legal guide for our times—making it clear that the mitzvah to fight remains relevant today!

We must recognize that this message is valid for all generations, especially for our own. We must ensure our survival and strength—not because we want to fight, for the true aspiration of Israel is the opposite of war and bloodshed. However, at times, we have no choice. We are required to fight in order to exist, so that we may ultimately bring the moral and just values of Torah to all of humanity and thereby bring true happiness to the world.

(B) The Obligation to Participate in National Life

In our generation, we face many challenges. At times, we are forced to fight not only physical battles against our external enemies, but also ideological battles within our own community.

From time to time, voices arise within our society suggesting that religious Zionist youth should "threaten" the government by refusing to enlist in the IDF unless the government aligns with their values—effectively a boycott of the military. Some have proposed this in response to the evacuation of communities, while others have suggested it to prevent harm to the Jewish identity of the state. The idea is that such threats could prevent the State of Israel from taking negative actions.

Those who make these proposals undoubtedly have good intentions, but in truth, such ideas should never be entertained!

Imagine a person who is deeply pained by Shabbat desecration in his community. In protest, he declares: "I refuse to accept this! From now on, I will stop putting on tefillin until they stop desecrating the Shabbat!" Would anyone consider such a statement to be logical? To abandon one mitzvah in response to the violation of another?!

We do not enlist in the army as a favor to anyone or to serve the needs of particular individuals. Enlisting in the IDF is a mitzvah! Our participation in the army is not an act of voluntary goodwill—it is a fulfillment of God's command! Would it make any sense to refuse to fulfill a mitzvah simply because others are violating another commandment? The army is engaged in the protection of Jewish lives—how could anyone justify using this for political leverage, no matter how important the cause?

This all stems from the recognition that the wars we fight in our land are Milchemet Mitzvah. When this is understood, our entire perspective on the IDF and military service takes on a new meaning.

(C) "He Declared the Power of His Works to His People"

In his first commentary on the Torah, Rashi quotes Rabbi Yitzchak’s famous question from the Midrash: Why does the Torah begin with the story of Creation? Logically, it should have begun with the first mitzvah given to Israel: "This month shall be for you the beginning of months" (Exodus 12:2)—after all, the Torah is not a history book!

Rabbi Yitzchak answers this question by citing a verse from Psalms (111:6): "He declared the power of His works to His people, to give them the heritage of nations." God began the Torah with Creation in order to establish that He, as the Creator, has the authority to grant the Land of Israel as He chooses.

Rashi explains that if the nations of the world would accuse Israel of stealing the land from the seven nations who lived there, the Jewish people could respond: "The entire world belongs to the Holy One, Blessed be He. He created it and gave it to whomever He saw fit. At His will, He gave it to them, and at His will, He took it from them and gave it to us."

We can only demand our right to the land if we ourselves believe in it. Our conviction in our right to the Land of Israel stems from our belief that God created the world—because without that, who says this land belongs to us at all? Faith is the strongest and most solid foundation for our claim to the land!

Years ago, a writer in the Maariv newspaper (Erev Shabbat Bereshit, 1980) expressed this idea succinctly:

"Does Rabbi Yitzchak, and Rashi with him, truly believe that the nations of the world will be persuaded by this argument? Nonsense... But we do not need to convince the nations of the world. They do not need to believe in the Creator or in Israel’s right to its land. Rather, we must convince ourselves—lest we see ourselves as thieves. And that is the worst of all! Because if we do not believe in our own righteousness, we have no existence in this place...

"I argue: One who does not believe in Genesis cannot believe in God’s promise to Abraham. And one who does not believe in God’s promise to Abraham is a thief who steals land from its inhabitants—not in the eyes of the nations, but worse than that—in his own eyes!"

God did not create His world in vain. The entirety of history is a long divine process leading the world toward its ultimate purpose. This purpose will begin to be fulfilled with the arrival of the Messiah.

At the beginning of Creation, it is written (Genesis 1:3): "And God said: Let there be light!" This does not refer only to physical light, but also to the ultimate purpose of Creation—the divine light that will illuminate the entire world.

(D) The Obligation to Take Part in the National Mission