Monday, August 16, 2021

ish ha'yarei v'rach ha'leivav

Among the people who are sent home and do not participate in war is מִי־הָאִ֤ישׁ הַיָּרֵא֙ וְרַ֣ךְ הַלֵּבָ֔ב יֵלֵ֖ךְ וְיָשֹׁ֣ב לְבֵית֑וֹ  (20:8)  Rashi quotes 2 shitos as to what the pasuk is referring to: 

ר׳ עקיבא אומר: כשמועו, שאינו יכול לעמוד בקשרי המלחמה ולראות חרב שלופה.

ר׳ יוסי הגלילי אומר: הירא מעבירות שבידו. 

What's the nekudas ha'machlokes?  Why does R' Yosi reject the simple "mashma'o" reading of the pasuk?

Maybe this came to mind because a week or two ago I quoted the Ohr haChaim/Zohar's view that a baal bechira can override hashgacha on an individual.  That is why there was more danger to Yosef from the Midyanim or Egyptians than from the snakes and scorpions in the pit he was thrown into.  The latter are under Hashem's total control; the former can exercise free will and cause harm "outside" Hashem's plan.

R' Akiva perhaps holds like the O.C. and the Zohar, and therefore, when going to battle against a baal bechira, even a tzadik gamur has reason to be scared.  R' Yosi maybe does not agree with that view and holds that if a person is truly a tzadik, then hashgacha will protect him even against a baal bechira.  The only one who has a need for fear is a person who has "aveiros b'yado."

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