Parshat Shoftim: Total Evil Deserves Total Destruction

Parshat Shoftim contains the commandment [Chapter 20 Verse 19]:

“When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees, wielding the ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city?”

Apparently, as explained by Rashi, the Jewish army was commanded not to engage in total warfare; even against immoral nations, the humanity of the Israelite army required that we would not act as total savages, and therefore, effort must be made to preserve the fauna of a city that the Jews were attempting to destroy [obviously, if Jewish lives would be put risk, then the typical rules of Pikuach Nefashot\saving lives would take precedence over any vegetation. The verse is only referring to situations where the destruction of the trees would be wanton and without purpose; See Rambam Laws of Kings and Warfare, Chapter 6 Halachot 7-8].

Seemingly, the above Verse from the Torah completely bans the purposeless destruction of fruit bearing trees, even when there would be military benefit to said destruction. This creates great difficulty on the Verse in Melachim\Kings, Book 2, Chapter 3, Verse 19, in which G-d communicates, [via the Prophet Elisha] that concerning the upcoming battle against Moab, the Jews would:

“...conquer every fortified town and every splendid city [of Moab]; you shall fell every good tree and stop up all wells of water; and every fertile field you shall ruin with stones.”

The Sefer Kevodah Shel Torah raises the astounding question–how can G-d sanction the destruction of fruit bearing trees if that is expressly forbidden by the Torah? He quotes from Rashi [Melachim ad. loc.]:

“And every valuable tree you will chop down. Even though it is stated, “Do not harm any of its trees,” here G-d permitted it for you, for this is a contemptible and insignificant nation before Him…”

Hence, Rashi offers that since Moab was so immoral in the eyes of G-d, their contemptibility was great enough to extend even to their vegetation, which the Jews were commanded to destroy. Rashi’s angle of explanation is rather astonishing, as the fact of the matter is, the Prophets command in the name of G-d seems to be overriding the words of the Torah written here in Parshat Shoftim.

Kevodah Shel Torah explains brilliantly, however, that support for allowance in certain circumstances can be proven from the Torah itself, for the Torah writes, [apparently unnecessarily] “you must not destroy its trees…you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human…?” This rhetorical comparison is not typical of the Torah’s style, and its extraneous nature requires elucidation. Therefore, Kevodah Shel Torah offers, that the Torah is communicating here, being that trees are compared to humans, some Nations are so beset by immorality, that figuratively speaking, even their trees [compared to the population of said nation] warrant destruction. Ergo, the explanation of Rashi in Kings as to how the Prophet could sanction in the name of G-d destruction of fruit-bearing trees actually is alluded to and apparent in the Torah itself!

At the time of this writing, news has broken about the discovery of bodies of Hostages that were discovered by the IDF; the hostages were likely executed a day or two before the IDF reached their location. If any lesson can be drawn from the above Devar Torah, perhaps it is that the culture of terrorism and Jew-hate lab-grown by Hamas and cultivated and developed by the people of Gaza and echoed by their idiotic global supporters is comparable to the contemptibility of the people of Moab, our ancient enemy. We beg G-d, vanquish all enemies of the Jewish people. There are no words for the suffering of the families of the hostages and victims of Hamas’ brutality. We can only beseech G-d for the ultimate redemption. May their memory be a blessing.

Dedicated in memory of all those who have perished and sacrificed for Am Yisrael.

Have a Great Shabbas.