Love, not war, is the goal

Torah Study

RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Tetzaveh/Exodus 27:20 - 30:10

What is generally not so well-known, however, is that side-by-side with the temple-centered High Priest there existed a second High Priest whose sphere of influence was the front lines of battle. He was called the meshuah milhama, the one anointed for war.

The position of the Temple High Priest was hereditary, the crown of priesthood moving from Aaron to Elazar and down the genealogical line from father to son. But when it came to choosing the priest anointed-for-war, heredity was not a factor.

This week's Torah portion states: "The sacral vestments of Aaron shall pass on to his sons after him, for them to be anointed and ordained in. He among his sons who becomes priest in his stead, who enters the tent of meeting to officiate within the sanctuary, shall wear them seven days" (Exodus 29: 29-30).

The one who may enter the tent of meeting (the Temple High Priest) bequeaths his position to his sons, and he who may not enter the tent of meeting (such as the priest anointed-for-war) cannot pass on his position to his son.

The Torah, in Deuteronomy, explains the role of the priest anointed-for-war: "Before you join battle, the priest shall come forward and address the troops. He shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel! You are about to join battle with your enemy. Let not your courage falter. Do not be in fear, or in panic, or in dread of them. For it is the Lord your God who marches with you' " (Deut. 20:2-4).

A person who could genuinely inspire the nation had to be possessed of a tremendous measure of faith and fearlessness himself. Clearly, the psychological and emotional strengths, as well as the bravery needed to go into the thick of battle, required character traits that were not necessarily passed down from father to son.

The Jerusalem Talmud informs us that the priest anointed-for-war also needed the ability to discern between different musical sounds. This may be a reference to the skill of listening to the people as they described their fears and weaknesses. Some had to be comforted and convinced; others had to be sent home so as not to lower the morale of their comrades. The priest anointed-for-war had to not only exhort but also to listen; he had to not only hear the words but also had to discern the music behind the words.

Temple rituals, the do's and don'ts of the sacrificial and liturgical prescription, could be transmitted from parent to child, from generation to generation. But inspirational and psychological expertise can not.

Meanwhile, implicit in the concept of rule-by-heredity is the desire for continuity. And there is no better guarantee for continuity than the creation of a dynasty, the legacy passed down intact from father to son. A system where the mantle of leadership moves in this manner has the best chance of achieving the closest thing to eternity.

And to the extent that the rituals of the Holy Temple had to be preserved in their exact form, the best way to do so was to keep it in the family.

But while we want the Holy Temple and the sacrificial-liturgical ritual to be eternal, we certainly hope and pray that war is only a temporary and transitory necessity on our path to national and universal peace.

What message would we be sending if we made the priest anointed-for-war an eternal position? An eternity of war? Obviously such a message would go against the heart of Judaism.

On the contrary, we only wish to continually preserve the High Priest of the Holy Temple, an institution dedicated to loving and pursuing peace.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the spiritual leader of the Jewish community in Efrat, Israel.