לִשְׁלֹחַ שָׁלוֹם לְעָרִים שֶׁצָּרִים עֲלֵיהֶן – שֶׁנִּצְטַוִּינוּ בְּהִלָּחֲמֵנוּ בְּעִיר אַחַת מִצַּד הָרְשׁוּת שֶׁנִּרְצֶה לְהִלָּחֵם בָּהּ, וְזוֹ הִיא שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת מִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת, שֶׁנַּבְטִיחַ אוֹתָם שֶׁלֹּא נַהַרְגֵם אִם יַשְׁלִימוּ עִמָּנוּ וְיִהְיוּ לָנוּ לַעֲבָדִים, כְּלוֹמַר מַעֲלִים מַס לְמַלְכֵּנוּ וּכְבוּשִׁים תַּחַת יָדֵינוּ. וְאִם לֹא יַשְׁלִימוּ עִמָּנוּ עַל הָעִנְיָן הַנִּזְכָּר אָנוּ מְצֻוִּים לַהֲרֹג מֵהֶם כָּל זָכָר שֶׁבָּעִיר הַהִיא שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְפִרְקוֹ וְנִקַּח לָנוּ הַטַּף וְהַנָּשִׁים וְכָל שְׁלָלָהּ, וְעַל זֶה כֻּלּוֹ יֹאמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה מִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת. וְאָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (כאן) אִם אָמְרוּ מְקַבְּלִין אָנוּ עָלֵינוּ מִסִּים וְלֹא שִׁעְבּוּד, שִׁעְבּוּד וְלֹא מִסִּים, אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לָהֶם עַד שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם זוֹ וָזוֹ. To send peace to the cities that we besiege: That we were commanded in our fighting against a city by way of what is optional — that we want to fight against it, and that is what is called an optional war — that we assure them that we will not kill them if they make peace with us and become our servants; meaning to say that they raise a tax for our king and they be subdued under us. But if they do not make peace with us in the manner mentioned, we are commanded to kill all of their males in that city that have reached [maturity], and we take for ourselves the children and the women and all of its booty. And about all of this, they, may their memory be blessed, said that it was an optional war. And they said in Sifrei Devarim 200, “If they said, ‘We accept the taxes upon ourselves, but not the subjugation,’ or ‘subjugation, but not taxes’ — we do not listen to them, until they accept this and that upon themselves.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁמִּדַּת הָרַחְמָנוּת הִיא מִדָּה טוֹבָה וְרָאוּי לָנוּ זֶרַע הַקֹּדֶשׁ לְהִתְנַהֵג בָּהּ בְּכָל עִנְיָנֵנוּ גַּם עִם הָאוֹיְבִים עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לְמַעֲלָתֵנוּ אֲנַחְנוּ, לֹא מִצַּד הֱיוֹתָם הֵם רְאוּיִים לְרַחֲמִים וְחֶסֶד, וְגַם כִּי יֵשׁ בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה תּוֹעֶלֶת לָנוּ לִהְיוֹת לְמַלְכֵּנוּ עֲבָדִים יַעַבְדוּהוּ לְהַעֲלוֹת לוֹ מַס תָּמִיד וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מְלָאכוֹתָיו אִם יִצְטָרֵךְ מִבְּלִי שֶׁיּוֹצִיא בָּהֶם הוֹצָאָה שֶׁל כְּלוּם, וּבַהֲמִיתֵנוּ אוֹתָם לֹא יִהְיֶה בַּדָּבָר תּוֹעֶלֶת אַחַר שֶׁהֵם רוֹצִים לַעֲמֹד כְּבוּשִׁים תַּחְתֵּינוּ, אֲבָל יִהְיֶה בַּדָּבָר הַשְׁחָתָה וְהוֹרָאָה עָלֵינוּ בְּמִדַּת הָאַכְזָרִיּוּת, וִיחַסְּדֵנוּ שׁוֹמֵעַ, וּלְהוֹעִיל עַל כָּל שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ נִצְטַוִּינוּ בָּזֶה. It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] because the trait of mercy is a good trait and it is fitting for us — the holy seed — to practice in all of our matters. Even if the enemies are idolaters, it is for our stature — not from the angle of their being fit for mercy and kindness. And also because this thing has a benefit to us, that our king have servants that serve him and always raise him a tax, and do his work — if he needs — without his expending any expenses on them at all. And there is no benefit to us in our killing them, since they want to stay subdued under us; but rather there will be destruction in the thing and [in its] teaching us the trait of cruelty; and “the one who hears [it] will revile us.” And we are commanded about this, to benefit us in all that we have mentioned.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (רמב"ם מלכים פ"ו) שֶׁדִּין קְרִיאַת הַשָּׁלוֹם הוּא בְּכָל מָקוֹם, כְּלוֹמַר בֵּין בְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה בֵּין בְּמִלְחֶמֶת רְשׁוּת, וּמִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה הִיא כְּגוֹן שִׁבְעָה עֲמָמִין וַעֲמָלֵק. וְהַכֹּל אִם הִשְׁלִימוּ עִמָּנוּ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם מַס וְעַבְדוּת, וּכְמוֹ כֵן שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת, אֵין הוֹרְגִין מֵהֶם כָּל נְשָׁמָה וְיִהְיוּ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּנוּ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁלֹּא הִשְׁלִימוּ יֵשׁ חִלּוּק בֵּין מִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה לִרְשׁוּת, שֶׁבְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה אֵין מְחַיִּין מֵהֶם כָּל נְשָׁמָה, וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת מַנִּיחִין מֵהֶם הַטַּף וְהַנָּשִׁים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ בְּסָמוּךְ, וְכֵן מַנִּיחִין רוּחַ אַחַת בְּעִיר מָצוֹר בְּמִלְחֶמֶת רְשׁוּת שֶׁיִּבְרְחוּ מִשָּׁם, וְכִדְאִיתָא בְּסִפְרֵי, וְיָלְפִינַן זֶה מִדִּכְתִיב (במדבר לא, ז) וַיִּצְבְּאוּ עַל מִדְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְיָ וְגוֹ' וּבְמִלְחֶמֶת שִׁבְעָה עֲמָמִין מַקִּיפִין אוֹתָם מִכָּל צַד, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם מוֹדִיעִים אוֹתָם תְּחִלָּה שֶׁאִם רְצוֹנָם לְהַנִּיחַ הָעִיר וְשֶׁיֵּלְכוּ לָהֶם הָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדָם. From the laws of the commandment are what they, may their memory be blessed, said (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings and Wars 6:1) that the law of the call for peace is with every place — meaning to say whether in a commanded war or in an optional war. And a commanded war is, for example, [against] the seven [Canaanite] nations and Amalek. And [with] all, if they make peace with us — meaning to say, they took upon themselves the tax and servitude, and likewise that they took upon themselves the seven commandments — we do not kill a soul from them, and they will be for tribute and serve us. But when they do not make peace, there is a distinction between a commanded war and an optional [war]: That in a commanded war, we do not keep a soul alive; whereas in an optional war we keep their children and women alive, as we wrote adjacently. And likewise, in an optional war, we leave one side of a besieged city open, that they can run away from there, and as it is found in Sifrei Bamidbar 157. And we learn this from that which is written (Numbers 31:7), “And they gathered upon Midian as the Lord commanded.” But in a war against the seven nations, we encircle them from all sides. However, we nonetheless inform them first that if their will is to leave the city and go away, the option is in their hand.
וְכֵן מֵעִנְיָן זֶה מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ גַּם כֵּן, דְּבֵין מִלְחֶמֶת רְשׁוּת אוֹ מִצְוָה מֻתָּר לַחֲלוּצֵי הַצָּבָא כְּשֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ בִּגְבוּל הַגּוֹיִם וְהֵם רְעֵבִים וְאֵין בְּיָדָם צֵידָה לֶאֱכֹל אוֹכְלִין אֲפִלּוּ מַאֲכָלוֹת אֲסוּרִים, כְּגוֹן נְבֵלוֹת וּטְרֵפוֹת וַחֲזִירִים וְלִשְׁתּוֹת יֵין נֶסֶךְ, וְכֵן דָּרְשׁוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (חולין יז, א) וּבָתִּים מְלֵאִים כָּל טוּב (דברים ו, יא), אֲפִלּוּ קָדְלֵי דַּחֲזִירֵי הֻתְּרוּ לָנוּ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (שם כ י) כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר וְגוֹ' עַד גְּמַר הַפָּרָשָׁה. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֵי הַמִּצְוָה בְּפֶרֶק שֵׁנִי מִסַּנְהֶדְרִין וּשְׁמִינִי מִסּוֹטָה. And also from this matter is that which they also said, that whether it is an optional war or a commanded, it is permitted for the front line of the army when they enter into the borders of the gentiles, and they are hungry and they do not have provisions, to eat [their] foods — and even forbidden foods, such as carcasses, and “torn” [animals] and pigs — and to drink idolatrous wine. And so did they, may their memory be blessed, expound (Chullin 17a), “‘And houses filed with everything good’ (Deuteronomy 6:11) — even [fatty] pigs’ necks were permitted to us.” And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 20:10), “When you approach a city, etc.” until the end of the section. [These] and the rest of the details of the commandment are in the second chapter of Sanhedrin and the eighth of Sotah.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ, בִּזְמַן שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עַל אַדְמָתָן בִּזְכָרִים, שֶׁהֵם רְאוּיִים לַמִּלְחָמָה, וְהִיא מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הַמּוּטָלוֹת עַל הַצִּבּוּר וְיוֹתֵר עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם. וְאִם עָבְרוּ עַל זֶה וְלֹא שָׁלְחוּ אֶל הָעִיר לִקְרוֹת אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם וּלְהִתְנַהֵג עִמָּהֶם עַל הָעִנְיָן שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ, בִּטְּלוּ עֲשֵׂה זֶה. And this commandment is practiced — at the time that Israel is on their Land — by males, as they are fit for war. And it is from the commandments that are incumbent upon the community and especially upon the king and the leaders of the people. And if they transgressed this and did not send to the city to call to it for peace and to comport themselves in the way that we mentioned, they have violated this positive commandment.