וְזֹאת תּוֹרַת זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם (משלי ג, יז). כָּל מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם הוּא נִכְתַּב. וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה מִלְחָמוֹת, אַף הַמִּלְחָמוֹת לָשׂוּם שָׁלוֹם נִכְתְּבוּ. אַתָּה מוֹצֵא, שֶׁבִּטֵּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גְּזֵרָתוֹ מִפְּנֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם. אֵימָתַי, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, כִּי תָּצוּר אֶל עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים (דברים כ, יט) וְכָל אוֹתוֹ הָעִנְיָן, אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁיַּחֲרִים אוֹתָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם (דברים כ, יז). וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן, אֶלָּא אָמַר, עַכְשָׁו אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ וּמַכֶּה מִי חָטָא וּמִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. אֶלָּא בְּשָׁלוֹם אֲנִי בָּא עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת, דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם, אֶעְבְּרָה בְּאַרְצְךָ (שם ב, כו-כז). כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁלֹּא בָּא לְשָׁלוֹם, הִכָּהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּכּוּ אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת כָּל עַמּוֹ (במדבר כא, לה). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי, כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם, וְאַתָּה לֹא עָשִׂיתָ כֵן. חַיֶּיךָ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ, כָּךְ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי תִּקְרַב אֶל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ, וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם (דברים כ, י). לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: דְּרָכֶיהָ דַּרְכֵי נֹעַם וְכָל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם (משלי ג, יז).
(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.” This text is related (to Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.” Whatever is written in the Torah is written to [establish] peace. Although wars are written about in the Torah, they are written about for the sake of peace. You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, cancelled the decree [of utter destruction (herem)] for the sake of peace. When? When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Deut. 20:19), “When you besiege a city a long time.” Now concerning that whole matter, the Holy One, blessed be He, had said that he should destroy them, as stated (above in vs. 17), “No, you shall utterly destroy them.” However, Moses did not do so. Rather he said, “Am I to go and smite who has sinned and who has not sinned? Instead, let me come against them in peace, as stated (in Deut. 2:26-27), “Then I sent messengers from the Desert of Kedemoth [unto King Sihon of Heshbon] with words of peace […]. I will traverse your land.” When he saw that he did not come in peace, he smote him, as stated (in Numb. 21:35), “So they smote him, his children, and all his people.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I Myself told you (in Deut. 20:17), ‘No, you shall utterly destroy them,’ but you did not do this. By your life, just as you have said, so will I do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 20:10), “When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, you shall offer terms of peace unto it.” Therefore, it is so stated (in Prov. 3:17), “The ways [of wisdom] are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
שתחילת ניסה נפילה שנאמר (שמואל א ד, יז) נס ישראל לפני פלשתים וגם מגפה גדולה היתה בעם ולהלן הוא אומר (שמואל א לא, א) וינוסו [אנשי] ישראל מפני פלשתים ויפלו חללים וגו'
because the beginning of fleeing is a downfall on the battlefield, as it is stated: “Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there has been also a great slaughter among the people” (I Samuel 4:17), and likewise it says further on: “And the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in Mount Gilboa” (I Samuel 31:1).
בד"א במלחמות הרשות אבל במלחמות מצוה הכל יוצאין אפילו חתן מחדרו וכלה מחופתה אמר רבי יהודה במה דברים אמורים במלחמות מצוה אבל במלחמות חובה הכל יוצאין אפי' חתן מחדרו וכלה מחופתה
The mishna adds: In what case are all of these statements, with regard to the various exemptions from war, said? They are said with regard to elective wars. But in wars whose mandate is a mitzva, everyone goes, even a groom from his room and a bride from her wedding canopy. Rabbi Yehuda said: In what case are all of these statements, with regard to the various exemptions from war, said? They are said with regard to wars whose mandate is a mitzva. But in obligatory wars, everyone goes, even a groom from his room and a bride from her wedding canopy.
גמ׳ מאי איכא בין רבי יוסי לר"י הגלילי איכא בינייהו עבירה דרבנן
GEMARA: The Gemara asks: With regard to their understanding that the “fearful and fainthearted” is referring to one harboring sins, what difference is there between the opinion of Rabbi Yosei and the opinion of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili? The Gemara answers: There is a practical difference between them with regard to a sin which violates a prohibition by rabbinic law. According to Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, one who has violated a rabbinic law returns home, whereas Rabbi Yosei maintains that one returns home only if he has violated a Torah law, as in the case of a priest who has married a divorcée.