The flyer concludes with a question: “Will you be there to save the future of Torah?” For Shame!

WRONG TIME FOR THE SECOND PART! A BISSELE SECHEL IS WARRANTED TO BE MAKIR TOV TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS RISKING LIFE AND LIMB FOR US --- AND BE MEKADESH SHEM SHOMAYIM  FOR ALL OF US - DO NOT BREAK YIDDISHKEIT INTO PARTS!

 Tell these midgets they are the ones destroying Klal Yisroel!

The Mishnah (Sotah 8:4–5 [44b]) explains: “When do exemptions apply? In a milchemet reshut [a discretionary war]; however, in a milchemet mitzvah, [a war that is a mitzvah], everyone must participate, even a chatan from his chamber and a kallah from her chuppah.” Rambam (Hilchot Melachim 7:4) codifies these exemptions for a milchemet reshut, and says that in a milchemet mitzvah there is universal conscription.⁴ The Chazon Ish (Moed 114:3 [p. 167]) asserts that in a milchemet mitzvah all are obligated to participate, even if the war effort does not require them; and in a milchemet reshut, everyone who is needed is required to join.

What defines a milchemet mitzvah? The Gemara (Sotah 44b) gives only one example: the war Yehoshua waged to conquer the Land of Israel. Rambam adds two other examples (Hilchot Melachim 5:1): “What is considered milchemet mitzvah? This is the war against the Seven Nations [to conquer the Land], the war against Amalek, and saving Israel from an enemy who attacks them.”

The Ramban expands the category of milchemet mitzvah. Based on his understanding that Bamidbar 33:53 (“And you shall dispossess the inhabitants of the Land, and dwell therein . . .”) is an imperative and not a promise, the Ramban includes in his list of mitzvot that he believes Rambam omitted a commandment to conquer and settle the Land of Israel (positive mitzvah 4). Because of this, he understands the Gemara’s example of Yehoshua’s war to conquer the Land not as specific, but as paradigmatic, and thus any war to liberate the Land of Israel is a milchemet mitzvah.⁶ The Ramban explicitly says that this applies in every generation, implying that there is no requirement for a king, Beit Hamikdash, Sanhedrin, et cetera.

Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Waldenberg (d. 2006; Tzitz Eliezer 3:9:2:10 and 3:9:2: summary:16) says that based on this Ramban, the wars of the State of Israel to liberate and maintain control of the Land are milchemet mitzvah and (7:48: Kuntrus Orchot Hamishpatim:12) that because Israel is under constant attack, Rambam would agree that Israel’s wars are milchemet mitzvah. Rabbi Waldenberg sees the ability to help in the mitzvah of the war effort as an additional reason, among many.

Rabbi Zevin, in his 1957 revision of his 1946 L’Ohr HaHalachah, added a paragraph (p. 64 in the 2004 reprint) in which he asserted that the 1948 War of Independence was a milchemet mitzvah because it was both saving the Jews from an attacking enemy (Rambam) and conquering the Land of Israel (Ramban).