[Avodah] Putting Oneself In Danger

[Yisrael Medad]

Following up on these two comments:

R' Chaim Manaster wrote:
> In parshas Matos I noticed a vort in  Torah Lodas from the Panim Yafos
> that does clair such shailos. The Yalkut on  Vayitzbu al Midyan ... They
> surrounded them on four sides. R. Nosson says  they left the fourth side
> open "kedai sheyivrechu," so that they c[s]hould  run away. He asks why
> should R. Nosson allow them to get away? [gave a long  answer]<<

Please excuse me if I'm saying something so obvious that of /course/ you
already knew this, but -- the pshat is, if you don't allow a defeated
enemy an escape route, you corner him and force him to fight to the
death -- thus leading to unnecessary deaths among your own men.

Just as an historical aside, at the battle for Deir Yassin, the attacking
Irgun and Lechi forces actually did leave an escape route to Ein Kerem
open.  But only a portion of the villagers took advantage of their largesse.

-- 
Yisrael Medad
Shiloh
Mobile Post Efraim 44830
Israel
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