[Avodah] Putting oneself in danger

[hankman]

  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]<<

  R'n TK responded:
  .
  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.


  --Toby Katz
  ============


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  CM responds:

  Sure, but that was not my point. My point was the "[gave a long answer]" that you seem to have ignored.

  BTW, there is an equally obvious alternative to the reason you regard as pashut. First let me say that the reason you give is explicit in the Torah Temimah on this pasuk. However, if you look in the Rambam who paskans like R. Nosson in H. Melochim P6H7, you will find the Radvaz who takes a different tack in explanation. He asserts that the the reason is "vekol zeh midarkai hatorah asher kol nisivoseha shalom"

  Furthermore, the Tana Kama who argues with R. Nosson, holds that you do surround the enemy on all four sides not withstanding the logic you propose.

  KolTuv

  Chaim Manaster


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