{"id":51215,"date":"2019-03-11T15:24:55","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T13:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=51215"},"modified":"2022-10-02T14:54:04","modified_gmt":"2022-10-02T11:54:04","slug":"the-few-against-the-many-then-and-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-few-against-the-many-then-and-now\/","title":{"rendered":"The Few Against the Many \u2013 Then and Now"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[363,434],"acf":{"old_id":"51215","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":33877,"related_cahpter":"173","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"A midrashic view of waging Biblical military campaigns","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our chapter deals with the Israelite armies about to take the field against enemies that vastly outnumber them. How might it be possible to instill in them sufficient courage to do battle against such odds? \u201cWhen you take the field against your enemies and see horses and chariots\u2014forces larger than yours\u2014have no fear of them, for the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt, is with you\u201d (Deut. 20:1). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Midrash (Tanhuma Shoftim 16) elaborates on this verse by opening with a verse that also speaks of successfully facing myriads of horse-drawn chariots: \u201cFor the horse of Pharaoh, with his chariot and horsemen, came into the sea; and the Lord turned back on them the waters of the sea; but the Israelites marched on dry ground in the midst of the sea\u201d (Exodus 15:19). The Midrash asks: Why does Scripture not refer to Pharaoh\u2019s chariots and horses in the plural? Because all Pharaoh\u2019s many chariots and horses were considered as just one before the Holy One, blessed be He. \u201cForces larger than you\u201d (Deuteronomy 20:1) \u2013 The Holy One, blessed be He, says: Before you they are many, but before Me they are considered as just one. From where do we know this? From when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gideon: \u201c\u201cI will be with you, and you shall smite the Midianites as one man\u201d (Judges 6:16). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And from where do we know that Israel\u2019s enemies were many? \u201cAh, the roar of many peoples that roar as roars the sea\u201d (Isaiah 17:12). And though you are outnumbered twenty to one, you will still overcome them: \u201cFive of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword\u201d (Leviticus 26:8). And so, it is written: \u201cForces larger than you\u201d (Deuteronomy 20:1). You shall not fear being outnumbered, for your forefathers had no fear of their many enemies and so defeated them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About Abraham\u2019s battle against four kings, it is written: \u201cAt night, he and his servants divided their forces against them and defeated them\u201d (Genesis 14:15). Abraham had no fear, for I said to him: \u201cFear not, Abram, I am a shield to you\u201d (Genesis 15:1). As I shielded Abraham, so too will I shield you. What God promises, He fulfills, as it says \u201cAs I have designed, so shall it happen. What I have planned, that shall come to pass\u201d (Isaiah 14:24). What I, God, designed for Abraham, so too I shall do for you, Israel!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed, since before its inception as a modern state, Israel has been consistently outnumbered in multiple conflicts, and yet has not only survived but has prospered. <\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":51216,"id":51216,"title":"dt20-chariots","filename":"dt20-chariots.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/dt20-chariots.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-few-against-the-many-then-and-now\/dt20-chariots\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"dt20-chariots","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":51215,"date":"2019-03-11 13:24:39","modified":"2021-11-28 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