{"id":51218,"date":"2019-03-11T16:02:58","date_gmt":"2019-03-11T14:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=51218"},"modified":"2022-10-02T14:11:25","modified_gmt":"2022-10-02T11:11:25","slug":"biblical-draft-exemptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/biblical-draft-exemptions\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Draft Exemptions"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/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":[374,434],"acf":{"old_id":"51218","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":48616,"related_cahpter":"173","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"Who is not allowed to go to war - and why?","content":"

I have written a few times in the past about the revolutionary ideas that the book of Deuteronomy expresses. Chapter 20 is also revolutionary in the sense that it puts boundaries on human behavior in wartime. The laws of war in this chapter, as well as in chapter 21 verses 10-14, remind us that war is not an excuse to be inhumane. <\/span><\/p>\n

There needs to be sensitivity even in recruitment to the fighting force. In verses 5-7 we have a list of people who are exempt from participating in war: A person who built a house but did not dedicate it; a person who planted a vineyard but has never harvested it; and a person who got engaged, but did not get married yet. Verse 8 adds another person that is exempt from war – whoever is afraid or disheartened. While the first three are limited in the number of soldiers that will be removed from the battlefield, it seems like the last one – the person that is afraid of war – can lead to the whole army disbanding. Who is not afraid of going into battle?! <\/span><\/p>\n

The biggest difference between the first three and the last one is that the first three are not allowed to go to war, while the last one can choose not to. The house-builder, the vineyard planter and the engaged may not participate in the war. Why these three?<\/span><\/p>\n

These three kinds of people echo a different text from the book of Deuteronomy. Chapter 28 lays out the blessings and curses that will come upon the people of Israel if they follow or don\u2019t follow God\u2019s rules. As part of the curses, in verse 30 we read: \u201cIf you pay the bride-price for a wife, another man shall enjoy her. If you build a house, you shall not live in it. If you plant a vineyard, you shall not harvest it.\u201d These are exactly the same characters we see in the law in chapter 20! What is this similarity trying to tell us?<\/span><\/p>\n

The three kinds of people that are mentioned in both texts began an important life event that was not yet realized. I believe that the psychological impact of not completing these life events is huge on that person\u2019s surroundings. There is losing a life, and there is losing a life that was about to start a new life. These three kinds of people are important to society as they are taking care of the future. And losing that means there is no future. This is what makes this such an effective curse. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is also the reason they are not allowed to participate in war. The laws of war in chapter 20 remind us that war is a last resort, but when one is necessary, we need to remember that there is life after the war, and that life needs to be taken care of.<\/span><\/p>\n

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