When you go out to war

This weeks Torah portion states (Deut. 21:10)  "When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives."

The plain meaning is that Jews are allowed to capture those with whose nation they're fighting, but a deeper understanding hints at  the process of emergence of the Jewish Divine Soul  - "when you go out" from its source and its descent into our material world - "against your enemies". This is necessary to conquer this world - "and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands" to fill with it holiness through Torah study and performance of mitzvos - "and you take captives".

This war the Jewish People has been fighting since its birth and will complete it with Moshiach's coming. A hint to that effect is in the next chapter - "When you enter the land." When that happens, the Jewish people will receive their reward from G-d. 

Even though it's a "war", G-d grants every Jew a "tranquility of the heart and mind" for Torah study and performance of mitzvos are only possible in a tranquil setting. Not only that but now, on the threshold of Redemption, G-d not only gives the means and opportunity to stay focused and be victorious in this war, He also gives us a foretaste of the reward awaiting us in the future.

Torah tells us that a hired worker must be paid his wages on the same day that he finishes his work and it's forbidden to put off paying the worker until the following day. Likewise, the A-mighty acts towards the  Jewish people  by giving us reward for every mitzvah that we do, thus even before the "war" is over, we can taste the fruits of future victory.


Based on a sicha of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.




http://www.moshiach.ru/torah/49/1597_14_49.html