Date: August 24th 2017

This Dvar Torah was sponsored by Mr. Benjamin Francis of Atlanta Georgia



PARSHAT SHOFTIM – THE PERIL OF HYPER-FOCUS


Biblical Jewish wars were overlaid with spirituality. A war was first sanctioned by the miraculous breastplate of the High Priest that openly conveyed the Will of The Almighty. Only truly devout Jews were permitted to serve as soldiers. They carried with them an ark that contained the pieces of the Tablets that Moshe (Moses) broke on Mount Sinai. The army was also accompanied by the ‘Segan Kohain Gadol,’ the Assistant High Priest (the one who would replace the High Priest, should he be rendered unable to serve). This was a truly G-dly army.

Yet, under certain conditions, the Torah specifically allowed soldiers to take leave of the army due to fear. In Parshat Shoftim (20:5) it is written, “The officers shall speak to the people saying, “Who is the man who has built a new house and has not inaugurated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the war and another man will inaugurate it.”

The Commentary of Chizkuni (by Rabbi Chezekiah ben Manoach, 13th century France) explains why the soldier was allowed to return home: “For man’s total heart and desire is to complete that which he began. His heart will therefore not be focused on the war. Therefore, he will flee, and that will cause others to flee.” The Chizkuni is saying that because people have a strong desire to complete what they began, a soldier who was in the middle of erecting a house might take flight from the army in order to finish it. This could demoralize others and cause them to go home as well. The Torah, therefore, created this exemption so that the man could take leave of the army in an orderly and permissible manner.

The Chizkuni’s words bear closer examination. There was a concern that the soldier might abandon the army because he wanted to finish building his house. The urge to avoid death is among man’s most visceral and all-powerful emotions. Yet, there was little concern that he would flee due to fear of dying in combat. Evidently, a person would more likely desert an army at war in order to finish the home than because of the fear of dying in battle. How could the drive to complete a house create a greater likelihood of leaving than the fear of dying? Completing a house on time is not that critical a matter.

One could perhaps argue that fear of death was in truth the main reason he might run away. And this man had an additional reason to flee – to complete his home. This argument seems incorrect, for the Torah indicates that it was solely due to the house that the person might bolt. Fear of dying is not mentioned as even being contributory to why he might flee.

This reveals an unusual facet of the human personality. People can become utterly consumed by relatively inconsequential undertakings to the exclusion of all else going on in their lives - even that which is supremely urgent - like avoiding death. It is as if the pursuit of an unimportant focus is disassociated from the other more pressing issues and exigencies in that person’s life. For this reason, the otherwise upstanding soldiers discussed in Parshat Shoftim might have simply walked away from the army in order to complete their homes.

As already mentioned, those Jewish soldiers were exceedingly pious. Yet, had the Torah not allowed them a permissible way out, those righteous men might have deserted illegally and thereby cause other soldiers to flee as well. This could have sabotaged a sacred war effort that was specifically and miraculously ordained by The Almighty. This psychodynamic likely applies, not just in the case of someone building a house, but also in the arena of many other contemporary human endeavors. For example, an avid focus on becoming super fit can engender a disregard for other major responsibilities and relationships and thereby grievously harm one’s own life or family.

As a practical matter, this means that one should be extremely wary when the pursuit of a specific project, goal or activity becomes excessive and extreme. It is a red flag that screams: “Psychologically unhealthy!” “Destructive!”

This isn’t saying that people should not pursue their goals intensely. Meaningful accomplishments require hard work, and great accomplishments necessitate yet harder work. However, when a focus on one undertaking preempts all other foci, something really bad may, Heaven-forbid, ensue.


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