HaRav Boruch Dov Povarsky shlita
When the Jewish People first entered Eretz Yisroel, Hashem told them not to be afraid. Why should they not be afraid?
They knew that they would have to wage wars which is surely frightening.
The answer is that He said to them: Turn northward, Tsofona. This word has an alternate root: tzafun, to hide. Submerge yourselves in the Torah.
This same advice applies to the reality of today, where we find ourselves at war. We are afraid of rockets and missiles; we must seek protected areas to hide in. Where is there such a place or reality? It lies in the protection of the Torah.
Alongside this, we must also know that in times of danger, we must pray for Heavenly mercy. Not in a routine way where we ask that Hashem have mercy upon the injured and on all of Jewry.
We must feel that we, too, are wounded, individually, lacking an arm or leg ch"v. I, individually, am endangered, and am asking Hashem personally for mercy. The Jewish People are weeping, are hurting. As we pray, we beseech the Ribono Shel Olam: Have pity on me. My head hurts; my hand hurts; my leg hurts; my whole body is in pain.
This is how it has to be. Such thoughts will arouse prayers emanating from our very depths. The chapters of Tehillim which we recite should express the realization that all of Jewry, yes, all of us, are crying out for the pain of us all, over our terrible plight. Hashem, have mercy upon us. Liberate us from anguish to deliverance.
HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch shlita
This is a time of travail for Yaakov, from which we will be delivered. In Sha'arei Teshuva (3:32) Rabbenu Yonah comments on the posuk, "When you go forth in battle against your enemy," that we are hereby warned that if a person sees that disaster is imminent, he should implant the hope of succor from Hashem in his heart and trust in Him.
This is our primary obligation: to engender in our hearts the security that all is in His hands and that we trust and rely on Hashem that no harm come to us.
Together with this sense of security in our hearts, we must couple intensive prayer, and solid persistence in Torah study while curbing time wasted from study lest we give an opening to the Yetzer Hora to involve us in mundane conversation around current events. In general, we must comport ourselves with responsibility lest we thereby cause a desecration of His holy Name.
HaRav Yitzchok Zilberstein shlita
This operation has been titled "A Nation Like a Lioness." If our brethren who have not tasted the sweetness of the Beis Medrash, interpret it as the strength and power of the nation and its military force, all we need do is look at the Rashi interpretation of these words and see what he writes:
He notes as follows:"Lo, a nation rises like a lioness, and surges up like a lion, [it] will not rest until it consumes its prey and drinks the blood of the dead" — when Jews arise in the morning for Shacharis prayers, they fortify themselves like a lioness and lion to seize mitzvos, to don a tallis, recite Shema and put on tefillin.
"It [this people] will not retire at night before it has eaten and vanquished, mechabel — destroys — all who would harm it and come to threatens it. How? By reciting Shema in his bed and entrusting his soul in the Hands of Hashem. Shall an army approach to harm him, Hashem will protect them and fight their battle and slay their bodies."
We see here that there are times when the Jewish People are also referred to as mechabel, or terrorist. A Jew is granted the power to overcome all those attempting to destroy him. This posuk empowers us with a super-nostrum where Hashem comes and rescues us. But only on one condition: that he rallies up like a lioness and lion to snatch mitzvos.
Rashi adds another interpretation: We are reassured that by reciting the Shema upon retiring, with conscious intent and conviction, if an army comes to attack and harm Jewry, Hashem will guard over them, fight our battles, and render them dead.
The Chasam Sofer notes that since talmidei chachomim fight the battle of Torah, they prevent the eruption of many other battles, and in the merit of their battle for Torah, there is peace in the world and fewer wars.
The Medrash Rabba (Devorim Rabba 1:19) quotes Rabbi Yehuda Bar Shalom: The Jewish People said to Hashem: Ribono Shel Olam, Yishmael's father (Yitzchok) blessed him that he live by his sword and You acknowledged it. And You say to us: Hide yourselves from him. Where shall we run?
He replies: Run to the Torah!
And that is what we must do at this time. To increase Torah!
