Shalom Ari,

As far as I know, Rashi's opinion is exactly that. It is possible he uses Yehoshua's wars as examples, since that is the Gemara's (44b) example too, for a Milchemes Mitzvah, and every war involving conquering Eretz Yisrael is also a Milchemes Mitzvah. I'm not sure what to say about Amalek, but it seems like Rashi would argue with the Rambam regarding enemies. In any case, as elaborated in many sources, in most cases when an enemy attacks a Jewish town it is a Mitzvah to fight them since it is Piku'ach Nefesh. The question is when Jews want to start a preventive war or in a case that Jews might get killed while saving other Jews -- that is when we need to consider the Milchemes Mitzvah permit to recruit to the army.

It seems like, according to Rashi, a Chasan would stay home in the case of a preventive war or Milchemes Amalek, but in a case of a defensive war he is also Chayav in the Mitzvah of "Lo Ta'amod Al Dam Rei'echa."

I hope this helps,

Aharon Steiner

Shalom,

I'm not sure I perfectly understand you, so let me clarify what I think. You write that a Nafka Minah of a Milchemes Mitzvah is that even a newly-married person is recruited to the army. There are a few other differences, but a very important one I mentioned is that usually when we deal with criteria of whether a Jew is allowed to endanger himself, there are Hilchos Piku'ach Nefesh. We know, for example, that there is a great Mitzvah to save someone from death. It is a Mitzvah of Lo Ta'amod Al Dam Rei'echa, but also we know that it is considered as if he saved the entire world. In a case where there is a fear that while saving his friend he himself will be in danger of death, there is no obligation to fulfill this Mitzvah, and there is no obligation to put oneself in a place of danger in order to save another Jew. On the other hand, in a Milchemes Mitzvah, there is no such calculation. A person is obligated to go to war, even a Chasan, and even if he enters a place where there is a reasonable chance that he will die. This is an example of a Nafka Minah whether the war is a Milchemes Mitzvah or whether it is a situation of saving a Jew from death.

The rule is that the bridegroom is exempt from a Milchemes Reshus, but is obligated to go to a Milchemes Mitzvah. On the other hand, there is no doubt that every person, including the groom, is obligated in all the other Mitzvos. We do not find an exemption for the groom, except going to the army. But he is certainly obligated in any other Mitzvah, even if it may involve fighting, such as if it is his duty to conquer and destroy an Ir ha'Nidachas.

The Rambam indeed expands the parameters of a Milchemes Mitzvah, and he also adds the war of Amalek and any war against Nochrim who come to attack Jews. Rashi limits a Milchemes Mitzvah only to Kibush Eretz Yisrael. According to Rashi, the special definitions of a Milchemes Mitzvah were stated only about the conquest of Eretz Yisrael, which is a special war that we are commanded to fight. Each opinion, according to his own view, agrees that the groom has no Mitzvah to join the army, but on the other hand both will agree that the groom must fulfill the other Mitzvos, even if they happen to involve fighting, such as fighting thieves or terrorists who came to attack his neighborhood. The reason that in a Milchemes Reshus he is exempt is only in the event that his presence does not affect the lives of other people, otherwise, he must be obligated to fulfull the commandment of "Lo Ta'amod Al Dam Rei'echa."

Kol Tuv,

Aharon Steiner

Thank you for all your clarifications. This is an extremely important Sugya, and is also very relevant. I think I wasn't clear enough. Let me try once more:

1) According to Rashi, the only Milchemes Mitzvah is one that is to conquer Eretz Yisrael. No other war is a Milchemes Mitzvah. When there is an enemy attacking Jews, this is not a Milchemes Mitzvah (like the Rambam's opinion) but rather a Milchemes Reshus. A war that has a Mitzvah involved does not turn the war into a Milchemes Mitzvah.

2) The main two practical differences whether a war is a Milchemes Mitzvah or war that has a Mitzvah involved but is not a Milchemes Mitzvah are whether a Chasan is obligated to join, and also whether one is permitted to put himself into a situation of Piku'ach Nefesh where there is a chance he might get killed in the process.

3) Here is an interesting point. There can be a situation where a Chassan is exempted from the army for the Milchemes Mitzvah reason, but needs to fight for a different reason. There is no exemption for a Chasan from a Mitzvah like Piku'ach Nefesh; he is exempt only from the army. So, according to Rashi, if the enemy attacks and there is a situation the army needs manpower because of Piku'ach Nefesh, I think the Chasan will need to fight for that reason even according to Rashi, without it being a Milchemes Mitzvah.

4) You may ask, so what is the case of a Milchemes Mitzvah that does not involve Piku'ach Nefesh? To this I have two examples: Either the king or the leader decides to conquer another part of Eretz Yisrael, with no attack from the enemy, or a preventive war, which is a war to fight an enemy that wants to attack in the future. In these cases there might not be an immediate Piku'ach Nefesh, and it still might be a Milchemes Mitzvah if it is in Eretz Yisrael.

5) Again, a war involving another Mitzvah like Ir ha'Nidachas is not a Milchemes Mitzvah at all, as far as I know.

Please fell free to write again if this needs more clarity.

Aharon Steiner