Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Midrash for Sotah 83:8

מתני׳ <big><strong>משוח</strong></big> מלחמה בשעה שמדבר אל העם בלשון הקודש היה מדבר שנאמר ' (דברים כ, ב) והיה כקרבכם אל המלחמה ונגש הכהן זה כהן משוח מלחמה (דברים כ, ב) ודבר אל העם

AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES DO YOU MARCH, SO THAT IF YOU FALL INTO THEIR HAND THEY WILL HAVE NO MERCY UPON YOU. LET NOT YOUR HEART FAINT; FEAR NOT NOR TREMBLE ETC.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XX, 3. ');"><sup>14</sup></span> — 'LET NOT YOUR HEART FAINT' AT THE NEIGHING OF THE HORSES AND THE BRANDISHING OF SWORDS; 'FEAR NOT' BECAUSE OF THE CRASH OF SHIELDS AND THE TRAMP OF THE SOLDIERS' FOOTWEAR; — 'NOR TREMBLE' AT THE SOUND OF TRUMPETS; 'NEITHER BE YE AFFRIGHTED' AT THE SOUND OF BATTLE-CRIES. FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS HE THAT GOETH WITH YOU<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XX, 4. ');"><sup>15</sup></span>

Sifrei Devarim

(Devarim 20:2) "And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle": I might think that this refers to the day of the joining of the battle; but (Ibid. 3) "And he shall say to them: Hear, O Israel, you are drawing near today to do battle with your foes" already refers to the day of the battle. How, then, am I to understand "And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle"? When they approach the boundary, the Cohein presents to them all of the conditions that follow.
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