The words came to mind because it was broiling outside and I was thinking about expressions like “the heat of battle.” Chazak ve’ematz. Be strong and have courage. Yehoshua gets a pep talk from Hashem before heading into battle (Yehoshua 1:6).
“When you go out to war against your enemies and Hashem your G-d will give them into your hand and you will carry them away captive” (Devarim 21:10).
Ksav Sofer: “The verse should have read ‘When you battle your enemies’ — why does it say ‘when you go out to war’? However the seforim hakedoshim make clear that this pasuk is referring to the war against the yetzer hara. Chazal teach: ‘A person’s yetzer hara renews every day … a person’s yetzer hara gets stronger every day and seeks to destroy him … without the help of HaKadosh Baruch Hu victory would be impossible’ (Kiddushin 30b).
“A human being cannot fight his yetzer hara alone; he needs siyata d’Shmaya to defeat it. But he still has an obligation “to go out to war;” that is to do everything he is capable of everything in his power. Then he is ensured that HaKadosh Baruch Hu will help him.
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