The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parsha this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Devarim 20:3, the Torah provides the language of the Kohen in motivating the troops for battle wherein he says וְאָמַ֤ר אֲלֵהֶם֙ שְׁמַ֣ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתֶּ֨ם קְרֵבִ֥ים הַיּ֛וֹם לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֑ם אַל־יֵרַ֣ךְ לְבַבְכֶ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְא֧וּ וְאַל־תַּחְפְּז֛וּ וְאַל־תַּֽעַרְצ֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶֽם
Rashi quotes the Sifri who explains that this is a message to the soldiers that even if the only zechus they have is for saying Krias Shema, this will be sufficient for them to be successful in battle.
R' Frand mentioned an interesting question from the Belzer Rebbi in that the exception for proceeding to battle in a Milchemes Rishus is someone who is afraid from his sins. The Gemara in Sotah contains an opinion that this person could even be concerned that he had sinned in speaking between putting on his Tefillin Shel Yad and his Tefillin Shel Rosh,
So how is the proper saying of Krias Shema enough of a guaranty of survival in battle, when speaking between the two aspects of tefillin can be reason enough to fear going to war?
R' Frand gave an introduction to human psychology before he answered this question. He quoted a Gemara in Nedarim who says that a person who does not visit another when he is sick in the hospital is as if he spilled his blood. Why? The meforshim explain that if he visited and prayed for the sick person, he could have saved his life. However the Netziv quotes the Sh'iltos in Nedarim which explains that the person who does not visit the person is in effect praying that he will die. The person is worried that he will see the sick man after he recuperates and will feel guilty that he did not visit. In order to avoid this embarrassment, he "prays" the man will die.
R' Frand remarks from this how we see that a person will go to great lengths to avoid having to say that he is sorry.
R' Frand also quoted the Sifri on the pasuk in Devarim 16:19 "כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים" - the bribe will blind the eyes of the wise men. The Sifri states that once a judge takes a bribe, he will not die until he has ruled correctly in judgment. R' Frand quoted R' Bukspan from Miami who found a source that explains that the judge who took the bribe made a ruling that was contrary to the law, He will then spend the rest of his days looking for a tortured explanation of the law so that he can justify the improper ruling - because he does not want to admit that he ruled incorrectly after being paid off.
R' Frand closed the vort by quoting the Gerrer Rebbi who notes that R' Yossi HaGlili explains that the Gemara in Sotah who mentions the one who fears the "sins in his hands" is a person who is sinning and admits that he sins, but attempts to justify it - by stating I know its wrong to ..., but... It is akin to one who goes to mikva with a sheretz in his hand - he tries to purify himself but does not want to release his sins. This is the man who has to fear the battle. On the other hand, the person that admits that he did wrong and does teshuva, with no rationalization of his sins, even if all he has to the positive is the mitzva of Krias Shema - its enough.
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