War Is Necessary

 כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֨א לַמִּלְחָמָ֜ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֗ךָ וְֽרָאִ֜יתָ ס֤וּס וָרֶ֙כֶב֙ עַ֚ם רַ֣ב מִמְּךָ֔ לֹ֥א תִירָ֖א מֵהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־י״י֤ אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ הַמַּֽעַלְךָ֖ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם.  The Or Hachayim asks why does it say ממך, it seems unnecessary?  

The Or Hachayaim says derech derush that the possuk is referring to one's own battle with the yetzer harah.  It is ממך, from one one's self that the yetzer harah becomes harder to conquer becomes as one does averot, strength is added to the attacking force. 

כי ה אלקיכם הַהֹלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּכֶ֑ם לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם עִם־אֹיְבֵיכֶ֖ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם.  The Sfas Emes asks it should have said הולך עמכם?  The Sfas Emes (5650) says that the Hashem brings about the war in order to save the individual.  In other words, it's not that there is a war where Hashem helps a person to be rescued from, but rather Hashem also brings the war.  That is what it means ה איש מלחמה, Hashem puts one in a state of war, ה שמו, and Hashem rescues one from it.  Why is there a need for war?

As the Or Hachayim taught us, the possuk is alluding to one's war with the yetzer.  If things were perfect then there would be no need for war.  However, since man sins, the world becomes contaminated and the state of העלמה grows stronger.  The struggle is to see Hashem through the state of the העלמה.  That is why the merit of those going out to war is for saying shema.  There is no clear vision, it is a knowledge of שמע, of a perceived sound.  The war is the struggle to overcome the העלמה and see what Hashem wants.  It is only through going through the struggle that one can overcome the forces.  (In the Kabbalistic literature that is the job of gatherin the netzotzot, of gathering the kedusha that has been hidden.)

The Sfas Emes (5645) says that is the meaning of what we say this month in לדוד ה אורי, the words of בזאת אני בוטח mean בזאת, in the war itself, I have trust that it is from Hashem.  If Hashem gave us the war, if He gaveme the challenge, it means that I can overcome it.