You seem to be forgetting the Gemara in Makkos 10a which says that the studying of Torah is what effected the success of the soldiers far away on the battlefield.
I should add that the plural "עוסקים" does imply that we're talking about the learning of more than just David. But I'm still not convinced that that's enough to make it the "simplest" reading (even if it does weaken my reading a bit).
But you're certainly correct that the Gemara in Makkos does seem to suggest that there's a connection. However, it's not quite *unambiguous*. I would say that the simpler reading is that Dovid is telling us that *his* own learning from his more peaceful times at home in Jerusalem provided him with the זכויות to prevail בשעת הסכנה. After all, there's no indication from the פסוק or from the text of the Gemara that they're talking about the general population of Jerusalem.
And, indeed, this would be a good fit with the Gemara in Chulin 8a that I mentioned in that article.
Without seeing the whole conversation, I would think this was being used to show that spiritual effort is just as important as physical effort. There are other well known sources that Torah scholars shouldn't be drafted. As for your point about what everybody else in the Midbar was doing and why weren't they all davening/learning, that is a good question.
The drushim come to encourage and emphasize Torah study and prayer and not to establish halachic parameters for the army service.
The rabbies are conserned that the army service and secular education will weaken the Torah observance and study. They don't say so openly, but that is the undelying thinking for their shita and these drashos. Some may actually believe in it, but many don't. But it's not what the droshos are about.
Well, these midroshim were said לצורך השעה to communicate a message, not to reveal a hidden truth or reality. They are being used for the same purpose today and I wouldn't call it a terribble misrepresentation. This is the method used in our religion to communicate ideas.
And that's exactly the problem I've had with with derashos for years. I just can't understand how even great people can misrepresent Chazal or Tanach even for fantastic reasons. The truth has to count for something.
You seem to be forgetting the Gemara in Makkos 10a which says that the studying of Torah is what effected the success of the soldiers far away on the battlefield.
The quote from the Gemara is:
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״עֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם״? מִי גָּרַם לְרַגְלֵינוּ שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ בַּמִּלְחָמָה – שַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלַםִ, שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה.
# Every derush has a reasonable explanation
I should add that the plural "עוסקים" does imply that we're talking about the learning of more than just David. But I'm still not convinced that that's enough to make it the "simplest" reading (even if it does weaken my reading a bit).
I suspect this comment is meant for my earlier article: https://darchecha.substack.com/p/how-should-we-respond-to-tragedy
This post was about one specific derasha.
But you're certainly correct that the Gemara in Makkos does seem to suggest that there's a connection. However, it's not quite *unambiguous*. I would say that the simpler reading is that Dovid is telling us that *his* own learning from his more peaceful times at home in Jerusalem provided him with the זכויות to prevail בשעת הסכנה. After all, there's no indication from the פסוק or from the text of the Gemara that they're talking about the general population of Jerusalem.
And, indeed, this would be a good fit with the Gemara in Chulin 8a that I mentioned in that article.
Without seeing the whole conversation, I would think this was being used to show that spiritual effort is just as important as physical effort. There are other well known sources that Torah scholars shouldn't be drafted. As for your point about what everybody else in the Midbar was doing and why weren't they all davening/learning, that is a good question.
The drushim come to encourage and emphasize Torah study and prayer and not to establish halachic parameters for the army service.
The rabbies are conserned that the army service and secular education will weaken the Torah observance and study. They don't say so openly, but that is the undelying thinking for their shita and these drashos. Some may actually believe in it, but many don't. But it's not what the droshos are about.
You may be right. But consciously misrepresenting Torah sources sounds an awful lot like המגלה פנים של תורה שלא כהלכה.
Well, these midroshim were said לצורך השעה to communicate a message, not to reveal a hidden truth or reality. They are being used for the same purpose today and I wouldn't call it a terribble misrepresentation. This is the method used in our religion to communicate ideas.
And that's exactly the problem I've had with with derashos for years. I just can't understand how even great people can misrepresent Chazal or Tanach even for fantastic reasons. The truth has to count for something.
These are often just אסמחתאות. They do expect people to believe that it's the true meaning though, but I don't.