It shall be that when you draw near to war, the kohen shall approach and speak to the people. He shall say to them: Hear, oh Israel, you are
coming near to the battle against your enemies, let your heart not be faint, do not be afraid, do not panic.
In this unique event, the kohen would speak before the Jewish army before they would go out to battle. There, at the border of Israel, he would release from the obligation to wage war all those who had betrothed a woman but had not yet married her, all those who had planted a vineyard but had not yet enjoyed its fruit, and all who had built a home but had not yet dedicated it by affixing a mezuzah to the doorpost.
Besides all of the above, he would release from battle all the faint-hearted, those poor souls who were too frightened to do battle, and they, too, would go home.
When did these laws apply? For a noncompulsory war, for instance. when Israel decided that there was a need to conquer land outside its borders. But when it comes to a compulsory war - a "milchemet mitzvah" - the Talmud teaches us:
All must go forth to battle, even the groom from his wedding chamber and the bride from her canopy. True, it is the way of men, not women, to do battle, but in a milchemet mitzvah even the women were obligated to help out in any way they could.
In today's dangerous situation facing the Jewish people in the Land of Israel, virtually all Rabbinical authorities agree that the wars that Israel has been facing over the past 63 years are all in the category of a compulsory war, as the Rambam writes: Wars facing the Jewish people.
There is, then, no basis for anyone not to be doing their part and serving to defend the Jewish people in the Land, for if one saw someone drowning in the sea, would he say, let someone else save them, I'm busy now?
Even if one was learning Torah, he would have to stop everything and jump in, in order to save his brother from drowning. We even find in the times of
King David and King Solomon, that kohanim who were obligated to work in the Holy Temple left everything when it came to do battle and defend the Jewish
people.
This obligation is across the board! Jews who live outside the Land should also share in this great mitzva and are not exempt, for they, too, are part of the Jewish people. If it were up to me, I would obligate allJews to serve in the IDF regardless of where they live, for the blood of the Jewish boys who live in the Land of Israel is not redder that the blood of the ones who live outside the Land.
Every Jew, wherever they lived throughout the world, would receive their marching papers when they reached the age of military service, and they would be obligated to come to Israel to defend their people. There would be No Excuses!
In this way, all Jews throughout the world and in Israel would unite for the greater good of the Jewish people - and be added to the Jews being
brought back to their beloved homeland.