Commentary for Sotah 8:5

(שם כ) וְיָסְפוּ הַשֹּׁטְרִים לְדַבֵּר אֶל הָעָם וְאָמְרוּ מִי הָאִישׁ הַיָּרֵא וְרַךְ הַלֵּבָב יֵלֵךְ וְיָשֹׁב לְבֵיתוֹ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, הַיָּרֵא וְרַךְ הַלֵּבָב, כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲמֹד בְּקִשְׁרֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְלִרְאוֹת חֶרֶב שְׁלוּפָה. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר, הַיָּרֵא וְרַךְ הַלֵּבָב זֶהוּ הַמִּתְיָרֵא מִן הָעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ תָּלְתָה לוֹ הַתּוֹרָה אֶת כָּל אֵלּוּ, שֶׁיַּחֲזֹר בִּגְלָלָן. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אַלְמָנָה לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל, גְּרוּשָׁה וַחֲלוּצָה לְכֹהֵן הֶדְיוֹט, מַמְזֶרֶת וּנְתִינָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַמְזֵר וּלְנָתִין, הֲרֵי הוּא הַיָּרֵא וְרַךְ הַלֵּבָב:

“Then the officers shall go on addressing the troops and say, ‘Is there anyone afraid and disheartened, go and return to his house’” (Deuteronomy 20:8). Rabbi Akiva says: “afraid and disheartened” is to be understood literally, that he cannot stand in the battle lines and see a drawn sword. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: “afraid and disheartened”—this is the one who is afraid because of the transgressions he has committed; therefore the Torah connected all these with him that he may return home on their account. Rabbi Yose says: a high priest who married a widow, an ordinary priest who married a divorcee or woman released from levirate marriage, an Israelite who married a <i>mamzeret</i> or <i>netinah</i>, and the daughter of an Israelite who married a <i>mamzer</i> or a <i>natin</i>—behold this one is “afraid and disheartened.”

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