Parshas Mattos

In this week's parsha, when discussing how to handle spoils of war, the Torah begins by saying "Elazar the Kohein said to the soldiers who were coming to war". The question that arises is, since Elazar was speaking to the soldiers who were returning from war with the spoils after the war was already over, why does the pasuk say "haba'im l'milchama" ("who were COMING to war")? Shouldn't it rather say "haba'im me'hamilchama" ("who were RETURNING from war")?

The Divrei Shaul answers by quoting a story from the Chovos Halevavos. There was once a wise man who saw a group of soldiers returning from war laden with riches which they had conquered, joking and laughing about all the parties they were going to have now that the battle was won. "Fools!" he said to them, "you think the war is over? Quite the contrary, the battle has only just begun: the war you are returning from is a small, physical battle. Now you have to fight a much bigger battle - the battle of the Yetzer Hara! Now that you are rich from the spoils of war, your nisyonos are immeasurably greater!"

So too, says the Divrei Shaul, is the case over here. Although the soldiers were returning from the battle of Midyan victorious, the pasuk refers to them as "haba'im l'milchama" ("who were coming to war") - because indeed, their real battle was only just beginning. Now was when they would have to fight their evil inclinations and make sure to take the proper course of action in handling the spoils.

Indeed, this concept does not only apply to war, but to our regular daily lives as well: whenever a person's physical or monetary situation improves, his nisyonos grow as well. The Chofetz Chaim says that in Rosh Chodesh bentching, we ask for yiras shomayim twice. Why? Because after asking for yiras shomayim the first time, we ask for "chaim shel osher v'chovod" - a life of wealth and honor. And once a person has wealth and honor, his previous level of yiras shomayim will not be enough to sustain him - he must ask again for additional yiras shomayim, so as to triumph the new nisyonos that will undoubtedly arise.

As we go through life, we must be sure that as our status in life changes, so must our level in Avodas Hashem. A person cannot "rest on his laurels", expecting his current spiritual level to carry him through life at a constant, positive pace. Rather, he must constantly ensure that his level of yiras shomayim is on par with his station in life. One must always strive to reach higher and higher.