In the midst of Yehoshua conquering Eretz Yisrael, an angel appears to him to challenge his war strategy. It wasn’t about warfare tactics, but about bitul Torah. Did victory depend upon delving deep into the Torah? Yes, and that is why after the angel’s appearance, Yehoshua infiltrates the depths of the Torah.

This paradigm of winning wars based on Torah study is embedded in the last parsha of the Book of Moses.

The verse says, “Sameach Zevulun b’tzeit’echa, v’Yissachar b’ohalecha — Rejoice, Zevulun, in your goings out, and Yissachar in your tents” (Devarim 33:18). The Chasam Sofer and Haamek Davar apply a war cry to this statement. These are military instructions for success.

The interpretation of the verse by these two giants introduces an enormous chiddush; learning and fighting done simultaneously is the secret to success. Not learning before or after, but during the conflict. This tag-team effort is the battle cry of victory.

In our current situation, we are witnessing simultaneous acts of courage and majesty – air force pilots refueling in the skies and yeshiva bachurs pouring their hearts into Torah.

A further advantage during these times is that it coincides with the time that King Achashverosh gave permission to Esther to reverse the decree to destroy the Jewish people.

When you combine the favorable historical position we are now in relating to Persia and the method of current military engagement that is falling in line with the wartime bracha of the Torah, we pray that our enemies will fall.