Israel has recaptured the historic Beaufort Castle in Lebanon — a Crusader fortress perched on a strategic ridge, which served as an IDF stronghold from the First Lebanon War in 1982 until the withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

“I have instructed the IDF to expand its ground maneuver in Lebanon,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced this week. Soon after, former cabinet minister Brigadier General (ret.) Effi Eitam proclaimed in a radio interview: “The Beaufort is a symbol. It is like the many heights the IDF once held, lost its nerve and abandoned, and has now returned to. The return to the Beaufort is first and foremost a strategic necessity. It is not a mistake; it is an essential requirement in that area. We are building a new security zone to replace the one that we abandoned when we fled from Lebanon with a reckless and, to a large extent, defeatist spirit.”

I will leave matters of Israeli security policy and the management of the current war to those who understand them better than I do. Who is wise? As the sages teach, “He who knows his place” (Avot 6:6).

What I do want to address is the impact of the people on the success of a military campaign. Throughout history, scholars and strategists have debated whether the “people’s spirit” or the “commander’s spirit” is more important in shaping the ultimate course of a war. As much as skilled commanders are surely essential, winning a war is unlikely without the commitment of the people.

In this week’s Torah portion (in........

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