Reply To: Who is really a Gibbor? Who is really a Kadosh?

mdd1 said: “the Rambam paskens that a Melech Yisroel is allowed with a premission of Sanhedrin to go to a war of reshus.”

1. Melech Yisroel (The next one will be Moshiach.)
2. Permission of Sanhedrin (Who sat in the Sanhedrin? Chilonim?)
3. Urim VeTumim (Mentioned in Gemara.)

Basically permission of the Ribbono Shel Olam Himself, so what’s the problem? Fighting under such conditions is a Mitzvas Aseh like wearing Tefillin. Nothing necessarily even to do with Pikuach Nefesh. Even if Israel would operate as a completely Halachic state, none of this is remotely relevant nowadays.

As it happens, Dovid HaMelech never went to war for fun and profit like the ancient Gentile kings constantly did. All of the campaigns described in Sefer Shmuel fit a pattern of “cleaning up the neighborhood” and subduing hostile elements. He also conquered Syria to create a “security buffer zone” to the north… None of this has anything to do with ‘honor’ and certainly not “dying with honor”. The war you referenced with Ammon was started by Ammon… Read the Pesukim.