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The Gemora inquires: Who is better: A mashuach milchamah (the Kohen in charge of leading the people into battle) or the assistant Kohen Gadol? Is the mashuach milchamah better because he is the one who leads the people to war? Or is the assistant Kohen Gadol better as he can perform the service? The Gemora attempts to answer this question from a braisa.
The braisa states: There is no difference between a mashuach milchamah and an assistant Kohen Gadol besides that if both of them were walking together and they saw a meis mitzvah, the mashuach milchamah should become tamei and not the assistant.
The Gemora asks: Doesn’t another braisa state that the mashuach milchamah is better than the assistant? Mar Zutra answers: Regarding keeping them alive, the mashuach milchamah is better. Why? This is because the public depends upon him.
We explore the limits of the Kohein gad in war as well as recent reviews of Reb Shlomo Salman Auerbach’s unique approach to the treatment of dead soldiers in the IDF.