What does the Pasuk mean when it writes, "Hashem Ish Milchamah"?
Rashi #1, Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means that Hashem is the Master 1 of war 2 (victory belongs to Him [Targum Onkelos]) or the Mighty man of war. 3
Rashi #2 (to Bamidbar 12:5): When Hashem goes to war, He goes alone, and when He goes to make peace, He goes with a retinue. 4
Hadar Zekenim: It means that Hashem is the Master of war 5 - that even a mighty warrior must request [help from Him] and acknowledge that He is the Master, and "Hashem Shemo" - His Name is 'Hashem.'
Avodah Zarah 2b: In the time of Mashi'ach, when the nations of the world will claim that everything they did, including the wars that they fought, were for the sake of Yisrael, Hashem will reply that He is the one who fought the wars 6 - as the Pasuk writes, "Hashem Ish Milchamah."
Rashi: Because "Ish" means master (See for example Megilas Rus 1:3).
Targum Yonasan: In all generations Hashem demonstrates His Might on behalf of Yisrael.
Rashi: See, for example, Melachim I 2:2 .
Rashi: As opposed to a human king, who goes to war with an army, but alone, in order to make peace.
To negate the opinion of the heretics, who try to prove from this Pasuk that Hashem is human.
See Torah Temimah, note 16.
What is "Hashem Shemo" coming to teach us?
Rashi #1 and Targum Yonasan: It teaches us that Hashem fights (not with weapons, but) with His Name alone.
Rashi #2: It teaches us that even when Hashem goes to war, to take revenge against His enemies; He continues to feed the entire world with Midas ha'Rachamim. 1
Hadar Zekenim #1: Refer to 15:3:1:3. And it is fitting to call Him by the Name 'Hashem'
Hadar Zekenim #2 (citing Sefer ha'Gan): This is certainly His name. He is always with his servants (Hoveh) 2 in their distress.
Rashi: Not like human kings who, when they wage war, place all their other activities on hold, since they cannot concentrate on both at the same time. For Maharal's comments on this Rashi, see below (15:3:2.1:1 ).
Hashem's Name is the acronym of 'Hayah, Hoveh and Yihyeh' (He was, is and will be - PF).
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'Ish Milchamah' - [I.e.] 'Ba'al Milchamos' (Master of all wars), as in the verse 'Ish Naomi' (husband of Naomi) (Rus 1:3)." But perhaps the word "Ish" in that Pasuk in Rus, simply means "man"?
Gur Aryeh: Any adult male is called 'Ish,' 'a man,' regardless of any marital status; just as any woman is called an 'Ishah.' But in that Pasuk, the possessive phrase "Ish of Naomi" implies that he is an Ish due to Naomi - therefore "Ish" must mean 'husband' in that context. 1
Gur Aryeh: As indeed, he is a husband only because of her.
Rashi writes: "Hashem is His Name - His wars are not [fought] via weapons; rather, He fights via His Name [alone] ... Also, even at the very moment when Hashem battles and takes vengeance upon His enemies, He maintains His ways, to have mercy upon His creations, and to grant sustenance to all living things." What praise of Hashem does this verse express?
Maharal (Gevuros Hashem Ch. 47, p. 189): As Maharal explained above (see 15:2:152:1 and its note) - Chomer (anything physical) is 'weak,' in the sense that it is put into action by others; whereas Tzurah (e.g. spiritual matters) is self-actualized. A human warrior is set into action by the war; nor can a human warrior attend to other tasks during wartime. Thus, the Shirah praises that neither of these is true of Hashem. He is not 'set into action,' or affected 1 in any way, by battling His enemies. There is no deviation from His true essence, expressed by the Name Havayah; He continues to have Rachamim (mercy) upon his creations, and to sustain the entire world. 2
A human warrior is bound by physical limits. When he encounters an adversary, he must use all of his resources to overpower him. Thus, even if the warrior emerges victorious, he is very much 'put into action,' and affected by, the war. Not so for the Creator, Whose might is unlimited; and therefore His involvement in war does not come at the expense of other matters. (EK)
These are ideas expressed by the Divine Name; refer to Shemos 6:3:1.6:1 and Shemos 3:15:1.02:1 .
